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A $10 Accessory Proves Smartphones Are Too Big
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- _asummers 8y agoAre articles behind pay walls supposed to be posted to HN? That seems like something that would be discouraged here.
- grzm 8y agoFrom the FAQ (https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html): > "Are paywalls ok?" > "It's ok to post stories from sites with paywalls that have workarounds." > "In comments, it's ok to ask how to read an article and to help other users do so. But please don't post complaints about paywalls. Those are off topic."
- elwesties 8y agoHow do you read the article?
- Rumperuu 8y agoAdd the following to your bookmarks and click it when you come across a paywall: javascript:window.location=%22https://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=%22+encodeURIComponent(window.location.href);
- NicoJuicy 8y agoThis doesn't always work ( i use it with my social bookmarking application. You need incognito mode mostly as well)
- mparlane 8y agoTake the viewable title of the article: "A $10 Accessory Proves Smartphones Are Too Big" Paste it in to google, and click the first link that takes you back to that website. Due to google's requirements of the search bot seeing what normal people can see when coming from google, they have to honor this...
- sleavey 8y agoThis doesn't always work for me. When it doesn't, I open a private window and try again, since some sites set a cookie, but even then it sometimes doesn't work.
- foxhop 8y agoclick image search. A picture is worth 1,000 pay-walled words.
- eMSF 8y agoGoogle stopped requiring that a while back.
- Klathmon 8y agoI really don't mean to be snarky here, but you could pay to read it? A lot of people on HN dislike advertising, but content creators are going to need to get paid if they want to create good content, and paying for it seems like a great alternative to advertising. WSJ is having a deal right now where you can get the subscription for $1 for 2 months, which IMO is more than reasonable.
- paultopia 8y agoand then how much does it cost after the 2 months? and how hard is it to unsubscribe? and how many people subscribe to read a couple of articles then forget about it and end up paying hundreds of dollars in money drained away in drips and drabs in recurring credit card charges? I like journalism, but it would be really nice to have a better model (I'd even go with pay per article). Subscriptions that you may or may not use have always been a dark pattern, whether it's for journalism or apps or gym memberships.
- bwb 8y agoIt is SUPER hard to unsubscribe, they make you call and jump through hoops.
- Klathmon 8y agoI'm 100% with you, and I also really would love something better, but I think there are a lot of little issues that still need to be solved (like how micropayments still don't seem to be workable with current credit card systems), and some trust that needs to be built up. I honestly don't know how it all works with WSJ, but I figured I'd just point out the deal they are having.
- geggam 8y agoThe model where information is published is going to have to change. Until it does those who are stuck in the old economic model will suffer. The concept that you can contain information and retain some value in the distribution of it is obsolete and asking people to pretend that model will still work is silly.
- 8y ago
- smacktoward 8y agoOr you could always, you know, subscribe to the WSJ. The way HN reacts to paywalls is beyond ridiculous. It's like if every comment thread on a story about a Netflix original series was nothing but questions and answers about where to go to torrent it.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- autumnaterr 8y agoI agree with paying for journalism BUT think about just how important is this particular piece is. Edit: the last 'is' added.
- grzm 8y agoAnother perspective is if it isn't that important, there's little need to read it, much less going out of one's way to bypass a paywall.
- autumnaterr 8y agoYou mean cure FOMO? :D
- Dylan16807 8y agoThis is a fine thought by itself. As long as you don't imply that anyone doing an unimportant action is behaving incorrectly. In other words, someone that says "I don't care much but I looked anyway" is not a hypocrite.
- rising-sky 8y ago"I have no interest but I showed interest" Strikes me odd, and should likely be confusing to an observer. It seems an oxymoron which is somewhat analogous to hypocrisy
- 8y ago
- nyolfen 8y agobypass paywalls extension ffx https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-firefox https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-firefox chrome https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome
- tjbiddle 8y agoWSJ doesn't paywall users coming from Google. Just search for the title and click the outbound link.
- dtech 8y agogoogle the article headline
- logicallee 8y agoFor the WSJ, add the word "full" before wsj in the domain name. You end up on the WSJ site and they use this for an additional viral factor, so Facebook users can see and share the full article. I'm not sure if you have to have a Facebook account - I think you don't.
- 1ste 8y agoIt breaks the UX of the site - at least sticky a solution so people can read the article
- autumnaterr 8y agohttps://outline.com/wwu82d https://outline.com/wwu82d
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- bubblethink 8y agoOT: The outline page claims, "We remove the clutter", and yet it has a giant footer ad that clutters the page. Why can't we have nice things ?
- AckSyn 8y agoThe footer isn't seen until you get to the bottom of the page. It removes everything else from the shitty website where the original article was. Why is this an issue for you?
- giancarlostoro 8y agoI've turned off my adblocker and I don't see what you're referring to.
- bubblethink 8y agoIt's the medium style bar at the bottom that follows you around. If you are on chrome/chromium, it says "get outline for google chrome"
- mrhappyunhappy 8y agoBecause someone is always trying to monetize nice things which ruins it in the process. Sad, monetized world we live in.
- autumnaterr 8y agoMy comment was a response to a comment which was also a response to another comment. How did mine become standalone?
- betaby 8y agoIPhone 5s was borderline usable. Everything larger else is unsubtle with one hand. On a positive side, now I much rarely look onto my phone.
- delgaudm 8y agoI find that a very interesting perspective. I've only used Huge phones -- Galaxy Nexus, LGv10, Note9, and find single handed usage effortless. I have typical hands for a 5'9" man. My 5'2" daughter also uses a big phone and has never complained. On the other hand as a person who needs reading glasses, the bigger screens have been an absolute godsend, and when I try and use my older Ipod touch everything is miniscule -- especially the keyboard. I guess it all comes down to preference. I've never thought of a typical US checkbook as being too big for anything, and these "huge" phones are about that size.
- FullyFunctional 8y agoI'm in the same category; my EYES just aren't good enough for small phones and I have jumped on every larger iPhone even though I can't completely use everything one handed. I'd even take an even larger phone (~ "small iPad") if I can find a way to hold it. It's a trade-off and we do not all have the same constraints and preferences.
- danlugo92 8y agoYou might be interested in a Xiaomi Mi Max 3 or a Huawei Honor Note 10
- thevagrant 8y agoI can use large phones with one hand (Note 9, LG V20)... perhaps my hand is larger than average. I don't think there are than many uses cases where I absolutely need one hand. Driving here we legally are required to have a cellphone mount.
- khc 8y agoNormally never click on that but since this is a wsj article... The web link now links to duckduckgo instead of Google, the actually article is not in the first page of result. Where as in Google, it's the first result. I understand the desire to help the little player but seems like this is more discouraging than encouraging people to switch.
- tyingq 8y agoIf you're having a hard time visualizing what this thing is, and why it's helpful for a big phone: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0727/0205/products/Custom_Pop_Socket_Phone_Grip_Stand_grip.jpg https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0727/0205/products/Custom_... It's confusing at first searching, because they also made a popular thing to mount your phone on a dashboard. The picture above is specifically their "grip" product.
- seltzered_ 8y agoAlso, popsockets were kickstarted back in 2012 (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250439912/popsockets-iphone-case-it-pops-props-kicks-and-cli https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250439912/popsockets-i... ), back when iPhones were small (though there were some large android/windows phones being sold)
- spenrose 8y agohttps://twitter.com/sampenrose/status/944986515930624002 https://twitter.com/sampenrose/status/944986515930624002 "Resolved: Apple should make iPhone for the human hands that hold it, not just the eyes and fingertips that invoke its software. ... Now we can update Jobs' "[design is] not just what it looks like ... [but] how it works" for iPhone. What is design for Apple in 2017? ... Design is how it gleams, how it works, and how it shatters."
- agumonkey 8y agoif you think this way you'll gradually go back to button and clamshell era (which I'd welcome)
- grawprog 8y agoI'd buy a phone with a keyboard and a touchscreen. I remember an old nokia one i had that had a slide out keyboard. I've had the touchscreen randomly stop working a couple times on my current phone and it gets extremely frustrating fairly quickly. I know you can USB or Bluetooth ones. But something built in would be nice. Your phone suddenly becomes essentially useless when the touchscreen randomly ceases functioning while you're out somewhere and you can't do anything.
- tyingq 8y agoThey exist if you don't mind an Android: https://blackberrymobile.com/product/blackberry-key2/ https://blackberrymobile.com/product/blackberry-key2/
- burk96 8y agoHow likely is it that the Key 2 will receive security patches past two years? That's the main reason I stick with Samsung or would suggest a Pixel (or an iPhone) right now.
- cerberusss 8y ago
- appleiigs 8y agoOr the phone designers can put bezels back in, so I have somewhere to grip the phone without it thinking I'm pinch zooming. Even just top and bottom bezels - then you can even get rid of the notch. Odd that the author is implying such advanced tech like foldable screens is the solution to holding your phone.
- scotty79 8y agoAre there any phones/tablets with built in grip? Or is that too much of a transgression aginst holy rounded rectangle? The only thing I can think of is yoga tablet.
- BucketSort 8y agoI have big hands and can hold any any phone, but prefer to use a Pop Socket because it is simply easier to hold the phone with it. I also like having a big screen. This guy is just trying to be a provocateur.
- kevin_thibedeau 8y agoWelcome to native advertising.
- Simulacra 8y agoNonsense! I love my large smartphone. What I hate is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack.
- fitzroy 8y agoOr... lack of $10 accessory on the vast majority of smartphones disproves theory that smartphones are too big. Seriously, I would like a larger phone — about the size of a Kindle or an iPad mini (without the bezels / home button). Right now I have an iPhone and a 9.7" iPad that I'm regretting purchasing. They both do almost exactly the same thing. The iPad is a second-class citizen, both for apps (no Health app, weather app etc) and for the physical camera which is always a few generations / features behind. It has a larger screen and a longer battery, and is better for reading letter-size PDFs. That's about it. It will not replace my laptop in any reasonable way. So, now I have 3 things to carry, charge and keep in sync. The great one-handed experience of the iPhone 4 through 5s/SE isn't lost on me, but I don't spend the majority of my life hanging on to a subway pole (though it seems like it sometimes). I just want a bigger phone. I promise to only use bluetooth for calls and not to hold it up to my face like a modern-day Gordon Gekko.
- strictnein 8y agoiPhone XS Max? 6.5" screen vs the 7.9" of the iPad Mini
- ksec 8y agoI am in the same boat. Or May be it isn't really a phone any more. I think WhatsApp and Gaming takes up 90% of my usage on my phone. I could do WhatsApp even on an iPhone SE size phone. For Gaming it depends, 6.5" Max barely fits for my big hands, I would love to have a 7" devices for gaming. I am starting to think may be it should have been two separate devices for these two functions.
- frob 8y agoAlternative headline that could have been written for years: "A $10 Accessory Proves Smartphones Are Too Fragile" We've been happily buying and adding accessories to our phones for years now, be it cases or external battery packs or lanyards or wallets. It especially makes sense in parts that are damageable, external facing, easily replaceable, and can be manufactured by anyone with some basic geometry specifications. I would also argue that a $10 accessory is just that: a $10 accessory. It solves multiple real problems, the biggest of which I would argue is that holding a phone stable for a selfie is naturally unconducive due to its geometry. If people want the added use of this device, be it for holding, propping, or hooking into their car, great, go ahead and spend those ten dollars. I would prefer my phone to be thinner and not catch on things in my pocket. For lack of a better term, this is basic modularity for your phone: if you want a feature, go ahead and add it. If you don't, no problem! Everyone doesn't need to get the same thing. We've been ogling modular phones for a while now here on HN; it just turns out it may be starting with selfie-accessories and not swappable camera units. My mother absolutely loves hers. My students last semester all had them. About a third of my friend have them. Some of them just see them as another accessory to put on their phone. I don't care for one since my phone fits in my hand just fine and I never take selfies. Point being, if you want one for whatever reason, great! If you don't, great! That's the point of accessories.
- unrealse7en 8y agoI came here to say this. It does not make sense to add bloated features that are not essential to everyone's use case.
- Markoff 8y agothe reason i put phone in case it's not because it's fragile, but because glass it's slippery, could not even place it on sofa without sliding down
- dreamgt 8y agoTo read the full story, go fuck your self!
- sigi45 8y agoYes. And we are also not even able to make apps usable on them. I have a Samsung S9 now (business phone) and i had a xperia compact before. Why the fuck are so many apps main navigation controles atop and not at the bottom right corner? I do have big hands and can hold that phone quite okayisch but...
- 1ste 8y agoBehind a paywall
- gnicholas 8y agoI stretch a rubber band around two corners of my iPhone 7 Plus to make it easier to grip. It provides friction on these two corners, and across the entire back, which makes holding and propping easy. Each band lasts a couple months, and they come free with celery, broccoli, and asparagus! https://imgur.com/qrS5ftB https://imgur.com/qrS5ftB edit: clarified visual description
- sixothree 8y agoI use this stuff https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MYI9674/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MYI9674/
- gnicholas 8y agoPretty cool. Looks like it would work great with flat-edged phones (like the iPhone 4-SE), and could work on the back of curved phones. How do you use it?
- sixothree 8y agoSorry for the slow reply. I put two vertical stips on the back of my devices where my fingers rest. Or like on my surface pro horizontally but closer to the edge just to catch my fingers if it starts slipping out my hand. I think the most curved device I have it on is my kindle. These are pliable enough that they should fit some pretty serious curves.
- appleiigs 8y agowow, I'm going to do this. Thanks for the photo. I assumed you wrapped the rubber band around like a frame/bumper, which I wouldn't like. The naked phone is slippery, but a full case seems to drag things out of my pocket.
- gnicholas 8y agoI originally tried to see if a rubber band could wrap around like a bumper (as you describe), and it didn't stay. Instead, it fell off into this general shape, and after a few adjustments I found a shape that doesn't block the screen and makes it really easy to hold.
- captainbland 8y agoI must admit I'm slightly bewildered because it seems like there are a number of smaller smartphones out there on the market. If people generally thought their phones were too big, why wouldn't they just go and buy the smaller ones? I don't think manufacturers have been pulling these sizes out of their backsides, isn't it all based off of sales data and market research by this point? There certainly are still cheap feature phones knocking about for more basic use cases as well. I just can't quite work out what the author is asking for. I mean okay, the author makes quite a good case for popsockets but that doesn't seem to translate into his other, less salespitchy, more "profound" sounding point about smartphones being "too big".
- celticninja 8y agoI have always found that when I have upgraded to a larger phone it has felt too big for about a week, then it becomes my new normal and the old one seem too small. I generally choose by price point these days and not a single feature.
- 9dev 8y agoWell, I for one hate large phones. I consider my smartphone as a tool for trivial things, using it almost exclusively with one hand, and it starts hurting after a while. Especially when reaching to the top section of the screen. Buying a smaller phone would usually mean to go with the lower end specs or older generation, which kind of bugs me. I don't play games with it or something, but it must be fast and responsive at all times and have a good camera, too. That's really hard to find these days though. I'm still using a Samsung S7 currently which kind of balances these requirements, but I'm afraid I'll have to move on to one of those giant slabs once it breaks... It's hard to explain. I'm quite possibly the last of my circle to stick with the smaller smart phones, but it seems so comfortable to me being able to easily pull it out of my pocket, type something with one hand and put it back, all while being able to do what I was doing in parallel.
- jayd16 8y agoThis is exactly it. Large phones enable large screens and large specs. People rank those above size.
- peterwwillis 8y agoThere's a bunch of modern feature phones running KaiOS[1] like the CAT B35[2]. Comes with 4G, Wifi, Bluetooth, and you can run web apps on it. And there's some that even run Android [3] [4] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaiOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaiOS [2] https://www.techradar.com/reviews/cat-b35 https://www.techradar.com/reviews/cat-b35 [3] https://www.gsmarena.com/energizer_hardcase_h240s-8981.php https://www.gsmarena.com/energizer_hardcase_h240s-8981.php [4] https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&sFormFactors=2,3&sOSes=2,9 https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&sFormFac...
- chiph 8y agoMy Nokia Lumia was too slick, so I put clear skateboard tape on the back.
- true_tuna 8y agoStop posting wsj links. I’m not going to subscribe. You’re just wasting everyone’s time.
- thevagrant 8y agoI use two phones, iPhone 7 and Note 9. I actually prefer the Note 9 because it is easier on my eyes. The iPhone is handy for tight jean pockets but it gets used far less. My Note, I can do all sorts of work in a hurry and it feels fine. The iPhone I can do all the same but the size of screen means I prefer not to use it excessively unless needed.
- rconti 8y agoI'm guessing the accessory is the pop socket, but it's too far down the article and hence hidden by the paywall. The little glue-on rings people used on their phones are another contender, but those seem to be on the outs. I admit, I've always these devices to be so perplexing. Why would I want to make my phone awkwardly thick in just one spot? I had an iPhone 7+. Hated it. Easily the worst iPhone I ever owned; replacing it with an X, which actually fits in my hand, has been the best phone decision ever, particularly because it's also my favorite iPhone ever. But mostly-- buy a phone that fits in your hand and pocket.
- egypturnash 8y ago> Why would I want to make my phone awkwardly thick in just one spot? So you have something that snaps out that you can use to hold it in a one-handed grip somewhere nearer the middle of the phone. Also it give you something to use as a tiny stand if you wanna prop the phone up to watch video/read/otherwise use it hands-off.
- bradknowles 8y agoTLDR: Pop socket makes it easier to hold onto your phone
- headsoup 8y agoAnd at the same time highlights a ludicrous failure of product design.
- netsec_burn 8y agoSmartphones have, in general, plateaued. The next big jump in tech will make phone screen sizes and a lot of other useless measurements obsolete. https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses
- exabrial 8y agoAs I age into my mid thirties, I'm ok with large screens and fonts.
- baybal2 8y ago7 inch phones are a new hit in China... will we soon see 8 inchers?
- lsc 8y agohm. Yeah, there is an argument for working around the shortcomings (longcomings? largecomings?) of modern cellphones with accessories. As a younger person, I used belt holsters for my cellphones. Around the time of the iphone 5, (incidentally, when I jumped on the apple phone bandwagon) i switched to wearing pants with a special cellphone pocket, which isn't big enough for the big cellphones, but velcros closed (which I think is essential, for phones are slippery and are far more likely to slip out when sitting in chairs designed for short people than a wallet or keys are) - also, the special pocket means no fishing around in your pocket for the phone. Now that I carry a separate phone for work, man, I've had a hard time of it. but... why don't I just order a belt clip for the work phone? Done. $15, and it will be on my desk, most likely, when I get in to work on Tuesday.
- Tsubasachan 8y agoFor me a smartphone is a mini laptop. Its needs a big screen more than it needs to make selfies.
- tracker1 8y agoI remember after the Google Nexus 7 thinking, I wish I could just make calls on the thing. I rarely use my phone next to my face, preferring speaker or Bluetooth integration. The size was about perfect for casual use. My Pixel 2XL is pretty close, but not quite as nice imho. I also tend to set the max font size etc, and don't care as much as most about pixel density. That's just me though. All of that said, if someone wants a better case or a holder, let them buy it... what's $10 as an after-market item would add $40 to the phone for the people that don't want it.
- cml7uu 8y agoI finally decided to get rid of my pop socket and pre-ordered this: https://finchandmole.com https://finchandmole.com - hard to know if it will work, but it looks promising (and a lot better than a piece of plastic).