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I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

smallandroidphone.com

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Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#751

Post by peterlk »

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…

If this phone allowed for 2 SIM cards, I would pay a silly amount of money for it

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#752

Post by sorry_outta_gas »

oceanplexian wrote: post #357
davee5 wrote: 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 I would argue that they don’t know what people want at all, since market data just reinforces previously held assumptions. For example if you surveyed people in 2006 what kind of phone they wanted, most consumers would probably ask for a better flip phone. It…

> most consumers would probably ask for a better flip phone

I'm not sure about that, sidekicks, plan and blackberry were pretty popular and gaining a lot of mainstream interest for modern 'smartphone' type things

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#753

Post by guywhocodes »

DANK_YACHT wrote: post #45
erohead wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I touch on this on the site. 5% of iPhones sold are minis. That's 10m sold per year! That is more than enough demand to cover the NREs and costs of making a phone. * https://9to5mac.com/2022/04/21/cirp-iphone-13-best-selling-l...

5% seems quite small and not worth the trouble. It might be worth it if a small phone generated 5% in additional sales, but most people buying a small iPhone would likely buy a normal-sized iPhone if no small version was available rather than making the switch to Android.

I know more than a few people who got Iphones only because there were no or too hard to find Android phones in a smaller form factor. I wouldn't be surprised if at least half of that 5% would switch back in the no-mini scenario

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#755

Post by Nition »

kazinator wrote: post #701

It's funny to read some young person reiterating the desirable properties of small phones, completely oblivious to how smaller was universally better in cellphones phones before the smartphone era. http://www.mobilephonehistory.co.uk/nokia/nokia.php

The peak of that was the amazing Panasonic GD55: https://www.gsmarena.com/panasonic_gd55-372.php

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#756

Post by bigiain »

zippergz wrote: post #739
GekkePrutser wrote: post #523

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…

Indeed, I desperately want a smaller phone, but I heavily use the camera on my phone and in the end I decided I wasn't willing to give up camera quality for the iPhone Mini. So Apple's data may suggest that I don't want a small phone, but the reality is that I want a small phone that's actually as good as the big ones. No one has offered that.

My last couple of phone purchases have actually been camera purchases.

I got an iPhone XR for the low light performance of the camera, not because I needed a new phone.

I got a 13Pro for the cameras and lidar, not because I needed a new phone.

My reality is I want a great camera that fits in my pocket and is durable - that also makes calls, runs Signal, streams Spotify/AppleMusic, and has a usable web browser...

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#757

Post by jiffygist »

pipeline_peak wrote: post #614

> 4 hours Screen On Time (SOT) > Unlockable bootloader > NFC You could’ve kept things simple and attracted a larger audience by just saying you want a smaller phone. This reads like an over passionate CS freshman……. “Dude wouldnt it b cool if it ran Arch Linux” I’ve rarely heard net positive reviews for phones from no name Chinese brands like One Plus or whatever that thing is. There just needs to be a smaller modern…

Unlockable bootloader is criterium number 0 for me, even when recommending phones to people who will never want to change firmware. I would be happy if manufacturers stated this in phone specs.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#758

Post by bigiain »

simondotau wrote: post #695
jdironman wrote: post #511

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” - Henry Ford. However, in this day and time when it comes to established tech such as a smart phone, sometimes the best way to 'innovate' might be to give people what they actually want. Sure not all companies can cater all niches. But hopefully someone will! Im also a small phone advocate.

There’s still a market for faster horses.

There's still a market for buggy whips too.

No VC firm is investing millions expecting a 100x return in buggy whip startups though.

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#759

Post by 0x38B »

hammock wrote: post #32

Shameless plug for the Jelly 2. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-2 It's not a "flagship" but it is fully featured - nothing spared - and half the size of my palm. The screen is just small enough to be too annoying to do anything really distracting on. I have gotten NOTHING but compliments on it since I started using it a month ago (on a reco I picked up here).

This looks great. I left my Pixel 2 for a Nokia flip phone running KaiOS for half of 2021, but the OS was underwhelming, with broken WebDav syncing that required me to manually import contacts and forgo my calendar.

I then upgraded to an iPhone SE, but miss Android apps like Termux, PDANet, and MiXplorer. iOS lacks compelling alternatives: A-Shell, iOS-Socks-Proxy (running in A-Shell), and Apple Files + Readdle's Documents are decent, but don't measure up to the aforementioned Android apps.

All that makes the Jelly 2 an attractive choice. It ticks the essential smartphone boxes but discourages excessive use (doom scrolling, Instagram, TikTok, Hacker News, etc).

Re: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone

#760

Post by disillusioned »

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…

The Pixel 6a is supposed to be nearly the same size as the Pixel 5, I thought.
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