RIP small phones.
this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024
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Android
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The market simply isn't there to be a viable option to manufacture both size screens. Unfortunately, you're the minority and your needs aren't important enough to change their manufacturing process.
It would require a lot to mass manufacture both sizes at the pace these factories pump these things out. It would effect their bottom line and there's not enough ppl that want small phones to make it worth doing.
I hate that for you and others. But it's just how it goes.
Yes I am aware, thanks.
I never thought flip phones to count as mini phones. Does people who want small phones actually buy them? I always thought people who want small phones do so because they prefer small screens that can be easily operated with one hand while still maintaining practicality. A flip phone's external screen is too small to be practical as primary screen, and the main screen is even larger than most phones screen.
And the price. Small phones are cheaper too.
I think it's more correct to say that non-flagship phones are cheaper. all modern spec small/compact phones in my recent memory have had a comparable price to their non-small counterparts ( e.g. Xperia compacts, Zenfone, whatever that small iPhone was called). the price of a device isn't linearly proportional to its mass.
I haven't owned a small phone in like 10 years, my last one was a Xperia Z3 Compact but I remember it being considerably cheaper than the flagship model, especially considering the hardware was inferior.
yeah, I liked the z3c so much, I must've gone through like 4 copies of them, until a newly purchased one had the screen let go within a month of me opening up the box. I've been chasing for a modern version of that phone ever since, and the razr+ is the closest I've come
Some people, like myself, prefer small phones because they are easily pocketable. I don't have any problems operating a larger screen but I don't like carrying around a larger device all the time, especially since I've cut back on usage significantly and it spends a lot more time in my pocket. Flip phones are the modern solution to this problem.
flip phone owner here! I love my razr+/40 ultra. the small screen is entirely reachable by my thumb, and is plenty big enough to read emails, messages, etc. i even use it to play passtime games, like into the breach, or attach it to an 8bitdo zero with a 3d printed case to use as a Gameboy.
This phone seems to have the biggest external display compared to other flip phones. So it's completely usable with just the external display? No issue with apps when used from the external display (other than being small)? Can you type and reply to messages and place calls from the external display?
yeah, you can use any app, and they work fine... with, as you might expect some warts due to apps not being designed for that screen size. a common issue is with apps that have ridiculous fixed headers and footers, leaving you a teeny tiny sliver of space for content. there's an option to make the viewport slightly bigger, since the screen extends down and around the outer cameras, and that helps sometimes, but then obviously the cameras might prevent you from hitting some buttons on that footer. this is not a very common situation though, and maybe almost desirable? I can use the outer screen to do quick phone interactions and put it back in my pocket without being too sucked in. if I want to doom scroll/get otherwise immersed, I'll open the fold. i like that this needs to be an intentional action.
you can respond to messages and type on the outer screen, yes, using any keyboard as long as it's Gboard.
This sounds better than I expected!
There's two main reasons to want a smaller phone. A smaller overall physical size so it fits better in a pocket, or a smaller screen so it's more reachable when used with one hand.
I suppose the new flip foldable phones might satisfy the first but not the second.
𦧠where Unihertz
In my hand, currently.
Seeing the headline I was expecting to see Unihertz Jelly Star too! I'm really curious about the experience of a 3-inch phone
Unihertz rarely mentioned in discussion about small phones. I wonder why.
The Pixel 7a is a nice size. I've been using it with Graphene for the last 2 months, with no complaints.
Okay, one complaint: wireless charging is slower than I hoped. But I pretty much knew that to likely be the case, going in.
Putting the Pixel 7a or 8 side-by-side with a P5 or a P4a really goes to show how big "small" phones have become. I really loved the size of those devices...
Not sure yet what I'll do if my 4a dies, but at this point I'd probably just buy another one, hahah. I absolutely love it.
Unfortunately I broke the screen some time ago and couldn't get a replacement.
Rest in Pepperoni little phone
My prior phone to this was the 4a 5G. It was a great size.
"Nice" is subjective, but the 7a is objectively not a small phone. It is very thick and heavy, and much larger than true small phones.
It was on the list in the post, so I mean...
To me it's all about height so foldables are the way to go. My Pixel Fold is significantly shorter than my partners Pixel 8 (not pro).
I have an 8 Pro just sitting on my desk unused because the Fold is just so much more manageable. I can't go back to something that tall.
Having trouble finding links to back it up, but I think the Pixel Fold 2 is unfortunately rumored to be quite a bit taller/larger than yours :( I too thought that the smaller outer screen of the first gen was a nice selling point
I know exactly what you are talking about. I'm just hoping they come to their senses and go back to the better form factor of the original one for the 3rd (that will presumably have the completely custom Tensor G5)
It seems crazy when a list of the 12 best "small" phones have an average screen size above 6 inches.
| Phone | Screen Size (in) |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S24 | 6.2 |
| Xiaomi 14 | 6.36 |
| Google Pixel 8 | 6.2 |
| Google Pixel 7a | 6.1 |
| Asus Zenfone 10 | 5.9 |
| Motorola Edge 30 Neo | 6.28 |
| Apple iPhone 13 mini | 5.4 |
| Apple iPhone 15 | 6.1 |
| Apple iPhone SE 3 | 4.7 |
| Sony Xperia 5 V | 6.1 |
| Motorola Moto Razr 40 Ultra | 6.9 |
| Oppo Find N2 Flip | 6.8 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | 6.7 |
| Average | 6.13 |
The iPhone 13 mini has also been discontinued, and the reviewer discourages the iPhone SE 3, describing it the "smartphone equivalent of herpes". So that removes 2 of the smallest of the "small" phones which makes the situation even worse.
Stop comparing it by screen size. Bezels are waaay smaller now than they used to be.
I see a lot of people saying "small?! How could this be small, the screen is X inches! My phone from 2014 was only Y inches!" while completely ignoring that slim bezels mean the phone is about the same size.
Comparing the S24 to the S5 from a decade ago, the S24 has a frontal area of 10,437mmΒ², and the S5 is 10,366mmΒ². The newer one is marginally smaller.
You wouldn't think that comparing screen sizes, though. You'd look at the screen size and say "Omg it's over an inch larger, this phone must be MASSIVE!"
Granted, if you go back to like the iPhone 4 era and earlier, phones genuinely were smaller. But phone sizes haven't really changed much at all in the past decade, yet people act like they get larger every generation.
The small phone debate is not just about the overall physical size, it's also about how reachable UI elements are when using a phone with one hand.
For one handed operation, screen size does matter regardless of bezel size. The larger the screen becomes, the harder it is for the thumb to reach the top of the screen because the top gets ever further away from the thumb.
I downsized from a Fold 4 to a Flip 5, after having used the Note series since it came into existence, and can attest that the minimal weight and size are perfect. I can control media and respond quickly to messages on the external screen then flip it open for browsing the Internet. I'm sold on this form factor.
How could they leave unihertz out of this lineup?