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

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

smallandroidphone.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 1001 posts

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#111

Post by eertami »

erohead wrote: post #2

I’m a long-time small phone Android user. But after the Pixel 5, I have not been able to find a suitable small Android replacement. The Pixel 6 is gigantic, and the Pixel 7 looks like it is also destined to be huge. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve resorted to using an iPhone Mini, biding my time and hoping desperately that some Android OEM would step up. But it’s increasingly clear that a small premium phone is not on t…

Similar user, and I have no idea if there will be anything left to buy after the Pixel 4a. I expect the 4a will be good enough for another 3 years at-least, if there are no accidents.

Hopefully by then there is something available which continues the form factor. 4a has been the perfect successor to the Nexus 4, it's a little taller but other than that has practically the same footprint.

With the 6a moving in a different direction (eg: removing the headphone jack) I'm just hoping someone else comes along as a spiritual successor for the Pixel Xa-series.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#112

Post by lenn_eavy »

iPhone SE 2020 was a reason I switched from the Android. I have dedicated tools for my hobbies and I am using phone for messages, simple games, navigation and reading stuff mostly. These bases are covered by both sides, but only one had the form factor I was after. Now I'm considering iPad 6 Mini to be my next planner, bullet journal, occasional article reader and note taker. Having small form factor phones can certainly be an entry point to the device ecosystem for some people.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#113

Post by this_is_eline »

sdflhasjd wrote: post #98
this_is_eline wrote: post #93

It is kinda old (2019), but Samsung S10e is imho _the_ small (android) phone. 5.8" 1080x2280 AMOLED display, with a tiny hole punch front camera; Snapdragon 855, 6/8gm RAM, 128/256gb of storage (with support for microsd card); two rear cameras (wide and ultrawide) with great image quality(imho); ip68; gorilla glass 5; 3.5mm jack; usb type c; wireless charging + reverse wireless charging; fingerprint on power button (…

I'm going to be upset when I'll have to replace my S10e with something larger and without a headphone jack. Samsung's UI has come a long way, now I actually prefer OneUI over stock Android.

I just wish s10e has replaceable battery... (even tho that would prob ruin ip68 and design :) )

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#114

Post by pizza234 »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #56
pizza234 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a bit of patience, install LineageOS. Samsung phones have a big following in this domain - as of today (May/2022), even the Galaxy S3 (Neo) is supported (!). I'm not saying it's trivial (it's not hard, but has a large enough amount of small actions to execute), but it's definitely worth doubling (or more) the phone duration. The FamousProducer™ of my phone supported it for 3 years. This is terrible. Linea…

IIRC, LineageOS support for US Samsung devices with Snapdragon CPUs has always been very limited. Rooting them is difficult, if not impossible, and I seem to remember that doing so blows some kind of fuse in the device itself which then irreparably caps the battery on the device to like 80%. Given that the S10e's battery life is already waning, I'm not sure I want to do that. But yes! If there were a safe way to do s…

Ouch. I wasn't aware of that. I think I've rooted in the past the S2 and S3, but it was long ago.

Another brand that seems to be well supported (although not as extensively, timewise, as Samsung) is Google. LineageOS still supports the Pixel 1.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#115

Post by TheGoodBarn »

I jumped at getting the iPhone 13 mini immediately and haven’t looked back. I remember having an iPhone 5 and how much I loved the formfactor for the same reasons OP mentions.

Sure the battery sucks and the phone locks up from too many things happening sometimes, but those are perfectly fine trade offs for a phone that fits into my life and isn’t my life.

When I bought my 13 mini I also bought the new iPad mini to have a larger device for content consumption and the combo is lovely

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#116

Post by asddubs »

pmlnr wrote: post #77
asddubs wrote: post #53

my dream would be a small linux phone (probably a couple years down the line once the software is a bit more stable), but I would settle for a small android phone as a primary device, to stay a bit more realistic in terms of market share. while we're sharing pipe dreams, i would love a physical keyboard like the n900 as well. i used my nexus 5 for 7 years or so, when i replaced it i didn't even realize there no longe…

https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pinephone-pro-keyboard-...

I got one, and I love it! But it's not really a phone at that point

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#117

Post by HomeGear »

> For Apple, 10m phones is peanuts. But for an independent company 10m units per year would be spectacular. If Apple kills the Mini, those people will need a new home.

Hm, I’d suspect most of the customers are more attached to the Apple iPhone than the form. I’m one, but, I could be wrong!

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#118

Post by InvaderFizz »

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #76
perardi wrote: post #6

“matching size and design of iPhone 13 Mini” So, by all accounts, the iPhone mini has been an extremely slow seller. https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula... Why would that form factor succeed in the Android space? --- I see these meme on tech sites all the time: “oh phones are too big I just want something simple”. That is a valid sentiment that I think is shared by basically no average consum…

Similarly, the F150 is the best selling vehicle in the US. #2 is the Silverado, and #3 is the Dodge Ram. Clearly, this whole 'sedan' concept is a failed form factor, every manufacturer should only make pickup trucks. Why shoot for less than the #1 market spot?

Ford has phased out sedans[0] for the US market and are instead chasing higher margin trucks and SUVs. The exception is the Mustang.

0: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/ford-exec-says-this-is-why-it-s...

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#119

Post by mrweasel »

perardi wrote: post #6

“matching size and design of iPhone 13 Mini” So, by all accounts, the iPhone mini has been an extremely slow seller. https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula... Why would that form factor succeed in the Android space? --- I see these meme on tech sites all the time: “oh phones are too big I just want something simple”. That is a valid sentiment that I think is shared by basically no average consum…

If you hadn't included the link to Macrumors, I'd have guess that the mini sells poorly because the iPhone SE is available and much cheaper. Personally I really surprised that the SE doesn't sell more.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#120

Post by reaperducer »

izacus wrote: post #54
perardi wrote: post #6

“matching size and design of iPhone 13 Mini” So, by all accounts, the iPhone mini has been an extremely slow seller. https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula... Why would that form factor succeed in the Android space? --- I see these meme on tech sites all the time: “oh phones are too big I just want something simple”. That is a valid sentiment that I think is shared by basically no average consum…

These "slow iPhone 13 mini" sales are more than all Google Pixel phones sold in a year. Think about that. I don't understand when did the ability to choose a product fitting your preferences become a bad thing on HackerNews and modern American perception. Why is being able to buy niche products somehow not a worthy thing to be desired?

I don't understand when did the ability to choose a product fitting your preferences become a bad thing on HackerNews

Because so many on HN have been indoctrinated into the "scale at all costs" mentality.

It demonstrates the difference between HN and the real world.

On HN, if you can't serve a billion people, your product is niche. In the real world, billions of people earn a very nice living making niche products.

It's why so many people on HN don't understand Panic, or its PlayDate. They don't understand artisan anything. They've forgotten the whole hipster movement, which still exists in pockets of the world. They can't grok that there are companies that have been in business for hundreds of years making products one at a time — by hand.

"X doesn't scale" is HN for "I know nothing about how the world works."

Post reply on HN