Samsung and Apple brought ultra-thin mobile phones to the market with little battery life. China’s response: hold my tank

Samsung was the first, and Apple followed a few months later. The introduction of increasingly thinner mobile phones on the market did not meet any specific need, beyond reducing weight and thickness. Betting on this format, at least with the proposals of Western manufacturers, brought with it sacrifices both in camera and autonomy. In China they are clear that There is no need to sacrifice one thing or the other.. The Honor Magic8 Pro Air. Recently, Honor presented the Magic 8 Pro Air in China. The surname already tells us where the shots are going. It is a mobile phone of only 6.1mm It has the best MediaTek processor It has a 5,500mAh battery It has a triple camera system (wide angle, wide angle and telephoto). It turns out that it was possible. There are a few millimeters of difference between the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and its direct rivals, the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. But the numbers speak for themselves. Honor magic8 Pro air iphone air samsung galaxy s25 edge dimensions 150.5 x 71.9 156.2×74.7x 158.2 x 75.6 thickness 6.1mm 5.6mm 5.8mm battery 5,500mAh Si/C 3.149mah Li-Ion 3,900mAh Li-ion camera system 50MP, 1/1.3″, OIS 64 MP, /1.2″, OIS 50MP 48 MP 1/1.56″ OIS shift sensor 200 MP, 1/1.3″, OIS 12MP,1/2.55″ The Honor device is 0.3mm thicker than an S25 edge and 0.5mm thicker than the iPhone Air. To give you context, there is a guitar pick difference and a 75% higher energy density in the case of the Chinese mobile. An outrage. Furthermore, China has shown that it is not necessary to give up a single camera to opt for this format. And when we talk about flagships, this point is key. The 10K club. Beyond demonstrating that in ultra-thin mobile phones, silicon-carbon technologies allow energy densities that were impossible until a few years ago, the “10K club” is adding more and more participants. Chinese phones with normal thickness or even less than usual with 10,000mAh batteries. The last one to join the club was Realme P4 Powerthe first mobile phone in the world with a 10,001mAh battery. These are figures that double the usual standard in the rest of the ranges. The answer? There is neither nor is it expected in the short term. China has been ahead in the race to deploy silicon-carbon batteries, one that is not so easy to get into. Such high density batteries require: Greater regulations at the transport level, especially in the European Union. Much higher prices, as Xiaomi advanced. A durability risk not yet proven. Moving towards silicon entails important changes that traditional manufacturers, accustomed to a conservative and slow strategy, are not yet willing to take on. Image | Honor In Xataka | The 80/20 rule seemed like the holy grail for cell phone batteries. It’s not as infallible as it seems.

We face the two ultra-thin mobile phones of the moment in one of the duels of the year

There were those who, with the Galaxy S25 Edge in the window, decided to wait in case Apple was betting on an ultra-thin iPhone. That bet is already here with the iPhone Airand the duel that many had in mind has become inevitable. We talk about two paths to the same thingthinness, designed for users who value form as much as experience. The question is raised from the first minute: which proposal best suits you if what you prioritize is a very thin mobile phone? We return to the format 24/7the Xataka space in which each round counts and only one can take the final score. On this occasion, it is Samuel Oliver who pone face to face on video the two ultra-thin proposals of the moment, comparing screen, performance, cameras and battery. We have already experienced crashes here before like the iPhone 17, Garmin, Huawei and Amazfit watches or the duel between the AirPods Max and the Sony WH1000XM6. Today, the challenge enters a new terrain. Two motives, the same purpose: conquer the terrain of thinness The confrontation begins where everyone looks first: the design. Samuel Oliver makes it clear from the beginning: “The first thing that catches the eye is the design. And although, as always, it is a section that does not score, it is impossible not to mention the two authentic gems that both brands have made.” The video shows how Apple and Samsung interpret thinness from very different angles, and what sensations they transmit when holding them in your hand. The screens mark the first major technical clash of the versus. “The iPhone always tends towards more neutral and consistent colors, while Samsung has that visual punch from the factory, but which we can always configure to taste,” says Samuel Oliver while showing both panels side by side. Two philosophies that change the way we enjoy content. The power round is not decided by numbers, but by experience. “The best thing of all is that none of them get too hot when you give them stressful tasks“says our colleague after subjecting the two phones to a session of intense use. In the video he shows how they perform and to what extent they manage to keep the temperature under control. “Best of all, none of them get overheated when you give them stressful tasks.” The photographic section comes with a surprise. “One of the things that made me raise an eyebrow when I saw the presentation of the iPhone Air was its camera module with a single sensor in 2025. We are crazy, but it is the bet that Apple has decided to make and it doesn’t turn out completely wrong,” he comments. In the video he compares how each phone resolves scenes in good light and to what extent the contrast of its sensors makes a difference. If we focus on the round dedicated to autonomy we find that both have had to make sacrifices. “I’m surprised that an iPhone has greater fast charging than that of a Samsung,” admits Samuel before showing his evidence. The big question is which of the two terminals will have won the point. The price puts the last test on the table. Both phones cost around 1,200 euros, a high figure if the sacrifices in camera and autonomy are taken into account. In this part, Samuel lets experience speak: how each mobile phone feels on a day-to-day basis and to what extent they manage to convince when cost enters the equation. The duel between the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge has left precise blows, risky decisions and more of a surprise. But the final verdict, as always, it’s in the video. There the nuances, the tests and the outcome of this ultra-thin combat are revealed. You can see it now on the Xataka YouTube channel. Images | Xataka In Xataka | Mobile phone manufacturers first stopped including the charger with every purchase. Your next threat is clear: the USB cable

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