Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

smallandroidphone.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 702 posts

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#141

Post by MiddleEndian »

dannyfreeman wrote: post #98
MiddleEndian wrote: post #29

6" doesn't register as small to me at all lol. The HTC 8X was 4.3" and that was a "normal" sized phone for me. I used the Palm Phone (PVG100) (3.3" screen) (basically the size of a credit card) [ https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_097... ] as long as I could until it became too slow to use as software got slower and increasingly battery-hungry and I had to give it up last year. Right now I have…

Do these little phones work well in the US?

They seem to work fine on T-Mobile. I hear the Palm Phone had some issue with Verizon where it only worked as a "companion phone" and I hear AT&T limits what phones are allowed somehow, but I cannot speak to those things.

They only have 4G rather than 5G. This has not bothered me but perhaps it would bother others.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#142

Post by roytam87 »

fgblanch wrote: post #22

Funny enough, in 2023, Asus released a good very close to iphone Mini-size android phone. The asus zenfone 10. https://www.asus.com/us/mobile-handhelds/phones/zenfone/zenf...

but I missed MicroSD slot. I think my requirement is simple: not too wide (and end-up only Sony products comes out. and I sacrificed performance for a shorter phone so I bought Xperia Ace III.

but I don't know when will my ISP shutdown GSM-1800. If this happens I have to buy Xperia 10 series then.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#143

Post by jbaber »

MiddleEndian wrote: post #29

6" doesn't register as small to me at all lol. The HTC 8X was 4.3" and that was a "normal" sized phone for me. I used the Palm Phone (PVG100) (3.3" screen) (basically the size of a credit card) [ https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_097... ] as long as I could until it became too slow to use as software got slower and increasingly battery-hungry and I had to give it up last year. Right now I have…

I, too, used a PVG100 until it died. The "juicepack" battery doubled the thickness, but it still fit in my pocket. Now I've got a Motorola Razr. I figure the only way companies will give me a small phone if it folds.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#144

Post by bigstrat2003 »

jittery41 wrote: post #120
wyre wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The general population wants larger phones because they are addicted to their screens.

For most people the phone is their only computer. Who bring laptop to a friend group hangout anymore ? Only the techies.

Who ever brought a laptop to a friend group hangout? I never have seen that happen myself.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#145

Post by jbaber »

dannyfreeman wrote: post #98
MiddleEndian wrote: post #29

6" doesn't register as small to me at all lol. The HTC 8X was 4.3" and that was a "normal" sized phone for me. I used the Palm Phone (PVG100) (3.3" screen) (basically the size of a credit card) [ https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_097... ] as long as I could until it became too slow to use as software got slower and increasingly battery-hungry and I had to give it up last year. Right now I have…

Do these little phones work well in the US?

PVG 100 worked great with my carrier.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#147

Post by nunez »

pclowes wrote: post #8

My cynical take is that small phones don't exist because they are not the product. Similar to vape pens the product is the addictive substance the device loads. In this case its apps and ads. A smaller screen probably negatively impacts KPIs on many levels, at Google/Apple/Meta/X and on down through the ecosystem. I understand that Apple did not make enough money to make it worth their while to continue the iphone mi…

I thought the theory behind the 12 and 13 minis was that Apple had a huge surplus of parts that they needed to offload, and making the minis was a profitable way of doing that.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#148

Post by bigstrat2003 »

MostlyStable wrote: post #134
paxys wrote: post #40

We've seen this story play out before. Every phone manufacturer has had the bright idea of introducing a small flagship. They spend a ton of money developing and marketing it. Internet people get excited. And when launched - no one buys it. They learn their lesson and move on.

It does not surprise me that the things that "internet" people want are not generally popular. What I don't understand is why that means they can't make money selling them anyways. Companies used to make money when the entire cell phone market was _dramatically_ smaller than today. Sure, maybe only 5% of customers want that phone, but 5% of a huge market is still a lot of people! I just have trouble believing that th…

Yeah, that is surprising and frustrating to me as well. I don't mind being a smaller market. Hell, I don't mind paying more because of it. But companies these days are largely unwilling to have a steady, sustainable business in a smaller market. The insatiable desire to capture the biggest market at all times leaves society as a whole much worse off, because if your needs aren't the most common - you simply cannot find anyone who will do business with you.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#149

Post by nunez »

wyre wrote: post #116
2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re way too cynical and have let your cynicism cloud history. The first phablets were probably the Galaxy Note line starting in 2011 which was met with some skepticism due to the size of them. These were well before the edge to edge screen days. So you had 5.7 inch screens with a bezel. They were huge but I would routinely see small women pull these things out of their hand bags and press a device that obscured al…

The general population wants larger phones because they are addicted to their screens.

Yes, and people are using their phones for what they previously used TVs, laptops, music players and other dedicated devices for. It's a bit of a cycle.

There's also the accessibility factor. Many people become farsighted later in life. It's much easier to see things on a big phone, especially with increased zoom. (I see this all of the time when I fly.)

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

#150

Post by MiddleEndian »

jbaber wrote: post #143
MiddleEndian wrote: post #29

6" doesn't register as small to me at all lol. The HTC 8X was 4.3" and that was a "normal" sized phone for me. I used the Palm Phone (PVG100) (3.3" screen) (basically the size of a credit card) [ https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_097... ] as long as I could until it became too slow to use as software got slower and increasingly battery-hungry and I had to give it up last year. Right now I have…

I, too, used a PVG100 until it died. The "juicepack" battery doubled the thickness, but it still fit in my pocket. Now I've got a Motorola Razr. I figure the only way companies will give me a small phone if it folds.

I tried out the Razr and Z Flip 4 at a store but I thought they were too hard to use while closed and way too big when open.

If you check /r/smallphones I'll post a review of the NX1 in a couple months (or whenever I get it + a week or two). It looks like the closest spiritual successor to the Palm Phone (although the single button on the foot with multiple actions will probably never be beat)

Post reply on HN