Gionee was one of the first manufacturers to actually start a war for the slimmest smartphone in the market. The company's Gionee Elife S5.1 even made it to the Guinness Book of World record last year for the slimmest smartphone in the world. Later, however, manufacturers like OPPO and Vivo managed to release even slimmer smartphones than the S5.1. Now, according to the latest rumors, the company is all set to claim its title back. Come MWC 2015, Gionee will release the world's thinnest smartphone in existence called the Gionee Elife S7. Going by the naming scheme, S7 should indicate a 7mm thickness; however, the photos leaked reveal that the Gionee S7 will be in fact just 4.6mm thin. This will make it the thinnest smartphone in the world, beating the 4.75mm and 4.8mm Vivo X5 Max and OPPO R5 espectively. From the images, the phone does look extremely thin, however whether it would live up to the claim will only be known after it's revealed at MWC 2015. The images also show a glass back and a design profile much similar to the ones from the Elife S series lineup. Expect more information at the MWC event to be held in March but as with all rumours and leaks, do take this one with a pinch of salt. 

OPPO has released some interesting devices in the past like the OPPO R5, which was once the thinnest smartphones in the world measuring less than 5mm. Then there was the OPPO N3 with an automatic motorized rotating camera. Now, the Chinese manufacturer has announced another smartphone in the market called the OPPO 3000. OPPO didn't release this new smartphone with much fanfare probably because of its mid-range tech specs. The phone features a modest 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and support for up to 128GB microSD cards. The OPPO 3000 sports a 4.7-inch 720p display, 8MP Sony IMX179 camera sensor at the back and a 5MP selfie shooter up front. The overall measurements of the phone come to 137 x 68.8 x 8.95mm. At the back, there will be a 2000 mAh battery to power the above specs. The battery will use the VOOC fast charging technology to speed up charging time. The phone supports dual SIM dual standby and is compatible with 4G LTE networks, specifically China Unicom's LTE network. OPPO has priced the device at $256 (RM922). No details about Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet but stay tuned and we'll let you know as soon as we find out. 

The title of world's thinnest smartphone has changed hands over the past few months quite a lot actually with the OPPO R5 and Vivo X5 Max. However, the current title holder is now the Coolpad Ivvi K1 Miniwhich comes in at 4.7-mm thin. Other tech specs include a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 4.7-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 4G LTE support and 1800 mAh battery. Features don't include much that is different but there are the usual beautify modes along with a remote control capability for washing machines, televisions and air-conditioners. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but if it does come, it will likely be through third-party sellers.

The Vivo X5 Max has officially replaced the Oppo R5 as the slimmest phone in the market. The device which was announced on 10 December 2014 features a 4.75mm thin profile. In comparison, the Oppo R5 was .10mm thicker at 4.85mm. In spite of the ultra-thin profile, the new Vivo flagship comes with a MicroSD card slot as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. The previous slimmest phone title holder, Oppo R5 had to let go of these two slots to slim down the size. According to the company, this impressive feat was accomplished by making the internal components thinner than traditional smartphones. The motherboard inside the X5 Max measures just 1.7mm in thickness while the screen assembly and the speaker box measure 1.36mm and 2.45mm.  The device is powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor. It comes with 2GB RAM onboard along with 16GB memory which is expandable. On the front, the phone has a 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display along with a 5MP secondary camera on top. At the back, there is a 13MP camera. The Vivo X5 Max runs on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat with Funtouch 2.0 UI on top. While Vivo has not yet revealed any information about Malaysia release dates or pricing, the device should go on sale in China starting 22 December 2014 for RMB2998 (RM1700).

Recently the Oppo R5 lost the title of the slimmest smartphone in the market to the Vivo X5 Max. However, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is determined to prove that its smartphone is not all about a thin profile. In a recent advert released by the company, the Oppo R5 was subjected to a number of stress tests which includes smashing a watermelon, cracking nuts, using the device as a hammer to put a nail into a wooden block, and even running a car over it. Not only did the phone survive despite its ultra slim profile but it also remained scratch less throughout the video.  Oppo also took a slice at Apple, by starting off the video with the R5 chopping an Apple in half. Apart from the ultra-slim yet solid built quality, the Oppo R5 features high-end tech specs. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. Other tech specs include a 13MP rear camera capable of recording 2K videos, 5MP secondary camera sensor, 5.2 inch Super AMOLED 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 2000mAh Li-Polymer non-removable battery. It runs on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat OS with Color 2.0 UI on top of it. Check out the video below for yourself:

Looks like the long teased Vivo X5 Max isn't the only smartphone that will be unveiled at the 10 December 2014 event hosted by Vivo. A new Vivo smartphone going by the name Vivo X5F recently passed through the Chinese certification agency, TENAA. According to the tech specs listed on the TENAA website, the X5F will be the smaller variant or mini version of the X5 Max. The images reveal a similar design profile as the X5 Max with only one exception. The device will be 6.3mm thin as opposed to the Max's 3.75mm thickness. Other tech specs and features include a 1.5GHz Octa Core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM which is expandable via MicroSD card, 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera sensor. On the front, there will be a 5 inch display with resolution 1280 x 720 pixels. From the specs and the design, this model looks like a mid-range offering and hence, will be cheaper than the flagship. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but we should know more soon, or at least after the announcement today.

The title of world's thinnest smartphone seems to be highly coveted these days as barely a week after the 4.85mm thin OPPO R5 got announced, another super thin smartphone has come along to take it's place. This smartphone is the Vivo X5 Max, featuring a 4.75mm thin body, again with a thicker, protruding camera. The full measurements for the X5 Max include 153.9 x 78 x 4.75mm and rather generic looks but tech specs and features are midrange to high-end. These include a 1.7GHz octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 5.5-inch full HD display, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, support for 4G LTE connectivity and Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The Vivo X5 Max has yet to be officially announced but has been seen at China's TENAA. No Malaysia release dates or pricing yet, but with Vivo Malaysia already here, we wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

Initially thought to be the OPPO N3 Mini, the super thin OPPO R5 smartphone recently got it's official announcement alongside the OPPO N3. While it isn't 4mm thin exactly as originally reported, it is 4.85mm thin, making it the current world's thinnest smartphone. Utilizing a 3D-welded aluminum alloy frame, hand-polished to shiny perfection, the OPPO R5 measures in at 148.9 x 74.5 x 4.85mm and 155g. The overall design is flat and thin while the rear camera protrudes out. Other tech specs include a 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 procesor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with full HD 1080p resolution, 13MP rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor and f/2.0 aperture along with a 5MP front camera. Features include 120fps slow motion video at 720p and 2160p video record (2K) at 30fps. Somehow, OPPO have managed to pack in a 2000 mAh battery while also offering 4G LTE and a fast charging VOOC mini rapid charger. The smartphone works with OPPO's O-Music accessory for media streaming partly because it does not feature a 3.5mm audio jack. No Malaysia release dates or pricing yet but it is expected to retail at $499 (RM1640).