Meet the world's thinnest smartphone

The Gionee ELFIE 5.1 has set a new Guinness World Record for its diminutive dimensions -- it's just 5.1mm thick.

The Gionee ELFIE 5.1 has set a new Guinness World Record for its diminutive dimensions -- it's just 5.1mm thick.

And although it is currently officially the world's thinnest phone, don't think that the handset is merely a gimmick. Ok, it isn't packed full of the latest hardware components -- just 1GB of RAM, 16GB of non-expandable memory and a choice of TRU Octa-core 1.7GHz or Quad core 1.2GHz CPU -- but those components are packaged together elegantly, surrounded by a magnesium alloy external frame and topped with a 4.8-inch 720P AMOLED screen.

Other well-considered design and packaging touches include a curved edge design to make the phone easier to hold with one hand -- something similar can be found on the latest larger display iPhones -- and two very decent cameras. The front-facing unit is capable of shooting 5-megapixel images and so is ready to feed users' selfie obsession.

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The Android-powered device also has a pocket mode so that automatically disables the screen and home keys when the phone senses it's been slipped into a pocket to avoid ghost calls and other unintended activations.

Until now, Gionee's most stylish handsets have not been widely available but as well as being on sale in China the ELFIE S 5.1 will be coming to a host of other countries too, starting with India in October.