Tecno Spark Slim wants to be the world’s thinnest phone, and with a bigger battery than Galaxy S25 Ultra - Related to than, you, be, carriers, find

Can phones get thinner than the Find N5? Yes, says Oppo, but it won't be easy

At [website] when opened, this is the thinnest phone with one hinge, and even when closed it is the slimmest foldable, beating the previous Magic V3 record-holder. If Apple plans to release a foldable iPhone next year indeed, one look at the Find N5 should send it scurrying back to its suppliers and ask them to do more effective.

As our Find N5 review demonstrated, carrying the newest foldable from Oppo is no different from carrying a regular phone. Granted, there is one phone that is thinner when opened, the Mate XT, but it is a tri-folding device with two hinges that is much bulkier and heavier than the Find N5 to lug around.

Oppo achieved this record slimness by waiting around for two years after its last foldable was released, until a critical mass of engineering innovations was achieved by its suppliers, and it could make exactly what it wanted, the world's thinnest foldable.

First off, they had to be able to make a much more compact yet 36% tougher hinge that was crafted out of light and durable titanium. Oppo then went on to shave fractions of a millimeter everywhere it could, down to the impact-resistant display packaging, or the new ultrathin silicon carbon batteries with record silicon content in the electrode that are slimmer than a penny.

To pack the higher energy density allowing it to fit 5,600 mAh in an impossibly thin package, Oppo pressed suppliers to gun for a revolutionary chemistry that uses 10% silicon in the electrodes for the first time, up from 6% in previous phones with the innovative battery technology.

When asked why it didn't go higher in a recent interview, the lead Find N5 engineer introduced that 10% is already the highest that current technology can go and still remain stable during the phone's fast 80W charging sessions, and still come with the record charge-discharge cycle degradation guarantee that Oppo offers for its phones.

The sheer fact that Oppo had to reinforce the USB-C port to hit that never-before-broken 9mm threshold on the way down, presents that the Find N5 might be as thin as it gets, unless a new, slimmer charging standard comes along.

Breaking the conformist annual upgrade cycle paradigm.

Oppo, however, is of the opinion that, yes, phones can get thinner than the Find N5, and that is exactly what it will do if the chance presents. We sat down for an interview with the Find N5 chief engineer and product manager at the launch event in Singapore, and asked them if Oppo will again wait for another critical mass of engineering breakthroughs to be reached before it releases its next foldable, or is it now planning to launch a new foldable flagship in the Find N-series every year.

The answer was pretty intriguing. Oppo, it turns out, works with component companies on developing meaningful innovations and as soon as its supplier managed to craft a 26% thinner hinge by 3D-printing a titanium alloy casing and wing plate that resulted in 36% higher deformation resistance, the phone maker immediately sprang into action to order the so-called Titanium Flexion Hinge that the Find N5 centers around.

Armed with other engineering breakthroughs that happened since its last foldable, like the silicon carbon batteries that offer the same energy density in thinner packaging, or the new elastomer cover film of the [website] inner screen that allows it to be made thinner yet 70% more impact-resistant, Oppo then decided to make something that really stand out.

Will it do it again? Sure, Oppo told us, if and when there are enough meaningful innovations to put in a Find N5 successor, rather than simply slap a new processor in, and call it an N6 (looking at you, Samsung) just to satisfy the annual upgrade cycle mantra.

What's as thin and light as the [website] iPhone 16 Pro Max and yet opens into a huge [website] display and carries a much larger battery? Why, the new Oppo Find N5 foldable phone that launches today, of course.

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Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are taking different paths. Google is adding more apps, while Apple stays quiet about future plans.

Tecno Spark Slim wants to be the world’s thinnest phone, and with a bigger battery than Galaxy S25 Ultra

It seems the trend of 2025 is going to be around slimmer smartphones, and Tecno wants to set the record with its new “Spark Slim” which, if it ships, could hold the title of “world’s thinnest phone,” at least for a little while.

The Tecno Spark Slim is being shown off at MWC 2025 next week and, ahead of that, the firm is revealing two key specs around the ultra-thin smartphone. First and foremost, the Tecno Spark Slim aims to capture the title of “world’s thinnest smartphone” by delivering a mere [website] profile. For context, that’s over 33% thinner than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and also nearly 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16.

It’s unclear how long that title would last, though. Samsung won’t beat it, as the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge is unveiled to be [website] thick. Apple, though, might push things further with the iPhone 17 “Air,” which is rumored to be as slim as [website] at its thinnest point.

In any case, it’s an impressive feat, but what’s more impressive is the battery capacity.

Tecno says that the Spark Slim would contain a 5,200 mAh battery.

That’s a battery 200 mAh bigger than the 5,000 mAh one in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, for a phone that’s over 33% thinner. The likely explanation for how that’s possible is the use of silicone-carbon battery tech, which brands such as OnePlus/Oppo have been using to stuff 6,000 mAh batteries into “normal” smartphones like the OnePlus 13.

The huge catch on all of this is that the Spark Slim is, for now, just a concept from Tecno. The firm is showing the device off in real life at MWC in Barcelona, but there are no firm plans to release the device yet.

TECNO is also showcasing a range of boundary-pushing concept devices, advanced technologies and revolutionary materials. This includes the SPARK Slim ultra-thin concept smartphone, a breakthrough concept creating the industry’s slimmest device with a 5000mAh+ battery. This technology ensures sleekness without compromising on powerful performance and is set to lead the way in the next wave of ultra-thin smartphone design.

Tecno has been showing off concept devices for a long time now – including a rollable this time last year – and a lot of them have yet to ship. Will this one be any different? It’ll be interesting, to say the least.

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These are the US carriers that let you stream at HD resolution or higher

While limited data plans still exist, unlimited plans have become much more prevalent in the US market over the last decade or so. Unfortunately, not all unlimited data plans are created equal. Many carriers only provide so much high-speed data before the line is slowed down in priority or even capped at a slower speed that ranges from unnoticeable to unusable. The most common limit you’ll find is on streaming quality, with many services limiting the quality to just SD (480p.).

Are there any US mobile plans that offer no streaming throttle, or at least all give you the option to adjust your quality settings? Yes, actually, there are several options on both the postpaid and prepaid side of the market.

All of the big three networks offer higher-quality streaming options Even though the big three carriers typically stick to SD streaming for many of their plans, there are a few exceptions at the higher end of the scale: Verizon Unlimited Ultimate offers up to 4K resolution on 5G UW, though it limits streaming to HD (1080p) when connected to LTE or its standard 5G network.

offers up to 4K resolution on 5G UW, though it limits streaming to HD (1080p) when connected to LTE or its standard 5G network. Verizon Unlimited Plus offers HD (720p) streaming by default, with up to 4K available when on 5G UW.

offers HD (720p) streaming by default, with up to 4K available when on 5G UW. AT&T Unlimited Premium PL offers completely unthrottled streaming across its entire 4G LTE and 5G network.

offers completely unthrottled streaming across its entire 4G LTE and 5G network. T-Mobile Go5G Plus and Go5G Next both offer 4K UHD streaming.

and both offer 4K UHD streaming. T-Mobile Go5G defaults to SD but has an HD (720p) option that can be activated in media settings.

There are a few prepaid options that give you advanced streaming quality options.

While many prepaid providers cap streaming at SD quality, there are certainly several exceptions: AT&T Prepaid Max and Unlimited Plus Max allow you to disable video throttling completely, enabling 4K streaming.

and allow you to disable video throttling completely, enabling 4K streaming. Metro by T-Mobile offers an HD video upgrade for $10 per month, available for many plans, including all three of its unlimited plans.

for $10 per month, available for many plans, including all three of its unlimited plans. Cricket allows you to disable video management to remove throttling , though streaming defaults to 480p until manually adjusted.

, though streaming defaults to 480p until manually adjusted. Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Plus supports HD streaming by default.

streaming by default. Visible limits video streaming to [website] , which is typically sufficient for 720p.

, which is typically sufficient for 720p. All T-Mobile Prepaid plans are capped at no lower than [website], enough for 720p streaming. While there are a few other options, like MobileX, that offer higher-than-SD streaming on the prepaid side, most are limited data plans. In most cases, streaming above SD quality isn’t ideal, as it can quickly deplete your data.

A VPN may work as well, but that’s a gray area at best.

If your carrier doesn’t support higher streaming rates over cellular data, a VPN may be an option. For those unfamiliar, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is primarily designed for internet privacy, but it can also let you do things like change the region that streaming services and websites think you’re in. Additionally, it can sometimes bypass carrier-imposed streaming restrictions.

Before signing up for a VPN, be aware that this falls into a gray area at best. Even if you bypass your carrier’s streaming quality restrictions, not all VPNs work equally well. Some may struggle with certain streaming services, leading to connection issues.

Using a VPN can also slow down your internet speeds, which may impact your ability to stream videos smoothly. In most cases, we recommend using an official carrier-supported option from the list above rather than relying on a VPN, as this reduces the risk of compatibility issues with your carrier or streaming service.

If you do decide to go down the VPN route our top recommendation would be ExpressVPN, though NordVPN is also a great alternative.

Here’s what I recommend based on my own experience While I ran through all the options above, you might be curious about my take on the best choice. The best network for streaming will largely depend on where you live and work, but here’s a quick look at my recommendations across the three major carriers: Verizon: Those who need Verizon’s network will find Verizon Unlimited Unlimited Plus or Ultimate offer up to 4K on 5G UW, though on 4G you’ll get just SD and HD, respectively. If you’re looking to save money, Visible ( Basic or Plus) limits video streaming to [website], which can support up to 720p.

Those who need Verizon’s network will find offer up to 4K on 5G UW, though on 4G you’ll get just SD and HD, respectively. If you’re looking to save money, ( limits video streaming to [website], which can support up to 720p. AT&T: If you’re looking for higher streaming quality on a budget on Big Blue’s network, you should consider AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Max , as you can disable the throttle completely, and you actually get a decent amount of data to begin with. For postpaid users, AT&T Unlimited Premium PL is the only plan that offers higher resolutions without restrictions.

If you’re looking for higher streaming quality on a budget on Big Blue’s network, you should consider , as you can disable the throttle completely, and you actually get a decent amount of data to begin with. For postpaid individuals, is the only plan that offers higher resolutions without restrictions. T-Mobile: clients seeking higher streaming quality will find both prepaid and postpaid plans directly from T-Mobile. Both T-Mobile Prepaid Unlimited and Unlimited Plus offer the option of 720p HD, but there are several postpaid options that allow 4K streaming. Go5G has the option to switch to 720p within the app, while Go5G Plus and Go5G Next offer UHD streaming.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are taking different paths. Google is adding more apps, while Apple stays quiet about future plans.

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