Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Ultra-slim smartphones were supposed to be a big thing this year, or so smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung thought. An iPhone Air and a Galaxy S25 Edge later, it doesn’t look like the trend will stick. Thin phones that only bank on their slimmness to attract buyers may very well be on their way out. Reports are already swirling about sluggish sales for the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and strong whispers suggest both lines may never see successors, and you know what, that’s probably okay.
We recently conducted a survey on Android Authority asking readers to choose between having a huge battery on their phones or a thin design, and the results are extremely clear: battery life matters to users far more than thinness ever will.
Huge battery or thin phone: Which would you buy?
Our survey gathered roughly 8,500 votes, and a staggering 88.4% of the respondents said they would rather have a phone with a huge battery, sacrificing an ultra-thin design in favor of more screen time. Only 7.7% said they would choose a thin design, while 3.9% said neither feature is especially important to them. The verdict is clear and echoes a long-running trend we’ve noticed year after year — when given the choice, consumers always pick battery longevity over aesthetics.
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The poor sales performance of the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge underscores this consumer sentiment. Apple’s troubles even deepened recently when a key member of the iPhone Air design team departed the company, casting even more doubt on the future of the product line. Meanwhile, strong rumors and information gathered from industry insiders suggest Samsung has canceled the Edge series altogether as its ultra-thin design language failed to move units.
What readers had to say
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Comments received on our survey show that thinness no longer has the same wow factor it once did. Meanwhile, battery expectations have skyrocketed, especially as silicon-carbon infused batteries become increasingly common, enabling many new smartphones like the OnePlus 15 to deliver two full days of solid use without dramatically increasing thickness.
“In 2025, when you’re talking huge battery, you’re not exactly talking about encyclopedia-thick phones anymore. The OnePlus 15 is only 9mm thick, and if phones like the Galaxy S or iPhone matched the camera bump height, they could fit much bigger batteries without adding much thickness,” a reader noted.
“I had a heavy day on my 10 Pro XL… over 6 hours of SOT… and I’m sitting at 35%. I’ll charge in a couple of hours. I welcome more battery because I don’t like letting phones drop below 20-25%,” another reader commented.
Others said that shrinking a phone in size doesn’t just shrink the battery; it also shrinks the camera’s potential.
“Those aesthetics come at a functional cost… not just a smaller battery but worse cameras. Look at the iPhone Air and the S25 Edge. I’d still take a thicker phone if it has better cameras.”
Meanwhile, some readers defended Samsung’s latest thin handset, arguing that the company’s efficient software helps mitigate some of the battery disadvantages.
Battery life is and will remain a priority over ultra-thin designs.
“Samsung’s last gen came out right as new batteries were becoming popular… Apple had plenty of time to test the new tech, yet didn’t. Given that they have some of the smallest batteries out there, they certainly would benefit from it.”
A smaller segment of the survey takers also appreciated thin phones for their sleek look and in-hand feel. Yet, even many of those people acknowledge why the market is turning away from the trend.
“I like thinner phones because they’re aesthetically pleasing. HOWEVER, they’re overpriced and they poop out in less than a day… If they had used silicon batteries from the start… then they might have sold!”
In a nutshell, users have spoken loud and clear. Battery life is and will remain a priority over ultra-thin designs, which not only sacrifice power but also cameras. Consumers are not willing to sacrifice endurance for aesthetics, especially given that the industry is entering an era where smartphones no longer need to be ultra-thin to pack sizable batteries.
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