Ultra-Thin Smartphone Craze Continues: Xiaomi Challenges the iPhone Air

Xiaomi has set high goals for 2026, aiming to release an ultra-thin and lightweight smartphone similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air, as well as a twice-foldable mobile device.

The year 2025 witnessed the emergence of light and ultra-thin smartphones. Samsung was the first to unveil its Galaxy S25 Edge, which failed to impress us fully. The phone suffered from low battery life, slow charging speeds, poor heat dissipation, and compromises in camera quality, making it a poorly balanced device unsuitable for many users.

A few months later, Apple launched the iPhone Air, which also had its downsides (no fast charging, only one camera sensor on the back, and video quality not up to iPhone standards), but it did offer better battery life than the Galaxy S25 Edge and an overall superior user experience. Despite these innovations, sales of both devices fell short of expectations. Samsung even had to change its strategy last minute: the Galaxy S26 Edge was supposed to replace the Galaxy S26+ in its product line, but the latter will now be making a comeback, and there will be no Galaxy S26 Edge. Additionally, it’s unclear whether an iPhone Air 2 will appear this year.

Xiaomi Slim and a Twice-Foldable Smartphone

The lukewarm reception from the public may have deterred several Android manufacturers, who had begun developing their own thin and light smartphones, but pulled back after observing the commercial failure of such products. However, Xiaomi might take a leap and introduce a Xiaomi Slim in 2026, according to Huawei Central. The brand aspires to be seen as the most innovative in the market, especially in China, and aims to demonstrate its capability to produce smartphones with challenging designs, and possibly, to outperform Samsung and Apple. Moreover, this year is also expected to see the launch of a Xiaomi mobile with a twice-foldable screen.

Thanks to advancements in battery cell technology, Xiaomi’s recent smartphone models have significantly increased battery capacity. The Xiaomi Slim is expected to benefit from these improvements, offering better battery life than that provided by the Galaxy S25 Edge.