9 ms·
I really, really wish someone would make a smaller Android device. I was hoping the Nokia 3 would be it, but alas. Surely I'm not alone and there is a market o
by untog 10y ago
I really, really wish someone would make a smaller Android device. I was hoping the Nokia 3 would be it, but alas.
Surely I'm not alone and there is a market out there? The iPhone SE sells well, and will be my next phone after I lost my trust in Sony's compact Android devices.
- ams6110 10y agoI'd love something with the form factor of the new 3310 and the ability to do maps/navigation. I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.
- other_herbert 10y agoI just went there hoping it included GPS... I agree that would be awesome.. Perfect running / backup emergency phone
- rublev 10y agoI'm ditching my iPhone 7 for the 3310.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- aaronharnly 10y agoYes, I'd love this too -- the killer app of smartphones is navigation. I'd be better off leaving the house without HN and Facebook in my pocket, but knowing how to get where I'm going without a paper map pre-written directions is really hard to give up.
- marbu 10y agoNokia released such phone back in 2010: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_2710_navigation_edition-3051.php http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_2710_navigation_edition-3051.p...
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- f_allwein 10y agoHow about a 3310-like phone that works as a portable wifi hub? Then you could use the phone for communication and a tablet/ laptop for anything else. Would battery life be awful though?
- gurkendoktor 10y agoIn 2006 I had an extra Nokia dumbphone in my backpack just for Bluetooth tethering. Unlimited GPRS was cheap and the web was not yet shitty. I only had to charge it once or twice a week even though I used it every day on the commute. But for maps/navigation, you could just use a tablet or laptop with offline maps (e.g. maps.me).
- kalleboo 10y agoAll the late-generation dumbphones from companies like Sony Ericsson/Nokia had J2ME navigation apps. E.g. I remember using Wayfinder for navigation http://news.softpedia.com/news/Sony-Ericsson-039-s-GPS-Handsets-to-Come-With-Full-Wayfinder-Navigation-Solutions-95423.shtml http://news.softpedia.com/news/Sony-Ericsson-039-s-GPS-Hands...
- ctack 10y agoI can't agree more. Seems like such an a NB feature to skimp on. I might even still buy this for the SD card / bluetooth, which I want for playing music, but the lack of GPS really kills it's chances of being a primary phone.
- tbolt 10y agoI too wish Sony would field a compelling compact Android device. The iPhone SE is really great, my only complaint is the 64gb limit. Rumors of a 128gb on the way though.
- untog 10y agoThe Z3C wasn't a bad device. The Z5C is awful, primarily due to a processor that overheats at the drop or a hat, causing the entire phone to be unacceptably slow. (neither are even all that small, but by 2017 Android standards they're tiny) More crucially, their support is awful - I had to send both a Z3C and Z5C in for repair shortly after receiving them, and in both instances they kept onto the phones for more than a month because they didn't have available parts. And with the Z5C refused to admit that it overheats. On that basis alone I can't justify buying another Sony device.
- Symbiote 10y agoI sent a Z3C in for replacement due to water damage, and a new one was delivered very quickly. Two days, according to the old tracking messages in my email. This was in the EU though.
- StavrosK 10y agoSame here with a Z3. Water damage, they sent me a new one (different color, though).
- lkhkjhuiguguuy 10y agoI sent a z3c in under adh warranty and they issued me a full refund, 20 months in.
- trop 10y agoMuch less good experience here on Z3C return. First failure (randomly lost network, etc.) they repaired it, but it came back with more things broken. Returned that one and got a new one with a badly glued screen. Used until screen cracked, then returned it. They held onto it for a few months while they moved their warranty service from El Paso to the Midwest. Then returned it unrepaired with a won't fix note...
- yread 10y agowhat's wrong with X Compact? I have the X and it's ok
- untog 10y agoI replied above - I haven't actually gotten to try an X Compact. But had to send a Z3C and Z5C in for repairs (both were faulty when I received them) and the experience was bad enough that I don't trust Sony for support any more.
- divbit 10y agoSeconded - I have the x-compact, which I mainly bought for dev stuff, but have ended up really liking it. It's nice and small, battery is pretty decent, and camera is very good.
- scatters 10y agoAnd the camera button is a godsend if you spend time outdoors. Do all Sony phones have that?
- divbit 10y agoYeah definitely- also seems to hold up in the rain outside. I have no idea about the camera button- my previous phone was a nokia windows phone which also had that, so I just assumed it was a standard thing for phones these days.
- yread 10y agoApparently, since Android 7 you can double click the power button to go straight to camera. So it's sort of a camera button for all phones. You don't get the two stage button for locking focus though.
- shazow 10y agoThirded, upgraded my Z3c to the X compact and I'm very pleased.
- rospaya 10y ago
- mdm_ 10y agoI've been using Android since the HTC G1 and I'm planning to switch to the iPhone SE after Apple's rumoured March event where they are said to be introducing a 128gb model. I've had it with big phones and lack of OS updates (even on a current-gen flagship Galaxy S7). As far as I know, the only smallish Android phones available make huge sacrifices in performance and storage space, and if my S7 still doesn't have Nougat after 6 months, you can forget about some inexpensive small Android phone.
- jotux 10y agoRealistically you can never expect updates from any non-nexus android phones. If you don't want an iphone (like me) and you want a phone that will get regular updates you have to get a nexus (or pixel now).
- coding123 10y agoOne plus is also very consistent with updates.
- tastythrowaway2 10y agothey also had the OnePlus X which was OPO hardware crammed into a smaller form factor. I would have loved to migrate from my OPO to that but alas they don't make the X anymore.
- kyriakos 10y agoOne plus 3 owner here. Received nougat back in December and 3 additional updates since. For a fairly cheap phone I'm surprised with their commitment to software updates.
- nik736 10y agoThat's just untrue. Xiaomi ships weekly or bi-weekly updates that include Android security patches.
- 10y ago
- willmacdonald 10y agoI am using the Z5 compact with Android 7. It runs great! Doesn't get hot, great camera and battery.
- kirrent 10y agoI love mine, especially when I'm out in the bush where it'll survive ten days on ultra battery saver mode thingy. On the other hand, I have to admit that mine does get uncomfortably hot at times. If they could replace the Snapdragon 810 it would be the perfect phone.
- archvile 10y agoI have the SE. Amazing phone, highly recommended, and I'm sure it will continue to get updates for several years, the same can't be said for most Android devices especially from Sony.
- danieldk 10y agoReplaced my 5S by an SE a couple of weeks ago. I fully agree, it's a great phone. Be sure that you get the 64GB version though! My wife had the 16GB version and had to upgrade to the 64GB version, because the live photos, etc. took up quite a lot of space.
- pm90 10y ago> Be sure that you get the 64GB version though! My wife had the 16GB version and had to upgrade to the 64GB version, because the live photos, etc. took up quite a lot of space +1000 I got the 16GB version and I've had to micromanage some of my apps and definitely the photos and stuff to free up space. Luckily I don't take that many pictures so I'm ok with occasionally deleting data. Can't imagine using something like Snapchat though (which I used to use but now don't) it uses a TON of space.
- pazimzadeh 10y agoI also have the SE and love it. What's interesting to me is that if the entire surface area of the SE were screen space (no bezel) then the screen would be as large as an iPhone 7's. The same can be said for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. I hope that this is the direction that Apple is going with new designs. This also leaves the door open for bezel-free iPhone nano that would fit within the current SE screen.
- vidarh 10y agoThere are plenty of small Android devices - down to at least 2.4" screens - on Aliexpress.
- lkhkjhuiguguuy 10y agothey border on unusable
- annoying_tech 10y agodepending on the one you get, duh
- sjukfan 10y agoYeah me too. I have small hands and want to be able to use my phone with one hand but there haven't really been any phones like that in the last five years. Sony's Xperia U was pretty nice but too low on ram.
- LoSboccacc 10y agosame boat here. there's hope if iphone 8 goes bezel-less that they can fit a 5" screen in a form factor not significantly bigger than a se, but it's speculation for now. I skipped the SE tho because why pay flagship prices for previous gen hardware? if a new se appears it needs to be on current-gen hardware or at a significant lesser price (europe pricing is mad btw) I'm committed to the app store, but if the apple offering doesn't change I'm gonna jump to android right after the 8 announcement. googling around the samsung a3 seems a solid midrange offer (albeit I'm worried about operating system not getting updates) for the pocketable for factor
- odiroot 10y agoI'm a happy owner of Sony Xperia X Compact. Really great quality compact phone. My only gripe is software buttons so quite a bit of screen estate is taken by the button bar.
- Veratyr 10y agoMe too. Sony's Xperia Compact series was quite good. I think the new thing though is going to be same sized screens with smaller bezels, resulting in smaller phones. Samsung and LG's upcoming flagships both look to be substantially shrinking the bezel.
- moopling 10y agoI had a ton of build quality issues with my Z3 compact (as did pretty much everyone I knew who had the phone). Quite a bit online about the flaky build quality as well. Unsure if the Z5 was any better as I opted for the Samsung A3 after that
- spapas82 10y agoDoes anybody remember the X10 mini? (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini-3125.php http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini-3125.p...) That was a great phone, I know one person that still uses it because of its small size and having Android! I'd probably be also using it if it supported a newer Android version.
- ce4 10y agoI do :-) I had the Xperia X8 and still have the Xperia Ray, would also love a current device using that form factor...
- kylegordon 10y agoI still have one in a box in the loft :-) My wife used it, and it was a lovely wee phone. I really wanted the X10 Mini Pro, but for various reasons missed out. Glad we've kept the X10 Mini, for reminiscing at least!
- eatbitseveryday 10y agoMoto G (first version) are small, and they run LineageOS.