Best Smartphone 2014: World's Thinnest Smartphone is 5.1mm Only

The word is out on the world's thinnest smartphone, and Guinness World Record confirms it. It's the Gionee Elife 5.1, the number apparently referring to its 5.1 mm thickness.

Gionee, in effect, simply broke its own record for the world's thinnest smartphone. Before its Elife 5.1, the Chinese manufacturer held the same honor for its its 5.5-mm thick Elife S5.5.

The world's officially thinnest phone is as real as can be, reports the Malaymail Online. "The handset is packed with 1 GB of RAM, 16GB of non-expandable memory and a choice of TRU Octa-core 1.7 GHz or Quad core 1.2 GHz CPU," says the report.

It may not be equipped with the latest features but its existing components are nonetheless "packaged together elegantly, surrounded by a magnesium alloy external frame and topped with a 4.8-inch 720P AMOLED screen," describes Malaymail Online.

The Elife 5.1 also features a curved edge design, similar to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus; as well as two 5-megapixel cameras capable of capturing high-quality images.

As early as August, Gionee has already released a teaser for the Elife 5.1, which the Chinese manufacturer claimed to be even thinner than its ludicruously skinny Elife S5.5, as reported by GSM Arena.

The August teaser showcased a list of the thinnest handsets over the years, including the Motorola V8, the Apple iPhone 4, the Motorola XT910, and Gionee's own Elife S5.5.

GSM Arena hinted at that time that Gionee may push its thin design to the 5-mm barrier but doubted that it can go below the figure. "A handset too thin would have to make do with small battery and compromise handling ergonomics," GSM Arena assessed.

True enough, the Gionee Elife 5.1 came out within the smartphone experts' projections.

"The Android-powered Elife 5.1 also features a pocket mode that automatically disables the screen and home keys when the phone senses it has been slipped into a pocket to avoid ghost calls and other unintended activations," reports Malaymail Online.

While Gionee's distinct lines of smartphones have not been very prominent in global markets as much as they do in China, its Elife 5.1 will hit several countries, starting with India this October.