Let the slim revolution begin

SINGAPORE – Thin is in. With fashion labels delivering sharper silhouettes each year, what with the skinny jean reaching the apex of cult status in the denim category, mobile companies have followed suit, trying to one-up each other in an attempt to produce the smallest, thinnest phones in the hopes of luring the young, hyper-connected, tech-savvy market. And, as with any competition, there can be only one victor – and in this case it’s Samsung, the tech giant known for its plasma TVs and cheeky adverts.

Samsung recently acquired bragging rights to the slimmest phone in the world. With the candybar phone from their Ultra Edition collection clocking in at an astounding 6.9 mm (think three or four credit cards stacked on top of each other), Samsung’s secured a place in cellphone history. So thin it could fit into the tiniest of evening clutches – in my case, it fit easily into my wallet – the Ultra Edition 6.9, at first glance, looks like a toy. Or a really cool fake gadget, like the kind James Bond’s gadget guy would offer before 007 would jet to save the world and some super-hot chick.

But make no mistake, Samsung has ensured that their phones come packed with all the necessary equipment. A two-megapixel camera with digital zoom capabilities always gets the nod of awe. And there’s an MP3 and video player included, natch. The Candybar’s screen is impressively large, allowing the envious guy next to you to see exactly what you’re texting. Weighing in at a mere 66 grams, the phone would be flimsy were it not for its fiberglass-infused plastic case. Drop it from your desk and there’ll be nary a scratch on its slick, black exterior.

Launched at CommunicAsia, a mobile tech expo held at the Raffles Convention Center in Singapore, the Ultra Edition collection consists of a trio of phones, the slimmest of its kind. Forging a new standard in the telecom industry, Samsung’s successfully showed off their design and tech chops to the world. "Our vision is to pave the way for the future telecom industry," said Sangjin Park, president and CEO of Samsung Asia. The company’s focus is on a new generation of high-tech gadgets with multiple functions. Consider Samsung’s camera phones, which merge cellphones with super-high-resolution cameras, some even going as high as 10 megapixels. PDA cellphones, which come complete with a QWERTY keypad, are document-processor-ready, allowing users to take the basic functions of their PC, whether it’s data processing, e-mail or web access, on the road. Samsung’s even launched a music-dedicated phone, which comes in a slim vertical case and includes a music dial interface. Their latest wow gadget could be the TV phone, a flip phone that allows users to twist the monitor sideways for a landscape view. With its crisp images and enhanced audio quality, Samsung is offering an "ergonomic mobile TV experience."

"We are stretching the limits in premiere design and technology," Park announced to the press, the day of the Samsung booth opening. The brand’s core strategy is to merge their strong business image with high-impact design. "It’s about outside beauty and inside strengths," explained Ike Chung, senior VP for sales and marketing for Asia and Africa. "The Ultra phones are a technical breakthrough."

The company’s innovation has resulted in the slimmest clamshell (or flip) phone and three-megapixel slider, a Samsung design trademark. "Samsung is merging simplicity, beauty and convenience into one package," said Park.

Samsung’s foray into slim cell- phones began in 2001 when the company released the SPH-N2000, a 9.8 mm phone. With that in their pockets, the research and development team began studies on slimmer options. The issue? Creating a more compact gadget without sacrificing any of a number of functions the company’s phones are known for.

"The speed of technology is so great that a thumb-sized phone could be made if it was used just for talking purposes," explained Min Hyouk Lee, a product designer at Samsung. Credited with designing the SGH-E700, a mobile phone that’s sold more than 10 million units across the globe, Lee and the rest of the team are constantly monitoring technological breakthroughs and trends in order to keep up with consumer demand. In this case, the demands are to keep phones smaller in reverse proportion to an increasing number of functions required in every mobile unit. "The reduction of size in cell phone trends is correlated with the advancement of technology," Lee added.

With design headquarters in different parts of the globe culling reports from consumers and trends in parallel industries, Samsung’s development of the revolutionary Ultra 6.9 made waves across the industry. "We thought of 6.9 mm as a challenge of thickness in terms of material and durability, to keep the latest multimedia features," said Lee. "My first reaction was to design the phone so that it relieved the concern of being weak and easily breakable. Because of its 6.9 thinness, people’s main concern could be its durability."

As Chung assured the press, the Ultra phones were incredibly durable due to their fiberglass-enhanced plastic, which decreases weight while increasing the sturdiness of the product. In line with Park’s message of "moving consumers beyond" the ordinary, the Ultra collection is part of the company’s shift towards fashionable accessories. "Sleek, stylish and attractive" were the president’s key words in describing the units.

No doubt the Ultra Edition 9.9 clamshell or flip phone, a part of a burgeoning trend locally and abroad, will speak to fashion-minded individuals. At 9.9 mm, it’s thinner than any other flip phone currently on the market, yet sacrifices none of the functions of its thicker predecessors. Outfitted with a two-megapixel camera and an external memory slot, the sleek mobile can easily slip into a pant or shirt pocket without making the slightest bump.

The lineup also includes the Ultra 12.9, the three-megapixel slider. The leader in high-resolution camera phones, this super slim phone has all the makings of an incredible mobile experience. Imported documents can be viewed on the large 262K screen with vivid color quality while Bluetooth stereo headsets enhance the multimedia options. The slider is particular to Samsung strategic designs. Even Lee, who designed the module, considers it one of the better units on the market. "Each style has its own unique traits, but I have a bit more interest in the slider style because it gives me the most inspiration."

No doubt as soon as the Ultra phones are launched the rest of the telecom industry will be scrambling to deliver whatever it is the market wants. Could it be a phone so compact it could fit in your ear? Or perhaps high-fashion phones so colorful they put their Japanese counterparts to shame? No one knows what the next wave of revolutionary technology will bring, but there’s no doubt Samsung will be right there, front and center, ready to dazzle with a brand new generation of high-tech gadgets. Let the race begin.

Ultra 12.9

Moniker: The Slider

Model type: D900

The specs: Aside from its dramatic 2.1-inch screen and super sleek slide design, the Ultra 12.9 has one major security option that separates it from the rest of the antiquated pack. The uSearch option, which Samsung pioneered, ensures that stolen phones can be more easily retrieved. As soon as a mobile unit is stolen, a message is sent to emergency numbers programmed into the phone’s memory by the user. External memory as well as all the usual MP3 options are included.

This phone has all the makings of a mobile gadget with serious business cred. Not only does the 3.13-megapixel camera show you mean business, but the sleek style of the slider proves to your colleagues and the rest of the world that you’re in a position of power. "The black color expresses a strong professional image," explained designer Min Hyouk Lee. "The slim design is another effort to express professionalism and power." Professionals can make use of audio recording during meetings while document viewers and TV output make this gadget the star of any conference.

Ultra 6.9

Moniker: The Candybar

Model type: X820

The specs: Large 1.9-inch 262K color screen allows users to view the high-res photos taken with the phone’s two-megapixel camera. Video recording is a plus since the phone comes equipped with MP3 and video playing capabilities. And with Samsung’s convenient interface, the phone is a breeze to use.

"There’s no such thing as too rich or too thin, darling," purred a catty diva on some cheesy soap. Well, truer words were never spoken. With celebutantes getting skinnier by the minute, the mobile industry had no choice but to follow suit. The result? This gem of a cell phone so slim it could pass as an air-con remote’s better-dressed sibling (Seriously, more than six people have mentioned the similarity).

"Samsung’s phones move beyond the limitations inherent in slim phones to embody the perfect combination of comfort, simplicity and sophistication," said Kitae Lee, president of Samsung’s telecommunication network business, "letting users do more with less."

And in this case, less means more. The candybar is not only the sleekest thing to hit the mobile market, it’s the most convenient gadget on earth! In the universe even! Why does it deserve such high praise? Because not only is it pretty to look at, but the fully-equipped, option-packed phone can even fit into my sparkly Hello Kitty wallet. Talk about convenience.

Ultra 9.9

Moniker: The Clamshell

Model type: D830

The specs: A two-megapixel camera with auto focus and flash make this the perfect phone for a night out. Hit the clubs with this dazzler and soon everyone will be cooing over your supercool gadget. Factor in the extra-convenient uMenu interface, which makes the phone even more accessible to the less-than-tech-savvy and you’ve got the hippest phone this side of town.

No lightweight in the Ultra Edition collection, though it does register only 85 grams, the clamshell is another sleek mobile unit in Samsung’s arsenal. More fashionable than most flip phones, this version includes a 2.3-inch display and an enhanced user interface. Trust me when I say you won’t be squinting into the monitor trying to figure out how to hit send. Simple, convenient and sophisticated are the keywords for Samsung at the expo and the clamshell exemplifies all the best the company has to offer. With different versions of the phone in colorful designs set to debut soon, no doubt everyone will be vying for a piece of this.