Samsung Claims World’s Thinnest Phone

Samsung has officially unwrapped its Ultra Edition II phones, including "the slimmest phone in the world" with a depth of just 5.9 millimeters.

We’re not entirely sure what Samsung’s obsession with super-slim phones might be—maybe they’re offering shallow phones for shallow people?—but the company has proven it can shave off the millimeters at this year’s 3GSM conferencein Barcelona, unveiling its new Ultra Edition II series of handsets, including its new U100 which has a depth of a scant 5.9 millimeters.

“We believe that the Samsung Ultra Edition II range completely embodies everything that today’s consumers are seeking in a mobile in terms of unique design and flawless performance,” said Geesung Choi, President of Samsung’s Telecommunication Network Business, in a statement. “We believe that the striking looks, exclusive feel and slim design of these devices, combined with uncompromised performance and function, will make the Ultra Edition II range an instant attraction to business users, fashion conscious consumers and multimedia enthusiasts.”

Samsung is distinguishing between the Ultra Edition II models based on their depth, but the units all have model numbers too. The Ultra Edition 10.9 (U600) sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 2.2-inch LCD display, and will be available in a variety of colors; the U600 will also be “Yahoo ready” and offer 60 MB of onboard memory plus SD expansion. The slightly larger Ultra Edition 12.1 offers HSDPA mobile broadband capabilities and video telephony options, along with 20 MB of onboard memory, Bluetooth, and full HTML Web browsing. The clamshell-style Ultra Edition 9.6 (U300) goes for the for the fashion-forward crowd with a solid metal case, 3 megapixel camera, video output, onboard Bluetooth, and 70 MB of integrated storage. Finally, the Ultra Edition 5.9—the world’s slimmest phone!—includes a 3 megapixel camera, a 1.9-inch LCD display, Bluetooth, USB, video output, 70 MB of onboard memory (sorry, no expansion slot) and up to 11 hours of music playback time.

Although the Ultra Edition II series is slated for release in Europe in the current quarter—there’s no indication if they’ll ever debut in the North American market, although the quad-band U600 may be of interest to certain North American operators.