I didn’t get the Galaxy S25 Edge hype until living with this slim phone

I’ll admit, I’ve been pretty sceptical of the whole slim phone hype we’re going through. Are they impressive? Sure. But I didn’t get the main pull. Who’s out here struggling with the iPhone 16’s 7.8mm frame – or any other top smartphone for that matter? But then Infinix sent me the Hot 50 Pro+. And I think I finally get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hype after living with this slim phone.

At 6.8mm, it’s not as slim as the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge or Tecno Spark Slim. Both are rumoured to come in at around 5.8mm, which is frankly wafer-thin. But it’s the slimmest phone you can buy right now – excluding unfolded foldable smartphones, of course.

Read more: I can’t decide if these quirky concept phones are great or gimmicks

Slim = grin: Why I think slim phones are worth the hype

It’s wild how much of a difference a single millimetre can make. This thing disappears in my pocket. It’s more comfortable to hold – especially if I’m scrolling through my phone while lying down. Quite frankly, it’s impressive. My jeans actually look like jeans again – without a rectangular shaped pocket bulge. It’s light, too, yet doesn’t feel like it’ll snap in half when I sneeze. The faux leather on the Aurora Green variant I’ve been using is charmingly over-the-top.

Now, here’s where reality knocks. This is not a spec monster. Not even close. The Hot 50 Pro+ is very much a budget device. There’s no 5G, for one – in 2025 – which feels borderline criminal. The camera setup is generously underwhelming. There are three lenses on the back, but only two do anything. And even then, only one is really worth talking about. The 50MP main camera is just okay, with very little dynamic range and a portrait mode that works only if you squint and forgive easily. The selfie camera is doing its best, bless it, but I’ve seen clearer photos taken years ago.

Performance is fine if your idea of multitasking is Instagram and the weather app. The MediaTek Helio G100 inside is basically a renamed Helio G99, which won’t impress anyone. But, for once, I think that’s ok – this phone’s appeal isn’t under the hood.

The display is surprisingly solid. It’s a bright, colourful, curved AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate. It doesn’t do HDR, but it is Widevine L1 certified. And there are symmetrical stereo speakers, tuned by JBL, which are genuinely enjoyable to. Infinix managed to cram all this into such a slim frame and still fit a 5000 mAh battery in there. Charging could be faster, but 33W is enough to keep most folks happy.

But again, none of that is why I kept picking it up. I kept picking it up because it’s thin – genuinely slim to the point it makes other phones feel bloated. Going back to my iPhone 16 Pro Max, I started to think it was quite chunky. It almost makes you look at flagships in a new, bulkier light. I finally understood the obsession around the S25 Edge. It’s not just a spec sheet flex. There’s something undeniably alluring about a device that slides into your life without a bulge in your pokcet.

Reality check: How will slim phones actually compete?

While I’m willing to forgive the Infinix Hot 50 Pro+ for its performance misgivings, that’s because I’m not using it all the time. For this phone to become a daily driver, it needs to up the innards. Of course, the Galaxy S25 Edge looks likely to have all the things this one doesn’t. 5G, decent cameras, top-tier display tech, and a chip that doesn’t run out of breath loading the Play Store. But it’ll also cost four times as much.

Slim is going to become the new standard for premium – a luxury that costs more. And I think people will buy into that. If you can get a phone that’s better to hold and use that doesn’t sacrifice on specs, it seems like a no brainer. People will pay the premium. And a few years down the line, slim will become the new norm. Just like a regular smartphone in 2025 is bigger than a 2013 phablet.

I get it now. Thin phones matter. They feel better, look sharper, and make every other device feel like it’s carrying winter weight. The Hot 50 Pro+ isn’t perfect. But when the Galaxy S25 Edge finally launches, I’ll be watching.

Related: Best-ever concept phones: rollable screens, liquid cooling, detachable lenses, and more

About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around seven years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.