Add there 2 USB type C >= 3.1 with displayport/hdmi Alt mode, unlocked bootloader and I'm in
I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
711–720 of 1001 posts
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#712I’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…
Thank you for taking initiative on this! As a 5'5" woman with small hands, I haven't had an android phone that I could use with one-hand since my Nexus 5 (which I used for 5 years straight). The current android flagships are unwieldy even with two-hands for me, and it's been just a quality of living downgrade ever since my Nexus 5 broke. I'm not into apple products myself, but I know many other women swear by the iph…
What did you think of the Pixel 5? It's only 0.5cm taller and otherwise more or less identical in dimensions.
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#713Earlier quoted context omitted.
Aha, you got me. I really should have specified that Nexus 5X was also too big. Moreover, the specification that actually matters for one-handed phone users is the distance between the bottom corner of the phone (where it's held in the hand) and the top opposite corner of the screen , not the top corner of the phone. That's because that point is the furthest you'd ever need to stretch your thumb to use the phone. So…
I actually used to be worried about the exact points you're making, as I used an iPhone 4 for years (which is tiny by today's standards). However, in practice 'not being able to reach the whole screen with my thumb' hasn't turned out to be a big problem: navigation elements at the top of the screen tend to be less-used (as app devs also take into account that it's a hassle to reach them). If I really need to use them…
> However, in practice 'not being able to reach the whole screen with my thumb' hasn't turned out to be a big problem: navigation elements at the top of the screen tend to be less-used
If that's true, then app devs are thoroughly incompetent at it. Take a look at at Chrome on Android. The address bar, tab menu, and settings bar are all at the top of the screen. In 2021, Apple made the same change for Safari, moving the address bar from the bottom of the screen to the top [1]. The tab grid Chrome's push for tab grid [2] made it even worse, because depending on the tab, you may need to reach across the entire diagonal the reach the tab you want. Firefox has the option of putting the address bar at the bottom (and if so, the tabs show near the bottom as well), but the navigation buttons for bookmarks are near the top of the screen.
I don't think mobile developers think about one-handed phone use at all. Based on the designs used, with interactions bouncing all around the screen, it doesn't seem to be a concern at all. Perhaps they assume that everybody holds a phone with one hand and then touches the screen with the other hand.
[0] https://images.idgesg.net/images/article/2022/02/05-chrome-a...
[1] https://9to5mac.com/2021/08/17/ios-15-beta-6-redesigns-safar...
[2] https://m-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/372064-940/Scre...
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#714Earlier quoted context omitted.
You want a small phone. But you want one with better battery life and you want an Android? Between the inefficiency of non Apple ARM chipsets and the inefficiency of Android, that’s not likely to happen.
> that’s not likely to happen. Why not? It has happened before. My Xperia XZ1 Compact: - runs Android (I'm on Android 10, but might upgrade) - measures about 14cm diagonally and 8-9mm thick - uses around 10-15% charge per day of light use (without Google services) - has a standard headphone jack - has stereo speakers - has decent front and back cameras, with no bump - has a microSD slot - has a USB type C port - has…
It’s also a phone that was first announced in 2016, by a company that has lost money for the past 5 years and is basically retreating from the global market.
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2019/05/sony-mobile-strateg...
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of its mobile phone strategy.
And it last a long time not using any services that make Android what it is to most users (ie using Google service) is not a mass market selling point.
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#715"You think you do, but you don't."
I LOVED my iPhone 4 & iPhone 5 back in the day. I thought they were just perfect. I could reach all the keys, they fit in any pants, and they were just my favorite era of phones ever. Metal edges, glass front and back, no stupid camera bump -- perfection. For the time they existed, there was nothing to improve on those phones.
But I pretty much hate my iPhone Mini. And it has almost nothing to do with the phone -- it's basically an improved version of the iPhone 4, except now it's got a stupid camera bump. And I would still love the form factor, but like... so many things just don't fit right.
Apps just haven't been tested to work on it, especially if you tweak your default font sizes at all, and it's just a sub-optimal experience in almost every way. My fingers fit, but now websites are built with bigger fonts and need bigger screens. I passionately hate "viewport wobble" and you see it all the freakin' time on the iPhone Mini.
Book an Uber? The buttons are off screen, or weird places. Sure that's the app's fault -- and frankly a lot of apps need to do better for responsive design in order to better improve accessibility (especially for elderly users!) but that's a bigger fight than I want to get into when I pick up a phone and just want it to work.
So I don't know, like if I had a magic wand and could just zap every website, every app into compliance with the slightly smaller screen... sure it'd be great. But I don't, and that makes for a frustrating user experience that, frankly, ruins the iPhone Mini for me.
My iPhone 4 was the best phone I ever had. Hands down. Loved it, emotional memories of it are still very fond. Wish I could find that again, really do.
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#716Earlier quoted context omitted.
I miss the iPhone 5. That was a great size and shape. Same width as the 4, just a bit longer of course.
The "1st gen" SE is the same size as the 5, still available from e.g. Amazon for $100–$200, and runs the current iOS very well if a little slowly.
I ran those for many years but unfortunately the batteries are old and seem to only last a year these days
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#717Today i just saw this video about small phones. The only bad thing is that the camera is pretty bad :(
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#718Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#719Hi 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…
I go to aliexpress, and I see a number of 4" screens. Some even come with capacitive touch sensors mounted on top.
Yes, they are low-resolution by today's standards, something like 800x480. Still, they are available for those who might be considering to produce a really compact phone. Instead, they go to high-end coffee machines and the like, and to RPi tinkerers.
My hunch that the limiting factor would mostly be the battery. Modern radios and modern CPUs and GPUs consume more, and you don't want to market a very slow phone, or a phone that has 6 hours of daily usage worth of battery. And you can't hide as much battery behind a small screen.
Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone
#720I think the iPhone 5 was the perfect size. I still have mine though it doesn’t work anymore since I dropped it ages ago.
Still hoping a phone even smaller than the iPhone 12 mini is released