New foldable phones are becoming slimmer and lighter, making large-screen devices easier to carry without sacrificing the versatility of a folding display.

Foldable phones once had an obvious problem: they were bulky.

The latest generation takes this trend even further. Manufacturers are finding ways to make hinges, displays, batteries and internal components thinner, allowing foldable phones to feel more like traditional smartphones when closed while still offering a larger screen when opened.

Foldable Are Getting Much Thinner

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, for example, 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded, while weighing 215 grams.  HONOR has pushed the design even further with the Magic V5, which measures 8.8mm thick when folded and weights 217 grams. It also uses a silicon-carbon battery to fit a large 5,820mAh capacity into the slim body.

The result is important: a foldable phone no longer has to feel bulky simply because it consists of two halves.

How Are Manufacturers Doing It?

The biggest improvements are happening inside the phone.

Engineers are developing:

• Thinner hinges
• More compact internal components
• Higher-density batteries
• Thinner flexible displays
• Lighter materials

Silicon-carbon battery technology is particularly interesting because its higher energy density allows manufacturers to fit more battery capacity into less space. HONOR, for example, uses a silicon-carbon battery with more than 15% silicon content in the Magic V5,helping it pack a 5,820mAh battery into its slim foldable design. 

Thinner Does Not Mean Perfect

There is still a trade-off.

Making a foldable thinner can create challenges around battery capacity, durability, heat management and camera design. Manufacturers also have to make the hinge strong enough to survive repeated folding. Even thickness claims can vary depending on how and where a device is measured. Independent measurements of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and HONOR Magic V5 have shown differences from their advertised figures.

So, the race is not simply about making the thinnest phone. It is about making a foldable thin without sacrificing reliability and useful features.

The Real Goal Is Making Foldables Feel Normal

The biggest achievement may be psychological as much as technical. Early foldables often felt like experimental devices. Newer models are becoming lighter, thinner and easier to carry, while still opening into much larger screens. That could make foldable phones more attractive to everyday users.

The future of foldables may not be about making them look futuristic.

It may be about making them feel as normal as a regular smartphone.