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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)

#251
post #147
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.

I think that’s the SEs.

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

#252
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's nothing close to the iPhone Mini anymore though

The 13 Mini should still get iOS updates for another couple of years, I think? Certainly iOS 26 appears to be supported.

Through 2028 most likely, possibly longer, based on their OS support history (about 7 years).

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

#253
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…

It’s an interesting take but I believe most people just prefer bigger phone. I know it’s weird to those of us who like the opposite and funnily enough it’s often women who have gigantic phone, which they can’t put in their tiny jean pocket. I don’t explain it and every time I get explained they like it better because it’s got bigger battery and bigger screen, I just don’t understand how you could live your life with…

Do you have any fact at all to back your opinion?

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

#254
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…

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…

I don't know. I think the SE was there there to generate services income (Apps, Apple Music, etc.) from people who wouldn't buy an iPhone otherwise. The design was intentionally very stale to avoid cannibalization of their flagships. I don't think a lot of people who bought flagship iPhones before would go to an SE. Imagine going from an iPhone X or XS to an SE, it's a big downgrade. People were not buying the SE because of the size, but because it was cheap (the iPhone 16e that is the cheaper model now, has the same size as the 16).

My wife, I, and several people I know had iPhone 12 or 13 Mini. Their battery life was pretty terrible and word soon got out it was. I think this was in the end what killed it for people who are normally buying Apple flagships and were considering a Mini. It was very hard to get through the day with a Mini.

Besides the abysmal battery life, I think the market for small phones is maybe simply not there. Samsung keeps around one smaller model (base S-series) and arguably the Z Flip is a smaller model (but persistent hardware issues). If there was a large demand for flagship-class small phones, I am sure some Android manufacturers would make them.

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

#255
post #112

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...

The Zenfone 10 is closer to an iPhone than an iPhone mini. iPhone 16/Zenfone/13 Mini (in mm) Height: 147.6/146.5/131.5 - the mini is 15mm shorter than the Zenfone which is only 1.1mm shorter than an iPhone. Width: 71.6/68.1/64.2 - the mini is 3.9mm thinner than the Zenfone which is 3.5mm thinner than an iPhone Depth: 7.8/9.4/7.7 - the Zenfone is significantly thicker than the iPhones. Volume: 82.4/93.8/65.0 cubic cm…

Of phones I owned 10+ years ago:

iPhone 6S: 138.3/67.1/7.1 = 65.9 cc the mini is just barely smaller.

iPhone 4S: 115.2/58.6/9.3 = 62.8 cc smaller than the mini.

Treo 650: 113/59/23 = 153 cc which is about the same volume as a Galaxy Z Fold 3... the displacement was so uncomfortable, people often used hip holsters for the former.

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

#256

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 Samsung Galaxy Note (the first one) had a screen size of 5.3 inches. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 had a screen size of 5.5 inches. I had one and regularly had strangers ask me if that was really a phone. I had friends say, "Give me a call on your tablet" as a joke. I loved it. Now my 6.1 inch iPhone feels on the small side.

This. I'm also had several Note's. I even would like now also to have a bigger phone again. But it seems nobody does 8" or 9" phones.

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

#257
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…

Curious, what happened to the Palm phone (https://palm.com/)?

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

#258
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…

It’s an interesting take but I believe most people just prefer bigger phone. I know it’s weird to those of us who like the opposite and funnily enough it’s often women who have gigantic phone, which they can’t put in their tiny jean pocket. I don’t explain it and every time I get explained they like it better because it’s got bigger battery and bigger screen, I just don’t understand how you could live your life with…

> I know it’s weird to those of us who like the opposite and funnily enough it’s often women who have gigantic phone, which they can’t put in their tiny jean pocket.

Most women carry their phone in a hand bag anyway as the pockets on most pants for women are way to small either way [1].

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/style/pockets-womens-clot...

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

#259
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…

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…

Yeah and I also remember how Apple fans said "this is ridiculous, nobody needs a screen that big that doesn't fit in your pocket easily", and here we are 15 years later mourning the iPhone Mini/SE.

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

#260
post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's going on? You're in a minority, it's not profitable to cater to you, and most people don't care. That's the cold hard truth of it.

You seem to have ignored the part of my comment pointing out that the dynamic you describe doesn't occur in any other market. Perhaps... just perhaps... the explanation lies elsewhere? I should have included some kind of question as to what it might be.

There are also no desktop 17” displays sold anymore, nor are there many 32” TVs around. Nobody makes 7” Eee PCs.

Perhaps… just perhaps… people just like bigger screens and it’s not some kind of weird conspiracy theory?

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