iPhone 5 'world's thinnest smartphone' claim in dispute

iPhone 5 'world's thinnest smartphone' claim in dispute
Should you measure the thinnest or thickest point?

Apple's claim that the iPhone 5 is the world's thinnest smartphone may not be true as Huawei and Oppo already offer up super-slender opposition.

During the iPhone 5 keynote yesterday Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide marketing, had this to say about the new handset: "It's the thinnest and lightest iPhone we've ever made, and best of all, it's the world's thinnest smartphone."

Sliding in at just 7.6mm, the new iPhone certainly has a slender body, but there seems to be thinner out there.

Huawei and Oppo may have a case

Back in January at CES 2012, Chinese manufacturer Huawei announced its Ascend P1 S, claiming at the time it was the world's thinnest smartphone, measuring 6.68mm at its thinnest point.

However the P1 S also features a bulge at one end, which Huawei were not so forth-coming about in terms of dimensions, so the reality could well be that at its thickest point it doesn't beat the iPhone 5 – rather misleading if you ask us.

But wait, another Chinese manufacturer may have a genuine claim, and it comes in the form of the little known Oppo Finder, measuring an impossible 6.65mm at its thinnest point, and more importantly 7.1mm at its thickest.

Sure it's not 4G enabled, nor is it currently available outside of China, but in terms of the "world's thinnest smartphone" claim, it's surely got Apple beat here.

Not convinced, here's a video from Oppo showing off the Finder and its crazy thin dimensions.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.