We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage?Take these stepsfor better search results, includingadding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.Getting the right TV is an art. You need to know whether you need a QLED or OLED in your living room, or perhaps you're just looking for a budget LED to stick in a basement to keep up with your shows while doing some work. Regardless of what you get, getting a TV at a bargain is a win we all need. I've rounded up the best TV deals I could find, whether you need a high-end TV, a mid-tier TV, or something more affordable.Best budget TV dealsRoku is maybe one of the best brands to buy a TV for cheap right now. The Roku 75" Class Plus Series QLED TV is 4K, supports Dolby Vision, has a 60Hz refresh rate, and comes with Roku's snappy operating system built in. You can get this massive TV for $499.99 (originally $899.99), the lowest price I've seen it. Roku - 75" Class Plus Series QLED 4K Smart RokuTV $499.99 at Best Buy $899.99 Save $400.00 Get Deal Get Deal $499.99 at Best Buy $899.99 Save $400.00 Another budget TV deal:TCL 75-Inch Class QM6K Series $799.99 (originally $999.99): I've been lucky enough to test TCL's new QM6K QLED TV firsthand for a couple of months. It's hard to believe it's considered a budget TV, considering how good it is. Best mid-tier TV dealsRight now, the 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch QM7K are marked down 40%, bringing their prices down to $897.99, $1,197.99, and $1,499.99, respectively. All of them are at the lowest prices they have ever been, according to price-tracking tools. The highlights for these include a bright panel (great for sunlit rooms), plus deep blacks and almost no light bloom, giving it that premium picture quality. Gamers will appreciate the 144 Hz native refresh rate and 288 Hz support panel with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, making it a smooth viewing experience. Since it's a Google TV, it has hands-free Google Assistant and Google Cast, which makes streaming almost anything from your phone or computer a breeze. It can also do the same for iPhones with AirPlay. If you're a color stickler, you might notice that the colors run a little warmer out of the box, according to PCMag's "excellent" review, but that's something you can edit easily in the picture settings. TCL 85-Inch Class QM7K Series QD-Mini LED 4K UHD Google Smart TV QLED, 144hz, 288hz Gaming Rate, Anti-Reflective Screen, Bang & Olufsen Audio, Atmos (85QM7K, 2025) $1,499.99 at Amazon $2,499.99 Save $1,000.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,499.99 at Amazon $2,499.99 Save $1,000.00 Other mid-tier TV deals:If you're looking for a truly massive TV, consider the Hisense 98" Class QD5, a QLED TV currently going for $1,497.99 (originally $2,298), the lowest price since its release earlier this year. It has my favorite OS, Google TV, which lets you cast your phone or computer seamlessly. It also has a native 144Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium, so gaming will be smooth. The Dolby Vision Atmos and HDR 10+ support will make movie nights pop.The Sony BRAVIA 5 is the mid-tier TV from Sony's 2025 LED TV lineup, with a decent amount of dimming zones and the Mini LED backlight technology that makes it look crisp and bright. It comes with Google TV OS, supports Dolby Vision, and has good brightness on SDR content; just be careful with glare from reflections, since it'll make viewing a challenge. You can get the 65-inch version for $1,198 (originally $1,499.99).Best high-end TV dealsSamsung's The Frame TV has a Pro version, with a 4K Mini LED screen for greater contrast and brightness. The connector box is completely wireless, so the only TV cable you'll need to worry about is the power cord, which fits flush behind the TV mount. You can get the Samsung 65-Inch The Frame Pro TV for $1,798 at Amazon(was $2,198), the lowest price it has been. The specs inside are solid, but the main draw is its matte screen that can be framed with bezels to make it look like a large painting when its not in use. Samsung 65-Inch Class The Frame Pro NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, Art Mode, Samsung Vision AI, Alexa Built-in $1,797.99 at Amazon $2,197.99 Save $400.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,797.99 at Amazon $2,197.99 Save $400.00 Other high-end TV deals:Hisense 100" Class U8 Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV $3,539.96 (originally $6,999.99): The Hisense U8QG was released in April of this year. It's a solid, well-rounded TV that will work great in bright rooms and excels for watching sports, playing video games, and movies. The brightness, black levels, and colors are its most impressive specs. LG C5 55-inch $1,396.99 (originally $1,799.99): For those looking to splurge on an OLED TV, the 55-inch LG C5 is a great choice; the 65-inch model is also discounted, to $1,496.99 (originally $2,696.99). This OLED came out this year and it's impressive to already see it with such a steep discount. It has excellent image quality like you'd expect from any OLED, has great gaming specs, and the contrast looks great even in bright rooms, according to CNET's review. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Sonos Era 300 Black - Wireless $359.00 (List Price $449.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team

The Square Enix team behind Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles didn't just remaster the iconic strategy RPG, they had to go through the trouble of remaking the source code from scratch, according to Bloomberg. In an interview with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the game's director Kazutoyo Maehiro explained the arduous process of designing The Ivalice Chronicles, which is set to release at the end of the month.When getting to work on the remake, Maehiro and his team discovered they had to rebuild the source code from the ground up since it was lost thanks to the industry's unstandardized practices in the '90s, according to Bloomberg. When translating Final Fantasy Tactics from Japanese to English for the global release, the company would overwrite the original Japanese version's code. For Maehiro, that meant the team had to undertake a ground-up overhaul and recreate the source code by playing the original game that released in 1997, consulting the game's master disc and looking at the 2011 version called Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, according to Bloomberg. Maehiro also said during a PAX West 2025 panel that the team gleaned a lot of lost info from fan-made databases.Revealing more of the behind-the-scenes decisions for The Ivalice Chronicles, Maehiro told Bloomberg about the debate surrounding Count Cidolfus Orlandeau. Better known as Cid, and appropriately nicknamed Thunder God Cid, this overtuned character joins you later in the game, but many fans complained about him being overpowered. Instead of nerfing Cid, Maehiro told Bloomberg that keeping this character's power level the same would better represent the storyline since "his role in the story is being that very powerful character who joins your party." To quell any concerns of Cid being too broken, Maehiro told Bloomberg that the team decided to buff the other characters to even things out. Looking ahead, Maehiro also hinted at exploring sequels for the Final Fantasy Tactics franchise or even brand new games in the strategy RPG genre, given that The Ivalice Chronicles does well, according to Bloomberg.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-ivalice-chronicles-team-had-to-remake-the-original-final-fantasy-tactics-source-code-from-scratch-190253342.html?src=rss

FEVMs FA65G mini PC combines a Ryzen 9800X3D CPU and RTX 4080 MXM GPU inside a 2.5-liter Mac Studio-inspired chassis.

Roblox on Friday announced new short-video and AI features that come amid increasing lawmaker scrutiny into how the company protects children on its platform.

Results straight from the Creative Arts Emmys.Congratulations to the VFX teams behind s2 of Andor and s1 of The Penguin for their wins in the two Emmy visual effects categories. Here are the winners, below. Congratulations to all the nominees! Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a MovieAndorMohen Leo, Visual Effects SupervisorTJ Falls, Visual Effects ProducerLuke Murphy, Special Effects SupervisorNeal Scanlan, Special Creature Effects byScott Pritchard, ILM Visual Effects SupervisorJoseph Kasparian, Hybride Visual Effects SupervisorSue Rowe, Scanline Visual Effects SupervisorPaolo DArco, In-House VFX SupervisorJean-Clment Soret, Digital ColouristFind full coverage of Andor s2 in a full issue of befores & afters magazine.Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single EpisodeThe Penguin Bliss Johnny Han, Overall VFX SupervisorMichelle Rose, Overall VFX ProducerAlexandre Prodhomme, On-Set VFX SupervisorErin Sullivan, VFX EditorGoran Pavles, Vendor VFX SupervisorEmanuel Fuchs, Vendor VFX SupervisorEd Bruce, Vendor VFX SupervisorNathaniel Larouche, Vendor VFX SupervisorAdrien Saint Girons, Vendor VFX SupervisorFind full coverage of The Penguin in a full issue of befores & afters magazine.The post Andor and The Penguin win VFX Emmys appeared first on befores & afters.

About the EventHi everyone! Our September challenge is here, and this month, its all about practicing basics and self-improvement!Have you ever had ideas or motifs youve wanted to try, but never found the right moment to incorporate into your pieces? Take this chance to practice some simple but impactful foundational elements for fun! The pieces can be as small in scope as you want. Lets try incorporating some design elements and principles and review our work. How It WorksThe Selftember challenge consists of two parts: Part 1: One piece a day, work with basics by incorporating design elements and principles with things you like, and round it off with some studies.Part 2: One final piece. Choose to rework an old piece, or do something new, by including Part 1 elements you practiced. *Part 2 Notes: Day 21: Then & Now - Share an old piece you want to rework for the second part of the challenge. Talk about the original inspiration, what you did right, what you have learned since then, and what you would do differently now. If you have created similar pieces since, show us a comparison side by side, and share what you want to try next or improve.Day 30: Share - Post the final completed piece, as well as your thoughts, learnings, and discoveries from this challenge! *Bonus: Upon completion, put your pieces together into a calendar chart to see your progress over the month! How to Join #Selftember2025 1. Participate by posting new work youve made by following the Cara Selftember list 2. Mention #selftember2025 in the description when posting!*If you want to participate but dont have time to create new work, you can also join with old pieces that fit the days theme and share a thoughtful self-critique or interesting learnings on the specific topic. For example: discuss positives and weaknesses of the piece, what you have learned since, and what you want to improve on or try in the future. If you work in different mediums, this could be a great way for others to learn more about your domain! Cara Theme ListRegardless of your medium or genre of work, be it illustration, sculpting, photography, animation, typography, or graphic design, we encourage you to try it out and join in the fun. You can make the scope very small and simple. Maybe its just photos with compositions taken with your phone, maybe its designs for your OCs. Ultimately, we hope you have fun! We are excited to see everyones experience and discussions. Simple Reading & References:Examples on @zemotions post https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_principleshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elementshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts)https://delviewmedia.weebly.com/elements--principles-of-art--design.htmlhttps://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/design As usual, we hope you enjoy, and have fun! - The Cara Teamcara.app | twitter | instagram | buy cara a coffee

As is the case for many founders, my journey began as a one-person show. I started Digital Voices, an influencer marketing agency that helps brands grow by pairing them with creators across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. With just a shoestring budget of $300 and a background in digital strategy, I launched the company with more ambition than certainty. Afterlong hours coupled with hustle and self-doubtit has now evolved into a multimillion-80-person operation spanning the globe.Here are five lessons about leadership I learned along the way.1. Get comfortable with constant changeLeadership today is defined by constant fluctuation. On a Monday, youre making long-term strategic decisions aimed at future-proofing the business. The next day, youre brainstorming creative ideas for a client campaign. All of this comes as you attempt to balance the businesss progress against your own personal journey. And thats before you even get to the impact that your actions or a throwaway comment have on your wider team.In order to grow, your business should be constantly changing. For example, weve built new technology that has completely changed peoples day-to-day work, changed roles, titles, teams, opened offices in the United States, and built a team in Costa Rica.One of my favorite business adages is, If your company doesnt feel like an entirely new business every 18 months, youre not scaling. Youre stagnating.This puts immense pressure on every leader. That relentless tension means that for real progress, you always have to feel out of your comfort zone.You need to spin multiple plateschecking that the aspects of the business you used to run are going smoothly, while feeling like a beginner at whatever obstacle youre throwing yourself at next.2. Vulnerability is keyIve never met a leader whos gone their entire career without making mistakes. Neither have you. The perfect leader doesnt exist.It doesnt matter how many books youve read, coaches youve had, how much time or money youve invested in self-development, making mistakes is part of this game. The proximity to failure keeps most entrepreneurs motivated.The polished, superhero, all about the grind, idealized image of entrepreneurship is dead. People want to see the honest version of your struggles and humanity. Sharing your mistakes publicly isnt a sign of weakness; its an avenue towards building trust with your customers and employees.Try to resist the urge to receive every piece of negative feedback on your backfoot. Very rarely is it a personal attack or a character assassination. Think about it this way: Giving negative feedback and offering solutions is hard. It means your employees care enough to think about how your business can be better. Also, no one likes conflict or enjoys having hard conversations. They are risking discomfortand at times even their jobto give you insights.3. Hire for fitThe culture versus credentials debate: Weve all heard it, some of us have lived it.The truth is that the perfect on paper candidate will always turn your head. According to their resume, theyve got all the relevant experience, the certifications and qualifications, the recommendations For all intents and purposes, theyre a shoo-in.And yet we should all recognize by now that credentials are only part of the puzzlea vital ingredient certainly, but not the whole pie. You need people who thrive in the uncertainty of a scale-up environment and who believe in what youre striving for and genuinely want to help drive your business forward. Not everyone will be capable of that level of engagement, or even want it. So dont let a resume with big brand names mask the fact that someone isnt the right fit from a culture perspective. Spend the time and hire slow. And then keep the trust of your team by firing fast if they arent the right fit.4. Stay true to your valuesBe clear on what your cultural non-negotiables are in the business. Write yours down. Inform your team as they need to know what lens they should view decisions through.There will be times when protecting your bottom line will clash with your businesss purpose. Principles will cost you money. Ive been offered multiple seven-figure sums to market gambling or weight-loss brands. And while the business could have used that money, we turned it down.Why? Because were accountable to the businessand not just commercially, but culturally, too. Which means you need to be confident that the experience, grit, skills and team that got you this far, will continue to propel you forward.Im not saying dont edit your approach. Im saying be careful with the tweaks that cost you your principles and culture. Those decisions are nearly impossible to roll back.5. Empower your employeesToo many founders lean toward helicopter leadership. Its like the business version of helicopter parenting, a term used to describe the sort of parents who constantly hover round their kids, micromanaging every experience. While the business might have once been your baby, you cannot spin all the plates across all teams. For one, its not sustainable. For two, your employees will despise you for it.You need to create an environment where people are not afraid to put their hands up if something is going wrong. They need to trust that youll jump in and help them solve the problem, rather than play the blame game. Hard on the problem, easy on the person.This isnt about maintaining total control, its about achieving clarity and trust. The most impactful founders move beyond acting as a boss, and start acting as conductorsbringing out the best in their team for the collective benefit of everyone.

Here's what we looked at this week:Pizza cutters, from underdesigned to overdesigned. Dutch engineers move massive historic Swedish church three miles away.Elegant solution to a tricky problem: A scale for wild birds.Motorsports mayhem: The Rockford Speedway Figure 8 Trailer Race.Industrial designer Michael Mahle develops unusual wooden connectors for flatpack furniture.Industrial designer Thomas Bentzen'sSketch Toolbox.The return of an industrial, minimalist 20th-century lamp: Astep revives the Model 262, by Gino Sarfatti.Industrial Design student work: Barko, by Denise Merlette of ECAL, finds a use for bark in furniture.Strange furniture design history: A sex scandal, and a sweet update to Arne Jacobsen's No. 7 chair.Kinkfab's sexy air conditioning vents.Rise + Shine, by industrial designer Dan McMahon, is a pneumatically-height-adjustable candleholder. It's a modern-day update to an actual series of objects that existed in the 19th century.RIVR's Swiss application for robot dogs: Delivering mail and meals.Space-saving design tricks in a tiny Parisian apartment, by architecture firm Beth X Episteme.Industrial designer Csar Moncaut's Pop-Up Lamp is a low-tech take on color-changing lighting.Industrial design case study: Sprout Studios designs the Viken Raven, a magic handheld x-ray machine for law enforcement.

The pursuit of the impossibly thin smartphone has undeniably become one of 2025s most compelling design narratives. This was not a subtle shift; the industrys pivot towards extreme slimness has been a clear and deliberate trend, a collective re-evaluation of what constitutes premium design after years focused on camera bumps and battery heft. With whispers of an iPhone Air variant potentially gracing our screens on September 9th, the question looms: is this a confident stride into a new era of sleekness, or a touch of hubris that might revive haunting memories of bendgate? Either way, the race is on, and the current contenders are pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible.Measuring thinness, however, becomes an intriguing challenge when foldables enter the arena. While a traditional candybar phone presents a single, static dimension, a foldable offers two: its folded state and its dramatically thinner unfolded state. For this list, we embrace the most impressive measurement a device can achieve, celebrating the engineering marvel that allows a phone to stretch into an almost paper-thin profile. This article is about the absolute thinnest a phone can be, plain and simple. And yes, that does make the comparison between candybars and foldables unfair in certain regards, but well try to thread that needle with millimeter precision, so to speak. That being said, stick around till the end to see how a phone from 2014 still holds the thinnest smartphone record even after a decade!Huawei Mate XT Ultimate 3.6mm unfolded (2025)Huaweis approach to thinness is a masterclass in extremes. The Mate XT Ultimate is not just a foldable; it is a tri-foldable, a wild piece of kit that unfolds twice to reveal a sprawling 10.2-inch display. When it is fully unfurled, the device measures a frankly unbelievable 3.6mm at its thinnest point. This is thinner than most USB-C ports, thinner than any tablet, and thinner than any phone ever made. It feels less like a consumer electronic device and more like a sheet of futuristic, flexible glass. For a company to even attempt this kind of engineering is bold, but to actually ship it is a statement that pushes the entire industry forward.Of course, this radical design comes with a significant trade-off. When fully folded into its 6.4-inch candybar form, the Mate XT is a chunky 12.8mm thick, a necessity of stacking three screen layers. Despite this, Huawei did not skimp on the internals, packing a massive 5,600mAh battery, up to 16GB of RAM, and a flagship-grade triple camera system. It is a device of fascinating contradictions, achieving the worlds thinnest unfolded profile while still delivering heavyweight performance. The Mate XT proves that the pursuit of slimness can coexist with a refusal to compromise on power, even if it requires a completely new form factor to do so.Honor Magic V5 4.1mm unfolded (2025)Before Huaweis tri-fold took the ultimate prize, the Honor Magic V5 was the undisputed champion of slim foldables. When unfolded, it measures an astonishing 4.1mm, a figure that makes most traditional slab phones look bulky. Its real magic, however, is its folded thickness of just 8.8mm. This was a groundbreaking achievement because it was the first time a book-style foldable felt less like a niche gadget and more like a normal, everyday smartphone when closed. It sits comfortably in a pocket and can be used one-handed without feeling cumbersome, solving one of the biggest usability hurdles for the form factor.Honor achieved this feat through meticulous engineering, from a custom super-light titanium hinge to the implementation of a high-density silicon-carbon battery. This allowed them to fit a huge 5,820mAh cell into a chassis that is thinner than many competitors with smaller batteries. The Magic V5 was the phone that proved a large-screen foldable did not have to come with a penalty in portability. It set a new benchmark for the entire category and directly triggered the slim-down we are seeing from its rivals, including Samsung.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 4.2mm unfolded (2025)Samsungs response to Honors challenge is the Galaxy Z Fold 7, a device that shows how seriously the company is taking the thinness wars. At 4.2mm unfolded and around 8.9mm folded, its dimensions are within a hairs breadth of the Magic V5, signaling a direct and fierce competition. This is Samsung demonstrating that it can match its rivals millimeter for millimeter while bringing its own expertise in durability and software polish to the table. The near-imperceptible difference in thickness between the two devices highlights just how optimized the engineering has become at the highest level of the foldable market.While the numbers are impressive, Samsungs focus with the Z Fold 7 is on refining the complete user experience. The phone feels more rigid and durable than previous generations, with a stronger hinge and better screen protection. This focus on practical usability, combined with its class-leading software and multitasking features in One UI, makes the Z Fold 7 a formidable contender. It represents a mature and polished vision for what a slim, powerful foldable can be, proving that extreme thinness can be achieved without sacrificing the reliability that mainstream users expect.Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 5.8mm (2025)Samsungs Galaxy S25 Edge is a flagship entry that proudly claims the title of the thinnest slab phone from a major global brand in 2025, measuring a uniform 5.8mm. This is a deliberate design choice, positioning the Edge as the ultimate style statement within the S25 lineup. Crafted with a premium titanium frame and protected by Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, it feels incredibly solid despite its featherlight 163-gram weight. The S25 Edge is a masterclass in minimalist design, exuding an aura of understated luxury.To achieve this extreme thinness, Samsung made strategic decisions, including equipping it with the smallest battery among the S25 series and omitting a dedicated telephoto lens. These choices highlight its focus as a design-first device, appealing to users who prioritize sleek aesthetics and a comfortable in-hand feel above all else. The S25 Edge is a clear signal that Samsung believes there is a strong market for phones that are as much about their physical presence as their internal capabilities.ZTE nubia Air 5.9mm at thinnest point (2025)Nubias Air enters the fray with an overall thickness of 6.7mm, but its design tapers to an impressive 5.9mm at its thinnest point along the frame. This makes it a serious contender in the ultra-slim candybar category, especially when considering its other remarkable features. The Nubia Air stands out by pairing its slender profile with an IP69K rating, offering exceptional dust and high-pressure water resistance. This level of ruggedness is almost unheard of in such a thin device, showcasing a sophisticated balance of form and function.Beyond its durability, the Nubia Air surprises with a substantial 5,000mAh battery, defying the expectation that thin phones must compromise on power. It also features a vibrant 6.78-inch AMOLED display, ensuring a premium visual experience. Nubia has engineered a phone that not only looks incredibly sleek but also offers the resilience and endurance needed for everyday use. It is a thought-provoking blend of delicate aesthetics and robust construction, proving that a thin phone can indeed be built to last.Tecno Spark Slim 5.93mm (2025)Tecnos strategy in the thinness race appears to be a two-pronged attack unleashed at IFA 2025, with the Spark Slim representing the purists choice. At 5.93mm, it is the absolute thinnest modern candybar phone you can buy today, period. There is a beautiful simplicity to this device; its primary reason for being is to achieve that single, headline-grabbing number. The design is flat, clean, and minimalist, leaning into the aesthetic that makes thin devices feel so satisfying to hold. This is not a phone weighed down by excessive features; it is a focused exercise in industrial design.By stripping back the complexity, Tecno has created a device that makes a singular, powerful statement. The Spark Slim is for the consumer who is captivated by the raw appeal of an incredibly thin object. It democratizes this design-first philosophy, bringing an obsessive level of slimness to a market segment that rarely sees such engineering focus. In a world of do-everything gadgets, there is something refreshing about a phone that unabashedly prioritizes form to this degree, proving that sometimes, the spec sheets most important number is the one with mm next to it.Tecno Pova Slim 5G 5.95mm (2025)If the Spark Slim is the purist, the Pova Slim is the pragmatist. It is only two-hundredths of a millimeter thicker at 5.95mm, a difference that is functionally imperceptible. What you get for that negligible trade-off, however, is a suite of modern, premium features that make it a more well-rounded device. The Pova Slim boasts a gorgeous curved AMOLED display and 5G connectivity, elevating it from a simple design statement to a genuinely competitive mid-range smartphone. It is Tecnos way of saying that you do not have to give up contemporary features to get a super-slim phone.This device is arguably the more compelling of the two for the average buyer. It successfully blends its headline thinness with the practicalities of a modern smartphone, including a substantial 5,160mAh battery. The Pova Slim challenges the very notion of compromise, offering a sleek, premium-feeling device that does not skimp on screen quality, battery life, or connectivity. It is a testament to clever component packaging and a sign that the benefits of the thinness trend are finally trickling down to phones that balance form and function beautifully.Oppo R5 4.85mm (2014)Now for a trip back in time. In 2014, Oppo released the R5, a phone so shockingly thin that it sent ripples through the entire industry. At just 4.85mm, it was a marvel of miniaturization, featuring a hand-polished steel frame and a beautiful AMOLED display. To put that into perspective, it is a full millimeter thinner than todays slimmest candybar phones. The R5 was a bold declaration of engineering prowess and a testament to how far a company would go in the pursuit of a design record. It felt futuristic at the time, and its thinness is still impressive even by todays standards.The R5 is also famous for a major compromise it made to achieve its slimness: it was one of the first mainstream phones to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack. This decision was highly controversial back then, but it proved to be incredibly prescient, foreshadowing a trend that would become the industry standard years later. The Oppo R5 remains a landmark device, a beautiful and divisive piece of tech that pushed the boundaries of what was possible and gave us a glimpse into the future of smartphone design, for better or worse.vivo X5 Max 4.75mm (2014)Just when the world thought 4.85mm was the absolute limit, vivo arrived weeks later in 2014 and dropped a bombshell: the X5 Max. Measuring an almost unbelievable 4.75mm, it officially became, and still remains, the thinnest slab smartphone ever created. To achieve this, vivos engineers redesigned and stacked internal components with microscopic precision, creating a motherboard that was just 1.7mm thick. The result was a device that felt less like a phone and more like a thin sliver of metal and glass, a true razor-thin gadget.What makes the vivo X5 Maxs achievement even more legendary is that it managed to do what the Oppo R5 could not: it included a 3.5mm headphone jack. This was a direct and brilliant feat of engineering, proving that even at the absolute bleeding edge of thinness, user-friendly features did not have to be sacrificed. The fact that no candybar phone in the decade since has managed to surpass this record speaks volumes. The X5 Max is not just a thin phone; it is a monument to a time when the race for thinness produced one of the most remarkable engineering achievements in mobile history.Apple iPhone Air (Rumored thickness TBD)Apples rumored iPhone Air represents perhaps the most significant wildcard in this entire discussion. While concrete specifications remain under wraps, industry whispers suggest Apple is preparing to enter the ultra-thin smartphone arena in a major way, potentially targeting sub-6mm territory. This would mark a dramatic philosophical shift for a company that has spent recent years prioritizing camera capabilities and battery life over extreme slimness. The timing feels deliberate, arriving just as competitors have proven that modern thin phones can maintain flagship performance and reasonable battery life. If the rumors prove accurate, Apples entry could legitimize the thin phone trend for mainstream consumers in a way that no other manufacturer can match.The elephant in the room, however, is whether Apple has truly moved past the bendgate controversies that plagued the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Those incidents created a lasting association between Apple and structural fragility in thin designs, a reputation the company has worked hard to overcome. An iPhone Air would represent either supreme confidence in their materials engineering or a calculated risk that the markets appetite for thinness outweighs durability concerns. Given Apples typical approach to product launches, we can expect them to address this history head-on, likely showcasing rigorous stress testing and premium materials. The success or failure of an iPhone Air could determine whether the industrys current obsession with thinness becomes a lasting trend or a cautionary tale.The post Ranking the Worlds Thinnest Phones: Why a 10-Year-Old Record Still Hasnt Been Broken first appeared on Yanko Design.