No one can deny that making handsets thinner and thinner is a persistent trend in the mobile device market. Rarely do we see a new, prominent smartphone or tablet being thicker than its predecessor. Manufacturers love to be able to tout during announcements and in ads just how insanely slim their new products are, like this is a feature that us, consumers, are dying to get. (Sadly, sometimes that may be the only thing that such handsets have got going for them.)
Still, if you are one of those who prefer insanely-thin smartphones, Oppo has just the thing for you. The Chinese manufacturer just unveiled "the slimmest phone in the world", called R5, measuring just 4.85 mm thick. To give you an idea of just how thin it is, it shames Apple's new iPhone 6, which comes in at 6.9 mm thick.
So what else does R5 have going for it? Well, it is made of "hand polished steel", so it should feel really good in the hand. The build material is designed to absorb heat well, so the device does not overheat or become uncomfortable to hold. Focus should be very fast, and there is support for focusing after the fact. It is ready for low-light photography. It can take 50 MP photos through stitching. Charging for half an hour will top 75 percent of the battery, while a five-minute charge will allow a two-hour phone call.
Here are the main specs: 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920; 1.5 GHz, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor; 2 GB of RAM; 2,000 mAh battery; 13 MP main Sony camera with f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording; 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture; 16 GB of internal storage; 4G LTE; Wi-Fi 802.11ac; it runs the Android 4.4 KitKat-based ColorOS 2.0. It measures 148.9 x 74.5 × 4.85 mm and weighs 155 grams.
While there is no word yet on when R5 hits store shelves, Oppo revealed that it costs $499 off-contract.
Alongside R5, Oppo also unveiled N3. Its highlight is the 206 degree, 16 MP motorized swiveling camera on top of the display, which should make it a great choice for selfie lovers. It packs a 5.5-inch display with the same resolution as R5, and is powered by a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, as the other main differences compared to R5. It's bigger, obviously, and heavier, at 161.2 × 77 × 8.7 mm and 192 grams.
Off-contract price is $649. It will be available in up to 20 markets across the globe by year's end.
