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I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

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671–680 of 1001 posts

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#671

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's limited success is not only a factor of the screen size but also market positioning. The mini is inferior in some specs to other iPhones but at the same time really high end as far as mobiles in general go. That makes it a niche product even if screen size was not a factor at all. It targets people that have plenty of cash for a flagship but are willing to forego the top tier specs for a smaller size. Apple p…

The mini is inferior in some specs to other iPhones I’m typing this on my iPhone 13 mini; saying it’s inferior to the rest of the iPhone 13 is an overstatement. All of the core features are the same as they rest of the line. Ironically it’s the largest iPhone I’ve owned, having upgraded from an iPhone 7 and a 6s before that. There probably won’t be iPhone 14 mini, so I’m glad I was able to get this form factor before…

They really had the room to put a x2 zoom camera on there though... what a shame they didn't.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#672
post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a Unihertz Titan Pocket (physical keyboard). I'm planning to get the new slim model when it comes out. These are top of the line phones, but they're very solid. Unihertz is making some good devices.

How long does the battery last? Does the phone feel thick in your pocket? (From the photos, it looks like the device is about the same width and height as a 2020 iPhone SE but significantly thicker.)

Battery last _very long_. Probably 2+ days on a full charge. I don't actually know. It last so long that I don't really have to worry about it.

Size profile is basically the same as an old school Blackberry. No problems with it.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#673

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's limited success is not only a factor of the screen size but also market positioning. The mini is inferior in some specs to other iPhones but at the same time really high end as far as mobiles in general go. That makes it a niche product even if screen size was not a factor at all. It targets people that have plenty of cash for a flagship but are willing to forego the top tier specs for a smaller size. Apple p…

The mini is inferior in some specs to other iPhones I’m typing this on my iPhone 13 mini; saying it’s inferior to the rest of the iPhone 13 is an overstatement. All of the core features are the same as they rest of the line. Ironically it’s the largest iPhone I’ve owned, having upgraded from an iPhone 7 and a 6s before that. There probably won’t be iPhone 14 mini, so I’m glad I was able to get this form factor before…

Wait, is the iPhone Mini larger than an iPhone 6/7/8?! I thought it was smaller.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#674
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> for a smartphone specifically, there's a direct relationship between battery size and device size, and battery life is a really valuable convenience As the largest consumer of energy is the display of a smartphone, you don't need the same battery size to get the same runtime in a smaller phone. Also by increasing the depth of the smartphone by just 1-2 millimeters you can offset the smaller area available for the b…

> As the largest consumer of energy is the display of a smartphone, you don't need the same battery size to get the same runtime in a smaller phone. The battery capacity grows much faster than the display energy consumption, and it's not even a fight: at otherwise equivalent hardware, the larger phone has always had better battery life than the smaller one in every iPhone generation. The minis both suffered significa…

> The battery capacity grows much faster than the display energy consumption, and it's not even a fight: at otherwise equivalent hardware, the larger phone has always had better battery life than the smaller one in every iPhone generation.

As an example, the Z5 Compact had a 2700mah battery in basically something ~1mm thicker than a 13 mini, which has a ~2400mah battery. The Z5 Compact is also a 7 year old phone, which didn't have wireless charging.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#676

This is why I'm not moving on from my Pixel 4a. If it ever dies, I'll go on eBay or wherever and buy a new one. I don't even care if it goes EOL and stops receiving security updates. TBH if I do end up replacing it with something else, it doesn't have to be stock Android or even a powerful device. I'm okay with replacing my 4a with some cheap ultra-budget shanzhai phone as long as it's small and it works with T-Mobil…

I went from Pixel 4a (first Android I've ever had) to Pixel 6. It's been about 3 months with the 6, I still have the 4a and I think I'm going to switch back. It's just too big, and the in-screen fingerprint reader isn't as good.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#677
post #270

Hi Eric, I'm a hardware startup guy myself (our paths have crossed) with the distinction that my own "very specific set of skills" has been honed at smartphone megacompanies and smartphone startups. OSOM, Essential, HTC, Samsung, Apple. I've designed and built a lot of phones. I'm building one now. I think this is a noble effort, I personally prefer pocketable phones too, but I think there are nigh-insurmountable hur…

> Big companies are drowning in market data. They know some people really, really want small phones. But it's a long-tail opportunity they're willfully ignoring, and people who need phones will still buy something even if reluctantly. I've been in the meetings, small phone advocacy goes nowhere.

I love my iPhone 12 mini and prefer the form factor, but will go bigger, because of battery life.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#678
post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love a small primary phone with good battery life for general use (SMS/IM, and (shock!) making/taking calls). Relatively low resolution screen would not be a problem at all. But I, like most people I expect, also use my phone for many other uses some of which make good use of a larger screen at higher resolution: in-car GPS and while running/walking out on the trails, web browsing and social media stuff that woul…

> in-car GPS and while running/walking out on the trails, web browsing and social media stuff that would not be pleasant on smaller screens, occasionally video I think the last time I considered screen size a limiting factor for these activities was when the flagship phones had 4.5" screens or so. We've gone well beyond what's needed for me to find the screen large enough for regular activities, and well into the rea…

Size isn't the reason I went with the larger phone last time I upgraded - it was the longer active (rather than standby) battery life. I can be a fair distance from any source of power for a goodly time and not worry about it shutting down for that reason. Even smaller devices (of those easily available at the time) showed less endurance in independent tests, due to having the smaller battery in their smaller form and/or less advanced chipsets, the exception being one with a lower resolution screen but that was a compromise point too.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#679
post #270

Hi Eric, I'm a hardware startup guy myself (our paths have crossed) with the distinction that my own "very specific set of skills" has been honed at smartphone megacompanies and smartphone startups. OSOM, Essential, HTC, Samsung, Apple. I've designed and built a lot of phones. I'm building one now. I think this is a noble effort, I personally prefer pocketable phones too, but I think there are nigh-insurmountable hur…

“and people who need phones will still buy something even if reluctantly“

So true... And my anecdotal observation suggest another detail that makes small unattractive to brands: the way my social circles happen to be, I crossed path with plenty of owners of various incarnations of the Xperia Compact (r.i.p.). If my observations where representative, the Compacts would come close to outnumbering iPhones. They all wanted a small phone, somewhat waterproof and with a reasonably good camera. Almost all of them identifying strongly with some outdoor hobby like cycling or rock climbing, but wouldn't want a dedicated "outdoor" or "sports" phone. So far so good, looks like a pattern. But they have another thing in common: none of them would ever consider buying a high end phone (the Compacts were, or reasonably close) at or near release price.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#680
post #200

My opinion is that the demand for small phones will be satisfied by foldable phones. I see that option more viable and effective.

I actually really want a smaller screen, though. I have smaller hands and I want to be able to reach across it one-handed without having to precariously adjust my grip.

The zflip/razr foldables have smaller screens.
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