Changing Style of Mobile Phones

by Shabana Adam | 16 November 2012

The iPhone 5 is on of the slimmest on the market

The first few generations of mobile phones were entirely about function – designed for one reason only, to make and receive calls. Fast forward a couple of decades and modern day devices are super skinny fashion statements keeping us ‘always connected’ but do they sacrifice substance for style?

On the 10^th of November 1992 (almost exactly 20 years ago), Nokia launched the world’s first commercially available GSM digital mobile phone – the Nokia 1011 – and helped to change the way we communicate forever. The launch was a significant turning point and the first time owning a mobile telephone became viable for the masses. However, the handset was a far cry from the slimlined designs of today; clocking in at a chunky 45mm it was almost 6x thicker and more than 4x heavier than Apple’s newest offering, the iPhone 5.

Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at Carphone Warehouse, says, “The modern mobile phone market is very sophisticated. We see customers every day who are looking for something more than just a mere communications device; thickness, shape, design and even colour have become key purchase drivers.

"Customers want a phone that complements their self-image and becomes an extension of their personality. For example, we know that the iPhone is often considered a status symbol and users are among the most affluent of all smart phone owners. The majority of iPhone owners are typically between 25 and 34 years old and more often women (53%) than men (47%).

"These people want a phone that is instantly recognizable, that delivers both form and function. The new iPhone 5 design particularly appeals because of the slimmer frame, redesigned back panels, larger screen and tinted sides - it’s the most drastic transformation ever for the apple device," Graham said.

“The hot trend in mobile right now is thickness - thin is in and all the major manufacturers are competing to make their devices as slim as possible. It’s incredible, but functionality has not been sacrificed by making these devices thinner. In fact, the majority of modern super slim phones are also super powered and include a plethora of sensational additional features that make them an indispensible part of our everyday lives. The iPhone 5 is a shining example of this as the thinnest and lightest iPhone model yet but also the fastest.”

Get the Skinny

Handsets no thicker than 1cm are now commonplace and most manufacturers offer devices far slimmer. The chart below shows the top 5 thinnest handsets currently available from the biggest manufacturers – when it comes to the thickness of their flagship phones there are only a few millimetres in it!

Graham concludes, “Carphone Warehouse has been at the forefront of offering handset and tariff advice since the very beginning. We’re the UK’s largest independent mobile retailer and are committed to championing our customer’s needs by providing the best possible deals across all mobile networks.”