crafting a search term has changed over the years though. the old approach of “type 3-5 keywords into the box and get a list of pages that use those words close to eachother” isn’t supported anymore, and the new approach is “type a phrase and we’ll look for things semantically related”.
at that point, the input box isn’t that different from the chatbot box.
i think by “we” you mean the manufacturers? AFAICT they just gave away the game: the push for thin phones was more from the supply side than the demand side. not saying people don’t generally prefer thin phones – just that the preference is probably weaker than has been made out to be.
that said, i think it’s more fair to compare things like cubic volume and weight than just the thinness. a 1/2" thick full-size phone would be uncomfortable in my pocket, whereas a 1/2" thick wallet-sized phone might actually be more comfortable than a traditional smartphone.