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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)

#291

Post by maxglute »

raverbashing wrote: post #268
maxglute wrote: post #266

Market wants big phones. The solution... look to the east. Phone accessories to manage big phones. Many women with small hands using finger loops (that double as kickstands), wrist straps, full body lanyards. Convincing main brands to dump 100s of millions to cater to small phone crowd should be proven DOA by now. The minimalist EDC crowd is niche aberration, most people throughout civilization EDC was more cumbersom…

I disagree, it seems the Eastern phones are gigantic for some reason And yes I do want smaller phones. Samsung S10e was the perfect size tbh. But no it seems the option dwindle and now I can't find a phone smaller than my thumb. At least some phones have a "shrink screen" option, but that's not the same thing as a smaller phone tbh

Tiny market =/= no market, but not sustainable market. One hand mode + one hand type mode is not the same as small phone, but it makes one hand mode on big devices feasible. I'm personally waiting for eastern foldable phones to get hilariously gigantic so the front cover screen become useful "mini" phones.

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

#292

Post by chartered_stack »

I'm a convert on this topic. I went from wanting a small phone to being unable to wait to ditch mine.

Like the OP, I switched from Android (Pixel 3a) to an iPhone SE 3 specifically for the smaller form factor. After using it for over a year, I've found the trade-offs in battery life and camera quality are too significant for my daily use.

These limitations aren't an issue when I'm at home or my desk with easy access to a charger. However, they become acute the moment I'm out for the day. For example, using GPS for navigation or connecting Bluetooth accessories becomes a liability. I can't rely on the phone to last. Also, photos are noticeably more pixelated, and the quality drop-off is clear compared to larger, contemporary phones.

This thread is evidence that the niche for small phones exists. But it's for people willing to accept these compromises by carrying a dedicated camera, a power bank, and using wired peripherals. For me and as the market suggests for most consumers, small phones just doesn't work out as reliable all-in-one devices. I'll probably wait till early next year to pick up one of the new iPhones after they iron out the initial kinks.

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

#293

Post by gsich »

2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #91
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…

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…

>Things steadily got bigger from there. The general population WANTED this.

Easy to say if the only devices are big phones. There is no choice.

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

#295

Post by devjab »

javier2 wrote: post #50
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 only traded out my iphone 12 mini just recently for an iphone 16 pro (likely the last apple product I will ever buy but thats another story) and aside from the camera it is basically the same. Just heavier, awkward to hold and slightly worse designed. Just did the exact same thing 5 months ago.. I still miss my 12 mini. Would strongly consider buying a 13 mini instead of its even being sold anymore.

I ended up replacing my 12 mini with a 6z flip from samsung. The only real annoyance is that Apple hasn't enabled RCS for Danish telecom companies yet. Well that and sand... We'll see how long it lives though. The reason I originally went to apple was because my first smartphone (a galaxy 2) sort of did the planned obsolescence thing exactly the same way my two buddies galaxy 2's did at the time. If the flip lives for 5ish years then I'll likely never go back to apple. Unless they make a phone that will actually fit comfortable in my pockets again.

The little half screen on the flip is useless though. Basically nothing works on it.

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

#296

Post by barbs »

ghiculescu wrote: post #78
bschwindHN wrote: post #73

I used the iPhone SE 1 until January of this year, it was such a great phone and a great form factor. I wrote an article about it to send it off: https://blog.bschwind.com/2025/01/11/the-original-iphone-se-...

I’m still rocking mine! Gonna start looking for second hand ones soon as the home button is starting to die, and that’s the best bit. I found using the browser is a good enough alternative for many apps, and it also makes them less addictive because they aren’t as slick. Particularly handy for work apps.

The home button's not too hard to replace, at least compared to the screen and battery.

Mine actually broke ages ago but I've just gotten used to using TouchAssist.

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

#297

Post by t0bia_s »

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.

Advertisers supports bigger screen for bigger space for their ads.

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

#298

Post by sayamqazi »

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.

I want larger monitors, laptops, tablets and phones because I can't f**ing see well. Book reading is a real strain on small screens.

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

#299

Post by volemo »

pyman wrote: post #282
dakiol wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know.If I have a “big” phone (anything bigger than the iphone mini, at least for me), I’ll leave it at home most of the time. But if it’s small, I’ll take it with me everywhere. So I can be bombarded with crap more time if I use a small phone.

Phones are big now because people want better cameras and longer battery life. Also, people are spending 4-5 hours more per day on screens than they did 15 years ago, so they want bigger screen for reading, playing games and watching videos.

I know I can’t claim to be “the norm”, but all I want is a smaller phone with 1–2 day battery life. I don’t need a better screen, a better camera, or ever more compute. (It’s a freaking smartphone, not a game console!) All I need my phone to do is run a web browser, messaging apps, maps, my banking app, and random little apps some organisations force you to use – like my university’s app, my city’s public transport app, or half the restaurants here. Things that could easily be done with 10–15 year old hardware. Sadly, the industry chose to keep the power consumption constant increasing while computational power, instead of focusing on smaller devices and longer battery life with the same power.

Again, I’m not angry that current phones exist; I’m just sad there aren’t (good) alternatives – at least that I know of.

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

#300

Post by raynr »

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 think that's the cart before the horse. People buy the big phones and so businesses cater for that.
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