The vanishing of the small high-end smartphone

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.

Kerb,
@Kerb@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

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

circle,

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

ikidd,
@ikidd@lemmy.world avatar

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

lud,

Which is why Android very seldom puts stuff in the far top left corner and if it does, it’s the back arrow, which you can and should avoid by just using the universal back action via either gestures (my favorite), the on screen button, or the physical button if you have one.

Material design is pretty much about moving shit away from the top and especially lop left to the bottom

Auk,

Similarly putting stuff in the upper right is just asshole design for those of us who are left handed, unfortunately that's relatively common.

A_Very_Big_Fan,

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

Deconceptualist,

Me too, Fan, me too.

XiELEd,
@XiELEd@lemmy.world avatar

Like the old days, man

squaresinger,

…and a qwerty keyboard.

Jesus_666,

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…

A_Very_Big_Fan,

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

Jesus_666,

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.

markon,

Apple literally a victim of it’s own success.

random65837,

Way to be overly dramatic. Ever hear of shipping? But enjoy being over taxed and privacy being more invaded than what the US does.

TheDarksteel94,

Yeah, it’s pretty great here lol

Zorque,

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,

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.

joemo,

While I like having the options and agree it’s pretty shitty to remove those features, how do you use up all your storage? I upgraded to 256GB and am no where near filling it.

I’ve seen people argue they need to store a ton of media, but I’d argue you don’t need to keep a backup of everything in your phone. Rotate media out after you watched it or whatever.

LucasWaffyWaf,

I’ve nearly 40 gigabytes of FLACs as well as commissioned art (much smaller in size than my music collection) stored on a 256 gigglebyte card in my phone. While the 128 gigs built into my phone is more than enough, when it’s time to get a new phone all I gotta do is slap it into the new phone and boom, gucci. That convenience, on top of only needing to remove the card to add stuff to it, is why an SD card slot is non negotiable for me.

joemo,

So you’re telling me if a perfect phone existed but did not have removable storage, you wouldn’t get it?

You can just transfer those things. This doesn’t make any sense to me, I’m sorry.

I would rather have any of the features that are part of the non-removeable storage, which I’m guessing is related to better water/dust resistance and a larger battery or other internals which I would use every day.

LucasWaffyWaf,

In fairness I’m not too picky outside of an SD card slot and 3.5mm jack. I ain’t a power user, so as long as I can chat with my buddies, reply to emails, enjoy my media, and it does all that just fast enough, I’ll take anything with an SD card slot and headphone jack. I’m not the average user lol

brax,

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?

applejacks,
@applejacks@lemmy.world avatar

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

freebread,

Either that or get you on a cloud storage subscription

Sir_Simon_Spamalot,

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

GeekyNerdyNerd,

Not just that, but they get to charge $100 dollars more for the $5 of ROM while avoiding the support costs and reputation hit of idiots who force the SD card in the wrong way or blaming the device when the SD card is inevitably sheered in half after being forgotten about during a battery replacement.

Unfortunately every market incentive just aligns against expandable storage in phones.

algorithmae,

Read Only Memory…?

CaptainBlagbird,
@CaptainBlagbird@lemmy.world avatar

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

random65837,

And if was off the phone there’d be nothing to take out. All my shit is stored in a combo of on my home server and hosted space. Not Google, not apple, not a privacy invading data miner. Cloud doesn’t equal evil.

na_th_an,

A home server is not cloud.

random65837,

Aside from me never claiming it was, I said my home server (and) hosted space.

random65837,

Use common sense, most don’t want them, they’ve proven to be unreliable vs real memory, and it lessens the ability to waterproof phones.

The overwhelming majority uses and prefers cloud storage. Whether external or self hosted. Pay a mint? Literally costs pennies on the dollar for pretty respectable amounts.

improbably_me,

ReAl MeMoRy

clegko,
@clegko@lemmy.world avatar

The people who still want SD cards have never had an SD card fail on them and it shows.

random65837,

Exactly, when I worked in stores there was rarely a day somebody wasn’t coming in and flipping out that they lost all their shit and that we sold them defective cards so we could sell them more.

ours,

At the last EU is fighting to make your first wish happen.

RIP headphone jacks.

Pixelologist,
@Pixelologist@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I don’t understand why we can’t have a phone a usb C port on top and bottom for audio + charging

root,

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.

Lorindol,

This.

Sony’s Compact series was excellent, especially for someone with small hands like me. The bigger ones have no advantages for me.

XiELEd,
@XiELEd@lemmy.world avatar

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.

janus2,
@janus2@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

I held onto my Sony XZ2c for months after calls stopped working on it after the US 3G shutdown. I got a flip phone for making calls.

The worst part? The XZ2c has VoLTE calling capability, but all the US phone companies refuse to support it on their networks.

Now I’m begrudgingly using a OnePlus 6 and praying that I don’t drop the massive thing >:[

Basically, even if we want to use aging tech we’re held hostage by telecom companies, who obviously would prefer to rope people into new devices on credit plans. ARGH

lemmyvore,

So wait, if US companies don’t support VoLTE then how do they do calls over 4G and 5G?

janus2,
@janus2@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

It was that VoLTE wasn’t supported for that particular model of phone. VoLTE is very much the norm here although I’m unsure if every phone uses it now. My flip phone probably doesn’t, but it’s hard to tell with how stripped down its manufacturer-customized Android is.

nonfuinoncuro,

I use a dumbphone with volte as a backup phone for work on tmobile

jivemasta,

I’m currently using a Samsung flip 5. I have it set up to use all my main apps on the outer screen, so I can just have a small screen. Then I have the option to open it for apps that I might want to be on a larger screen.

It’s working out pretty well. Some days I never even use the inner screen.

nonfuinoncuro,

I might have to do this for my next phone. How’s the battery life?

Socsa,

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.

blackbarn,

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

applejacks,
@applejacks@lemmy.world avatar

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.

CmdrShepard,

“Won’t buy it for one reason or another” meaning the manufacturer intentionally builds the device so shittily that the feature you want is drowned out by 15 year old hardware and high prices. I’ve seen it happen a hundred times already.

I really hate this argument since it implies every phone is a 1:1 copy of the next and the only difference is the headphone jack, or SD card slot, or removable battery and “see! nobody wants this one feature anymore because ObscurePhone 22 had it and nobody bought it!” Never mind the fact that ObscurePhone 22 was built by child slaves using secondhand parts from old recycled Gateway computers, the screen is CRT, and they cost $5000 each, but yeah, “nobody bought it because people hate headphone jacks now.”

Zerfallen,

ZenFone is the same size as an iPhone or an S23, pretty sure there is no lack of people buying phones at that size. But also I would consider that a standard size, not ‘small’.

applejacks,
@applejacks@lemmy.world avatar

If you look at the S or iPhone series you’ll see that the larger versions sell far far more.

falkerie71,
@falkerie71@sh.itjust.works avatar

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.

DudeDudenson,

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

Fallenwout,

75% of your battery cycle, the screen is off. So a smaller screen can only win battery in that 25% window. A bigger battery on the other hand can be applied to 100% of the cycle.

Unless you go oldschool lcd, a smaller screen does not gain as much as a bigger battery for battery cycle time.

root,

My Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact had very excellent battery life for it’s small battery. Sony definitely did an amazing job optimising it.

h4wk3y3,
@h4wk3y3@feddit.de avatar

However, the 25% on-time use a lot more than 25% battery.

jivemasta,

They could make a small screen phone, but thicker to make more room for a bigger battery.

inspxtr,

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?

squaresinger,

Second option.

guacupado,

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

weew,

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.

Socsa,

For me it’s the bigger battery.

joemo,

But then the bigger battery has to power a bigger screen 🤔

Ryan213,
@Ryan213@lemmy.world avatar

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

Pechente,

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
random65837,

First point is incorrect, there’s no easy/hard with the difference in an inch. People don’t build phones, machines do. We’re very capable of making small phones. That not what the market wants.

Second point is 100% correct. People want computers, and with crazy battery life, batteries can only be so small if you want capacity. The bigger screens combined with that make the user experience for the majority better.

UndercoverUlrikHD,

Is there a community for confidentlyincorrect?

It’s not about the assembly, but all the components and features you want to cram into the box while still having decent thermals and battery.

CmdrShepard,

Bigger screens which is the whole appeal with smartphones.

random65837,

There isn’t one, there’s an “obsession” with phones that are usable by today’s use case, which is computer replacements for the overwhelming majority.

Step outside of the small phone echo chamber and youll see that’s not even remotely what the market demand is. Fine if you like small phones, but you’re the minority. If that’s where the money was, they’d still be common.

EnderMB,

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…

RobotToaster,

It’s all become so bland.

Zoomboingding,
@Zoomboingding@lemmy.world avatar

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.

RobotToaster,

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

guacupado,

Width has to still fit in hands to be mainstream.

helenslunch,

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

MsPenguinette,

I had an og Dell Streak when it first came out. It absolutely blew people’s minds when they saw it back then.

Looked up some old reviews of it and can’t beleive it was a 5" screen. In my mind, I remember it being so much bigger.

BellaDonna,

Almost all popular mainstream Android phones are absolutely phablet sized to the point that it’s now the standard, and not the outlier. Your perception has just changed.

RobotToaster,

I’m still using my mi max 3 that’s 6.9" screen, no modern phone seems to be able to match that.

gamermanh,

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

helenslunch,

Man I have enormous hands. I can barely fit into most XXL gloves. I still prefer 6" phones.

DudeDudenson,

I just want a small screen and a physical keyboard like phones had when BlackBerry was still a thing. I had absolutely no trouble blind tiping on those even tho I have sausage fingers.

These days I depend on autocorrect and it betrays me fairly often

MsPenguinette,

I moved from the normal sized iPhone to the Max this year. No regrets so far. The most common thing I do with my phone is consume media so the cumbersomeness has been a good tradeoff.

I had bought a 15 Pro on release day but returned it for the max after a week of continuing to doubt myself after holding a max in the store. I had jumbophones up till the iPhone X, I even had a Dell Streak back in the day.

Most suprising thing to me was that the speaker was insainely better. I stopped carrying a Bluetooth speaker around with me for when I’m working cause the speakers get the job done well enough now. It’s not a 1-to-1 replacement but it is just ggod enough that it suffices. Also, the battery life from the smaller phone to the larger was such a big increase that I’ve stopped carrying around an external battery but just keep a usbc cable with my in case my ecig runs out of battery and I need to charge it off my phone.

It’s been an interesting series of trade offs going back to a larger phone but then again, the bezels and thickness have reduced so much that a Max without a case feels the same as a normal size phone with a case. I thought I’d get bit by the screen being too big more than I have but I guess some honest self reflection on what I actually use my phone for compared to what I picture I use it for helped with the decision making. (I totally get that other people’s use cases with have completely calculus)

mulcahey,

Anyone who wants to keep this convo going, check out !compactphones

SGHFan,

Joined!

Sir_Simon_Spamalot,

Thanks!

BlueSquid0741,

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.

dawa,

You just brought back fond memories of mine

I loved sliding that keyboard

thesorehead,

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.

giotheflow,

Unihertz phones are really cool. My main phone is an S20 but I use an Atom with downloaded podcasts for hikes and runs.

skullgiver,
@skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl avatar

Sony used to sell smaller phones in general. Plus, they all come with headphone hacks.

Nothing quite as small as the Mini, but the Sony Xperia 5 V is relatively compact in a “thin but tall” way. Sadly, I don’t think they’re still producing their Compact lineup.

If you want to go tiny, there’s the Unihertz Jelly Star:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0520/5337/7214/files/Jelly_Star_-_The_World_s_Smallest_Android_13_Smartphone_-_Gallery_600x.jpg

Unihertz sells a phone with a 4.2" screen, but it’s still tall because there’s a physical QWERTY keyboard underneath the screen.

cerement,
@cerement@slrpnk.net avatar

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

RobotToaster,

I just dug out my palm pilot to check, pretty shocking it’s only about 5.5" diagonal. It seemed huge in the day.

FallenGrove,

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.

SternburgExport,

Mainstream ruined everything. Like it always does.

random65837,

LOL, by “mainstream” you mean market demand? People use phones as computers now, people that want small phones are the 1%, Apple bought back small phones remember? The 1% loved it, the rest didn’t. No money to be made = it won’t get made.

Same as people who want unreliable SD cards and wired headphones jacks, by far the statistically insignificant minority. What people want as a whole is what influences production, not fringe cases.

circle,

Even I used to believe that there is a good demand, but sadly it’s a very small minority.

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