Samsung Galaxy A8: company quietly releases thinnest-ever phone

Only available in China so far, the phone is mostly made of metal and comes in three different colours

Samsung has just released the slimmest phone it has ever made, the Galaxy A8, and it hasn’t really told anyone.

The phone has just quietly launched in China, and is just 5.9mm thin. It has an all-metal body that weighs just 151 grams.

Despite its small size, the phone’s specs are as good as many mid-range models. It has a 16-megapixel camera on the back, 2GB of RAM, and a 5.7-inch 1080p display that is framed by a tiny bezel, according to the Chinese release site — as well as a 3,050mAh battery, which is more than the flagship Galaxy S6.

The phone borrows some technology from other more expensive phones, such as a fingerprint sensor.

It isn’t clear when or whether the phone will be coming to the UK, or leaving China at all. Samsung’s next big launch is set to be the Galaxy Note 5 — which has been pushed forward to August in an attempt to beat the next iPhone — and the metallic, small design of the A8 could carry over to the new phablet.