A slim phone photographs well. The rest of ownership decides whether you made the right call. This week's news lines up two upgrade paths: a skinny flagship that leans on accessories, or a foldable pitched as the more genuinely useful design.
The iPhone Air's battery catch
Apple reintroduced a MagSafe battery pack specifically for the iPhone Air, per 9to5Mac. It lists at $99, and the same coverage describes it as slim but weak on capacity. A phone thin enough to need a dedicated accessory to get through the day has moved part of its cost, and part of its bulk, off the spec sheet and onto a separate purchase.
That dependence opens a second front. 9to5Mac notes the Air's design makes Qi2 battery alternatives more interesting, because the thin body pairs easily with a magnetic pack. Useful if you already plan to carry a battery. Less reassuring if you expected a flagship to stand on its own.
The blunt version came from Android Police, which argues thin phones should stay in 2025 and openly hopes Samsung does not ship a Galaxy S26 Edge. The reasoning is consistent with how we score hardware: thinness is a showroom virtue that costs you battery, and battery is what you notice months later.
What "slim" actually costs
The slim-flagship pitch comes down to a clear exchange. You get a lighter, better-looking device in the hand. You give up endurance, and you may give back the weight and cost you saved by clipping a battery pack to it. For light users who charge often, a thin phone plus an occasional top-up is a fair deal. For everyone else, an accessory designed to compensate for a hardware choice is not an upgrade. It is a workaround.
Why a foldable is worth a look instead
Android Police points to one Galaxy Z Fold as proof Samsung can innovate and, for once, not be the expensive option. That matters: the standard knock on foldables has been price, and that objection is softening.
The software is maturing too. GSMArena reports a dedicated foldable gaming mode arriving with Android 17, a sign the big screen is being treated as a platform rather than a novelty. Features that exploit the hardware are what separate a durable buying case from a gimmick.
If you go this route, choose deliberately. Les Numériques notes Samsung's Galaxy Z lineup — Fold 7, Flip 7 and the cheaper Flip 7 FE — targets different audiences, so the obvious pick is not automatically the smartest. The Fold suits people who want a tablet-class screen in a pocket. The Flip suits people who want compactness and a lower entry price. The FE trims the bill further. Match the device to how you use a phone, not to the flagship at the top of the range. Our foldable phones guide breaks down hinges, durability and which model fits which user, and the glossary covers terms like Qi2.
Should you wait?
Two timing factors are in play. 01net reports the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected around September 2026 — based on rumor, not confirmation. If you are committed to a Pro iPhone and can wait the better part of a year, there is a case for holding. If you need a phone now, a distant rumored model is no reason to delay.
Pricing on the Android side is already moving. GSMArena highlights post-Prime Day deals on the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 series. If a conventional flagship appeals more than either a thin phone or a foldable, this is a better moment to buy than launch week was. Compare current models in our foldables comparisons.
The verdict
For most buyers choosing today, skip the ultra-thin flagship. A phone that ships alongside a $99 battery pack to make its endurance acceptable has told you where its priorities sit, and they are not yours. If you want novelty that earns its place, a foldable is the stronger bet — provided you pick the model that matches your use rather than the headline one. If you want neither, a discounted conventional flagship remains the safe, boring, correct choice. Track the latest in our mobile coverage before you commit.