iPhone 5 sparks new craze for slimmer gadgets

On Friday, Apple will start selling iPhone 5, the slimmest iPhone ever. ‘Thin’ has become a key differentiator in the crowded market for consumer technology products.

And technology is moving fast in the direction of paper-thin phones, laptops and TVs — the size zero of consumer technology.

Full Coverage on Apple's new iPhone

ET lists some of the gadgets that sum up the history of the ‘thin’, and takes a peek at the near future — bendable cellphone screens and laptops that can be rolled up.