Wow... You should really hold one in your hand, before calling it a "fat" phone. No it's not 12mm at "many" places, because the whole phone is convex on both sides, 12mm is the absolute maximum at the center of the phone.

It does not look like a fat phone and it does not feel like a fat phone, which is really all that should matter.

Sure, the GS2 and similar phones may be slimmer, but they are also much wider and higher, which makes it actually worse for ergonomics. Not to mention the hard edges.

This is one more case where specs simply don't tell the full story. Don't judge it before you see it (or at least trust those who have).

The N9 directly compares to the iPhone 4 form factor, but beats it both in comfort and the capabilities of the components it manages to pack into it (most significantly the huge screen). Apple may be able to match this again with their next device (I'd expect nothing less), but let's talk about that when they actually do so.