this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2023
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Android

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Manufacturers don’t make displays under 6 inches available for purchase, with special cases (such as the iPhone Mini) being made under exclusive contracts. The best lead they have so far is to try to use displays designed for the front part of a foldable phone, but they’re yet to strike an agreement.

TIL that display manufacturers are also part of the reason why we aren't getting small phones and why it's probably even harder for manufacturers like Fairphone to make them.

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[–] [email protected] 104 points 9 months ago (8 children)

I just want one with a removable battery and a headphone jack...

[–] brax 49 points 9 months ago (6 children)

And SD card support. Why TF do I want to pay a mint for storage when I could spend like $50 (or less) for the equivalent (or more) in SD form?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (3 children)

it's not that you want to, but rather that the companies want to charge you $100 more for $5 of ROM.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Either that or get you on a cloud storage subscription

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago

That you'll need stable internet to use (so goodbye using your media library while camping/offroading)

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (3 children)

This, also should the phone die, you can still take out the card and don't lose your photos (fuck the cloud).

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Wait until 2027 and buy a Sony then, I guess. They're the only manufacturer who consistently includes a headphone jack and starting in 2027 all phones sold in the EU have to have removable batteries. Yeah, it's pretty sad that that's the only option...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Guess I'll be moving to the EU in a few years ;-;

[–] [email protected] 34 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You don't need to; the Brussels effect has you covered.

It's cheaper to sell phones with replaceable batteries worldwide than to design the same phone twice for different markets. So most major manufacturers will probably just sell EU-friendly phones everywhere just like when the EU required USB charging ports.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

Like the old days, man

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (5 children)

I don't mind not having a removable battery, and a headphone jack is nice but not make or break... but so few phones apparently have expandable storage these days.

[–] brax 12 points 9 months ago

This brothers me so much. It's such an obvious cash grab - manufacturers can force you to buy a more expensive model of the same phone, cloud services can tap your wallet for additional space, and carriers can tap your wallet for a larger data plan.

It's gross. There's literally no consumer-friendly reason to strip it.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Me too, Fan, me too.

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Meanwhile me, a 6'4" man with big ass hands, is finally happy that most phones actually feel big enough for my fucking hands for once

Have an older iPhone we use at work and I almost can't type on it with how small the fuckin screen is lol

But yeah, options are nice, make small screens more often ya nerds

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 9 months ago (9 children)

I don’t get what the obsession with big phones is. Is it that most people really want big phones or that companies can charge more for them?

[–] [email protected] 33 points 9 months ago

It's not that people want big phones, it's that people like big screens.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Two main reasons I think:

  • it’s easier to make a big phone as there’s more space for all the components
  • the average consumer doesn’t use computers as much anymore, so people start using their phone for all kinds of things where they benefit from the bigger screen
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[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

People generally just want the biggest screen they can hold in their hands comfortably.

For most people that seems to have settled into the 6.5-6.7" range, depending on aspect ratio and bezels.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

I'm old and my eyesight requires them now. Lol

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Most of the issues people have with Android are one and the same. Compared to a decade ago, there isn't any choice any more

Years ago, there was almost too much variety at times, and manufacturers would experiment heavily alongside Google. Some phones had physical keyboards, some had no headphone jacks, some had no physical buttons at all, and they came in either stupidly small or (at the time) freakishly large.

Now, for some reason Android feels very sanitized, even the shite that manufacturers stick on top of stock to make it feel like it's their product and not Google's. There aren't even that many manufacturers any more, and unlike the past when Android embraced being a bit different, it all feels like everyone is trying to follow Apple instead of Android leading the pack....

[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago

Very surprising that there's no 5.5" phones on the market. I still have good eyes and I'd rather have more pocket space. Sticking with the pixel 7a for now, but yearning for a new Xperia X Compact.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

It's all become so bland.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 9 months ago

I have small hands and I hate that I have to jerry rig my phone with shit to just reach the upper part of it.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

also, interesting side-by-side comparison of the Zenfone 10, the iPhone 15 and the Pixel 8 from the article:

[–] [email protected] 29 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Anyone who wants to keep this convo going, check out [email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (2 children)

i want a smartphone, that i can hold securely
while still being able to reach the entire screen.

i have pretty big hands, and even i cant reach the upper left quarter of my phone (pixel6a) without letting go of the left and bottom edges.
its ridiculous

[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Putting things like a back arrow on the upper left is just asshole design, for starters.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago

Oh yes, to top it I have small hands - I can't reach almost any of the opposite edge without using two hands. Sigh.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 9 months ago (4 children)

My favourite phone ever was my first android phone in 2010, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini (e10i). Every time I’ve had to buy a phone since, I’ve looked around trying to find something similar, but it feels like no such thing will ever exist.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Loved that phone. Check out the Jelly Star (I have the Jelly 2) if you want a small, full featured Android. Compromises for the size and price of course, but it has a headphone jack, sd card, IR blaster, and usb-c - everything I need.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 9 months ago

This is what is pushing me towards a flip phone. I just don't have a need for a 6.7" phone or bigger.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Mainstream ruined everything. Like it always does.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

Thank for bringing this up. I'm currently using a Samsung Galaxy S10e. I mostly use the smartphone from my pocket:

  • listening to podcasts with earbuds on;
  • running with Strava on;
  • working in the garden with music on;
  • checking messages with my smartwatch on;
  • driving my car with Android Auto on;
  • ... . Of course I also use my smartphone itself for messaging, shopping online, banking, ordering takeaway, ... . And a larger screen would definitely be more comfortable in these cases. But having a larger smartphone when I'm currently using my smartphone while it's in my pocket, is a step back. In fact, for use at home I still have a Samsung tablet to have a bigger screen die when that's more useful. When I would switch to the SG S23 version, it seems that the dimensions of the new device are quite similar? Dimensions: S10e: 5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches (142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm) S23: 5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm) Zenphone 10: 5.77 x 2.68 x 0.37 inches (146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4 mm)

So as long as the basic version of the SG s-series is sold in the above dimensions, I'm not worried 🤞

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

I'm a cyclist in the city so for me, a smaller size phone is ideal to keep it secure in a pocket. I got gifted a Pixel 6 about a year ago (wanted to stick with the Pixel 2!) and now I always need to bring some sort of pack to put it in.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I’m on the iPhone mini and I wish I could get a smaller phone. It is way better than the tablets my family carry!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

I was disappointed when they discontinued the mini.

[–] Socsa 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

It's not really that complicated, people expect high end phones to have all day battery, which is hard to do with a small phone.

[–] falkerie71 21 points 9 months ago

If only high end smartphone chips focus more on efficiency rather than performance, which for most people is already powerful enough for day to day use.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (3 children)

It would stand to reason that a smaller screen would lend to less power draw both for the screen's power usage and being able to use a lower resolution keeping the CPU draw lower too

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

My zenphone is small and has good battery life. Wish more would shoot for this type of form factor

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (3 children)

the sad reality is many people will say they want a small phone like this, but then not buy it for some reason or another, then they sell less, and so companies abandon making them.

I am a very happy owner of a ZF10 too, lovely device.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (4 children)

On the other end there doesn't seem to be any phablets either. they are all weirdly long screens.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They're all phablets. People used to make fun of my Note 4 endlessly but it's practically tiny by modern standards.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Width has to still fit in hands to be mainstream.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (4 children)

At this point I'd rather buy a super outdated smartphone. They're small enough for my hands and pockets, dirt cheap and still functional, and most of the good games left on Android are only available on those old versions.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

There was actually a meme I saw a while back where a guy was wielding a sword and shield. Except the sword was an iPhone and the shield was a samsung phone.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

For myself, phone screens have finally gotten to the perfect size for my hand, and a good size to actually use them for stuff comfortably.

But there should always be variation and choice, for the other users in the market!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I just want Sony to make another XZ1 Compact but with updated internals. Keep the screen size, camera shutter button, 3.5mm plug and make it thicker to squeeze in either wireless charging or a slightly bigger battery.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Not just small phones actually big phones as well. Remember the Huawei P8 Max, Sony Xperia Z Ultra or Mate 20X?

Phones these days only seem to exist between 6" and 6.8".

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

and one of the driving forces behind the design of the Palm Pilot was that it had to fit in a shirt pocket …

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