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

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

#491

Post by MetaWhirledPeas »

rickdeckard wrote: post #422

The hard reality is that there is no PAYING market for such a device, because when it comes to the point-of-sale, most people still choose the normal-size device with better screen/battery/camera. This is equivalent to something I called the "QWERTY paradox" more than a decade ago: Back when the Smartphone market exploded, people disliked typing on a touchscreen and repeatedly stated that they want a device with a ph…

> The hard reality is that there is no PAYING market for such a device

Show me the tiny Android flagship from the past 5 years that didn't sell well. (You can't, because there wasn't one.)

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

#492

Post by [deleted] »

kayodelycaon wrote: post #455
GRiMe2D wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time I see messages and posts like this, I hope that big companies were being dissatisfied with the product factory scaling issue and device sell effectiveness. I hope that small companies would launch device like this with 500-1000 devices being created and sold in a year just fulfill the niche and doesn't go bankrupt

I don’t think you could manufacture a small run like that without the price being extremely high. Say you charge $1,000 per device. That means you need to build an entire company, pay staff, and prototype then manufacture a custom hardware device with customized software with less than a million dollars. Costs add up real fast.

[deleted]

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

#493

Post by SoftTalker »

coxley wrote: post #444
GarnetFloride wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was so odd was how Apple fumbled the iPhone mini launch by launching the iPhone SE first. At that point there hadn't been a small phone for a few years, There was pent up demand. The SE came out and it was a big success, lots of people wanted ti because it was a small phone. Then few months later they launched the mini expecting it to sell even more or something. Somehow they missed that everyone that wanted a s…

That makes sense. I love my iPhone 13 Mini. Its only issues are battery life (now), and non-competitive camera. I'm personally happy with the photos it takes, but then I look at my girlfriend's shots and get FOMO. While I doubt it's economical, I'd love a small, simple phone with juiced up camera. I'd be fine with worse battery life as external batteries can remedy that in a pinch.

I have a 12 mini, it's about as large a phone as I'd want. I wish the back and/or bezel were a little "grippier" as the phone as it's made is so slippery it almost demands a case, but that adds bulk.

Unlike many it seems, I don't care much about the camera. I'd probably want some sort of camera for scanning QR codes, or snapping a quick photo of something I want to look up later, but otherwise I don't take photos or videos on my phone. I don't use any social media on my phone other than text messaging. This makes the smaller battery size/capacity a non-issue.

Since Apple no longer makes a reasonably-sized phone I'll probably go back to Android after this one dies or becomes unsupported.

I also think it's silly to carry a $1,000 device around with you everywhere, so a "premium" small phone is probably a non-starter for me. My favorite phones were the ~$200 Moto-G phones I had before I got the iPhone (it was a gift).

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

#494

Post by scarface_74 »

sjw987 wrote: post #382
scarface_74 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That makes no sense. The only phone companies that make money from how often you use your phone and buy apps on it are Apple and Google. If there were a market for it other companies would make them. As far as the mini phones - because physics - the battery life is atrocious. That was one of the main drivers for me to get a larger phone. Well that and because I can pull down the Control Center and use the widget to m…

But Apple and Google (Pixel) are a huge portion of the market.. The other manufacturers are forced to go along with the market leaders, but sometimes also side-load apps for post-device-sale revenue.

The pixel is not a “huge portion of the market”. It’s 4% of the market in the US (https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/post-insight-us...) and a nothingburger outside of it.

Globally, Apple has what 20% market share? And besides Qualcomm chips, Apple has a complete separate parts supply chain than Android.

Besides, Samsung could definitely create its own small phone and would if there were a market.

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

#495

Post by neogodless »

MetaWhirledPeas wrote: post #491
rickdeckard wrote: post #422

The hard reality is that there is no PAYING market for such a device, because when it comes to the point-of-sale, most people still choose the normal-size device with better screen/battery/camera. This is equivalent to something I called the "QWERTY paradox" more than a decade ago: Back when the Smartphone market exploded, people disliked typing on a touchscreen and repeatedly stated that they want a device with a ph…

> The hard reality is that there is no PAYING market for such a device Show me the tiny Android flagship from the past 5 years that didn't sell well. (You can't, because there wasn't one.)

https://www.androidauthority.com/asus-zenfone-10-review-3334...

According to this article

> The ASUS Zenfone 10 is a compact flagship Android phone from ASUS. Sporting a little 5.9-inch display

Though you have to argue it's not tiny. (Don't think it sold all that well, though, at least not mainstream.)

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

#496

Post by ksec »

layer8 wrote: post #456
walterbell wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2026 iPhone Fold is rumored iPhone Mini size unfolding to iPad Mini size. https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/28/iphone-18-fold-details-launch...

It's not iPhone mini sized, the outer screen is wider than even a Pro Max, and it will likely be heavier than a Pro. See here for dimensions and mockups: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/rumoured-iphone-fold-si...

That is actually what I have in mind and a much better design. Current Foldable are too tall.

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

#497

Post by pyman »

rekoil wrote: post #417
easton wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting the battery replaced fixed mine (and seemed to mildly improve system performance, although maybe that’s placebo), might be worth a shot if you like the form factor.

Depending on how degraded the original battery was it isn't necessarily placebo. If iOS detects a severely degraded battery it will clock down the CPU slightly to cope with it, sacrificing a little performance to keep the device stable. With 3rd party batteries it can't do this, so it doesn't (I think, will admit I'm not entirely sure exactly how iOS deals with 3rd party batteries it can't determine the status of), a…

The problem is not the battery, it's the battery, processor and price.

The iPhone 13 Mini made up around 3% of total iPhone sales, so there's clearly a market for compact, mid-range phones ($600-$700). You can manufacture them in China or India for somewhere between $250 and $400, depending on the battery, camera, and overall performance.

The real challenge is that the retail price of a mid-range Android phone can't go over the $500 mark. People in developing countries are always stuck trying to balance quality with price. And for $500 bucks they expect a prime phone nowadays.

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

#498

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

dontlaugh wrote: post #237
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just tonight, I saw a friend of mine, pull a new foldable Razr from her purse. They are cool phones, but I do iOS. I still use a 13 Mini, and will continue to do so, for quite some time. As to the point of this article, I seem to recall a couple of very small Android phones, some years ago (about credit-card sized). I guess they didn’t sell well.

I do wish Apple would make one. The Samsung Z Flip almost follows the Apple design language, if only it ran iOS.

Are the screens reliable now?

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

#499

Post by Aunche »

vidyesh wrote: post #236
GarnetFloride wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was so odd was how Apple fumbled the iPhone mini launch by launching the iPhone SE first. At that point there hadn't been a small phone for a few years, There was pent up demand. The SE came out and it was a big success, lots of people wanted ti because it was a small phone. Then few months later they launched the mini expecting it to sell even more or something. Somehow they missed that everyone that wanted a s…

Your theory makes sense until it falls apart if you consider SE and Mini as the same category of small iPhones. If the only reason why Mini failed was bad launch time, then why haven't Apple launched anything small (SE or Mini) after 2022? Isn't 2024 or even 2025 the perfect time to launch an upgrade for SE or Mini? They now have enough data since the last launch of a small phone. iPhone SE 1st gen 2016 (Discontinued…

The iPhone 13 mini had even worse performance than the iPhone 12 mini even though it wasn't released alongside an SE.

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

#500

Post by swat535 »

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.

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

I would rephrase that to: The general population wants a larger phones because phones are defacto PCs these days. They can watch movies, browser the news, listen to music, FaceTime, Maps, ..

Outside of business applications likes Word / Excel, phones basically handles 90% of people's requirements for "computers".

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