World's top five slimmest smartphones

(This is a random selection of phones, and is not based on any scientific research)

China's Huawei unveiled its flagship smartphone, the Ascend P6, at its first standalone launch event on Tuesday, underlining its ambitions to compete with Apple and Samsung in the top tier of mobile technology.

The launch, at an arts venue in North London, takes a cue from Apple and Samsung, both of which have made new product announcements at high profile events for a number of years.

At a time when competition in the smartphone market has intensified like never before, we take a look at some of the slimmest smartphone available.

Huawei Ascend P6 (6.18 mm)
The company says the device, at 6.18 mm thick, is the world's slimmest. It has a 5 megapixel front-facing camera, designed for taking 'selfies', or pictures of the owner to be shared on social media networks. The Ascend P6 uses Huawei's customised version of Google's Android operating system.

Apple iPhone 5 (7.6mm)
All of those picking up the iPhone 5 will have the same reaction: this thing is amazingly light. You've probably heard the numbers by now (20% lighter than the predecessor, as well as beating most of the opposition too at 112g.) However, through extended use this problem quickly disappears. The overall effect of the phone is still a chassis designed for strength, and so it feels solid, if somehow a little hollow; pleasantly, though, it sits more anonymously in the pocket.

Motorola Razr M (8.3 mm)
Google's Motorola Mobility powered by an Intel processor features a wide screen and longer-life battery to better compete against Apple's iPhone and Samsung. While this phone lacks in some areas, it still has a clear screen, a simple OS and a really strong battery at its heart. The build of the phone is not only good but also a little more unique than most handsets, since the back is made of Kevlar. At 8.3 mm thick, the phone earns its place among the slimmest smartphones in the market.

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S (8.7 mm)
The arrival of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S illustrates how incredibly fast things are moving in the world of Android hardware. The phone is a slim, bright, powerful Android smartphone that shows off the mobile operating system to its very best. The screen is fantastic and the processor and memory perform well enough to keep the Android experience running smoothly and quickly.

Samsung Note II (8.5 mm):
Samsung Note II is the combination of the raw power and next generation screen technology that really wowes its users, and the improved functionality of the S Pen takes it from a fun item to something that most users will be pulling out on a regular occasion. Packed with tons of features, the phone is 8.5 mm thick and among the slimmest smartphones available.

(With inputs from Reuters)