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Speak for yourself. It drives me absolutely insane that I simply cannot buy a recent phone today which is smaller than the largest phablets sold in 2014. This i
by andrepd 7y ago
Speak for yourself. It drives me absolutely insane that I simply cannot buy a recent phone today which is smaller than the largest phablets sold in 2014. This is bonkers.
- aeyes 7y agohttps://www.unihertz.com/jelly-pro https://www.unihertz.com/jelly-pro edited for better link
- coldpie 7y agoAndroid 7? Uh, no.
- Arnt 7y agoThey updated to 8.1 and I got a security update not many months ago. It's a fine phone for some people. It runs the apps I need to run and is tiny, and timewaste apps are unattractive. BUT the battery lifetime. https://rant.gulbrandsen.priv.no/jelly https://rant.gulbrandsen.priv.no/jelly is verbiage about.
- gruez 7y ago>They updated to 8.1 and I got a security update not many months ago. That's still pretty bad considering phones from as far back as 2014 are getting Android 9 through LineageOS (nightly builds, up to date Android security patch level).
- Arnt 7y agoHow? Take the Moto G4 Play, for example. One of my daughters has one, so I care, and it's listed on the LineageOS site. How do I get an up to date Android security patch level for that? Or the Redmi Note 3 or Sony Z5C, both also in the device list at lineageos.org. I don't care, those aren't in use, but how would I get new security patches?
- gruez 7y agoNone of the phones you listed are on the build roster, because they're unmaintained. If you go on the wiki page for them, there's a warning saying >Warning: The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is no longer maintained. A build guide is available for developers that would like to make private builds, or even restart official support. However, if you look at this https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bx6RvTCEGn5zA06lW_uZGZ_dq6qQyCZC_NifmyeC1lM/edit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bx6RvTCEGn5zA06lW_uZ..., there are plenty of phones released in 2014 that are still actively maintained. Those phones tend to be flagships, which explains why the phones you've listed aren't being maintained.
- Arnt 7y agoOne of them was the most expensive phone available of its size at the time. Isn't that what flagship means? Anyway, I think you're being facetious. Three or five years ago you couldn't say which phones would be supported today, and right now you have no idea which of this year's phones are going to have lineageos updates in 2025. Right?
- gruez 7y ago>One of them was the most expensive phone available of its size at the time. Isn't that what flagship means? I'm assuming you mean the Sony Z5 Compact? On the Z5 line, there's also Z5 and Z5 premium, which suggests that it's not really a flagship. That said, being a flagship doesn't mean automatic lineageos support. It's due to a multitude of factors, but one of the necessary factors appears to be flagship. >Anyway, I think you're being facetious. Three or five years ago you couldn't say which phones would be supported today, and right now you have no idea which of this year's phones are going to have lineageos updates in 2025. Right? You're right, it's impossible to know for sure, especially since it's a community supported project and all. However, you can look to the past and have some sense of what support might look like in the future. Oneplus phones for instance, has consistent support all the way back to their first phone (one). In the context of this discussion though, my point still stands. If a bunch of hobbyists (most phones are maintained by a couple of people) can keep a phone phone updated to Android 9 with monthly security patches, a for-profit company being able to push out Android 8 updates every few months isn't special.
- joegahona 7y agoLight 2 and Jelly might be your best options. Or maybe a refurbished SE. This is also a viable option for you: http://justine-haupt.com/rotarycellphone/ http://justine-haupt.com/rotarycellphone/
- coldpie 7y agoMy kingdom for a phone with stock Android and a 4.7" display.
- wmf 7y agoGet an XZ1 Compact and put a GSI on it. I gave in and got an S10e which is only slightly larger but is all screen.
- mjcohen 7y agoI like my S10e. I got the 256GB because I have lots of music and video. Works nicely when it is plugged into a monitor.
- AdmiralAsshat 7y agoIf memory serves, when the XZ1 Compact came out in the US, it was severely handicapped in some way, although memory escapes me as to why. Something like the fingerprint reader inside the power button was disabled due to a lawsuit, and the camera was awful if you went off the stock OS that Sony shipped. Real pity. I held the phone in my hands at a Best Buy and got incredibly close to buying it.
- kelnos 7y agoMy last Sony phone was the Z5 Compact, which was the first and last Sony phone in the US to have a fingerprint sensor until they cleared that legal mess up. I ditched it for the Pixel 2 (and now 4) eventually; Sony's software got worse and slower with every update, and the phone would heat up for seemingly no reason. The camera was really good, but I couldn't install a custom ROM without crippling it due to DRM junk. As much as the Pixels aren't perfect, and the physical size of them is not what I'd like (I'd really like something like a 4"-4.2" screen), they've at least been consistent in build and software quality (to the point where I haven't been motivated to flash a custom ROM), and the cameras have been wonderful.
- hedora 7y ago> the camera was awful if you went off the stock OS that Sony shipped I would have bought that phone if not for this issue. (I can’t remember why the stock OS was unacceptable, even before purchase)
- lotsofpulp 7y agoI would kill for an updated iPhone 4 or even an SE.
- Xylakant 7y agoSeconded. I downgraded from a 6S plus to an SE and bought some fresh ones when the line was discontinued. Best form factor if you ask me.
- dobleboble 7y agoRumor is there's an SE2 on the way https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2020/02/04/apple-iphone-se2-design-specs-release-date-price-update-iphone-11-pro-max-upgrade/#78a7787c56e8 https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2020/02/04/apple-ip...
- lowercased 7y agopart of that rumor is that it will still be larger than the current SE model... 4.7" IIRC (the article I think says that towards the bottom).
- pge 7y agoinfo I saw said it was same size as iPhone 6 which is noticeably larger than the SE
- lowercased 7y agoyeah, the 6 is 4.7", which it appears will be the size of the "SE2". this is apparently the smallest phone any major manufacturer is capable of making, even though just a few short years ago, 4" was the latest and there was enough demand for hundreds of millions to be manufactured. hrm...
- square_usual 7y agoThe screen size would be the same as the 6, but with smaller bezels it could easily fit into the SE's form factor.
- bobthepanda 7y agoThe phone was skinnier but not shorter, and I do have to move my hands up and down to use a TV remote properly. If it was iPhone 5 length that would be another matter entirely.
- unlinked_dll 7y agoiPhone 11? Pixel 3?
- joshuamorton 7y agoWhat? The pixel 4 is a half inch smaller than some of the the smaller phablets of 2014 (the iPhone 6XL and Nexus 6). I can't find a single "phablet" releases that is smaller than the pixel 4 (and similarly an iPhone X, although the 11 seems to be larger than the smallest phablets). If you compare with the largest phablets, those with > 6 inch screen sizes, modern phones are like an inch smaller in both dimensions.
- kick 7y agoThere was no 6XL.
- VibrantClarity 7y agothey clearly meant 6+
- brewdad 7y agoGiven the ridiculous nature of phone naming, nothing can be considered clear.
- pb7 7y agohttps://www.theverge.com/2014/9/16/6155009/apple-iphone-6-plus-review https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/16/6155009/apple-iphone-6-pl...
- andrepd 7y ago>Pixel 4 Now compare that with the iphone SE: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9896&idPhone2=7969 https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9896&idPhone2... With modern narrow bezels it could easily carry a 5 inch screen.
- noisem4ker 7y agoI find that bezels play a role in ergonomics. Fit the biggest display you can and your phone cannot be held anymore without accidental touches registering.
- mst 7y agoI gave up after my second Nexus 4 died and now use an 8" tablet with a sim card in it for everything. I've no particular desire to go back given current phone sizes for anything with decent oomph.
- nickflood 7y agoHave you looked at the new Palm phone? [1] It looks like an ideal small phone, with a camera that, judging at least by the marketing copy, should be quite good. It's advertised as Verizon's exclusive, but at least in Europe you can get an unlocked version on Amazon. [1] https://palm.com/pages/product https://palm.com/pages/product
- camelNotation 7y agoNot only is it Verizon exclusive (or was, up until recently), it is not considered a primary phone, so you have to have a separate, regular phone on a normal line just to use it.
- nobodyshere 7y agoWrong on both accounts. It is a stand-alone phone now.
- gregoryl 7y agoThis might have changed recently as well; from the marketing copy: Unlocked Palm is a standalone device that works as a normal phone with supported carriers. However, Palm is also enjoyed by many users as a secondary device.
- jachee 7y agoPlease don't use code blocks for quoting. (Unless you also hard-wrap the quote at ~50 columns. The blocks themselves don't wrap long lines but rather are horizontal-scrolling, cut off, and annoying.)
- Stratoscope 7y agoDon't hard wrap either. There is no fixed line length that works well on multiple devices. Instead, just use italics, perhaps with ">" prefixes: > Unlocked Palm is a standalone device that works as a normal phone with supported carriers. > However, Palm is also enjoyed by many users as a secondary device.
- rriepe 7y agoI have an Essential phone and couldn't agree more. While we're at it, can it be e-ink? And have the processing power of a 2004 phone? And a headphone jack? I just want less phone overall.
- dmix 7y agoThere would probably be a market for a truely “essential” smart phone as you mentioned that’s somewhere in between a feature flip phone and an iPhone. Plus a battery that lasts for a week (depending on call usage I guess?). Probably a business opportunity there.
- fforum 7y agocall it "justaphone" and testify!
- felipemnoa 7y agoOr "POP" for Plain Old Phone
- memossy 7y agoWe are making that at Symmitree(.com) but for the refugee / aid market. Rugged, 4 day battery, repairable, stripped down OS/app store for << $100 Kinda been enjoying using the prototype as a daily driver over my iPhone
- dmix 7y agoThat's interesting. I hope it succeeds. Who were you thinking for the end point partner (which retails/delivers the devices)? Possibly with governments or NGOs or local marketplaces? Maybe you could help finance it with a western version of a stripped down smartphone. But that seems to be a significant shift from what your vision/offering is. It's best to do one thing at a time.
- triangleman 7y ago
- treebornfrog 7y agoYes, this also drives me nuts. I want a phone that has a screen around 5.5 or 5 in. Not 6+.
- kevin_thibedeau 7y agoYou can. You just can't buy a small flagship phone.
- rocky1138 7y agoIt also frustrates me that phones are slippery by default and have buttons on the sides which parents inevitably push by accident when receiving a phone to look at photos.
- lallysingh 7y agoI just use a case. It's nice.
- pushpop 7y agoI have nothing against buying cases but let’s be honest, if the answer to a genuine solvable hardware problem is to buy more hardware then you have to sympathise with those who complain about the insanity of the current market.
- lallysingh 7y agoWhy commit to small differences in an entire inventory/supply chain problem for a very complex and expensive device instead of a thin wrapper? Phones are thin! The case makes them reasonably sized. Treat a naked phone the same as you would a naked human: unsuitable and unprepared to go outside.
- disordinary 7y agoBut if phones were built more durable would they be smaller than the thick case or could they make use of the extra space that a case requires by having larger batteries, etc.
- Sophistifunk 7y agoThis. I don't want to use 3mm of leather to stop my phone wobbling on its stupid camera-lens tumor. I'd much rather use 3mm of more battery.
- withinboredom 7y ago
- reaperducer 7y agoWhen my wife was in Singapore around 2005 she brought back the most amazing LG phone. Black metal. Heavy for its size. Felt durable as all get out. And small. So small. This was pre-iPhone days, so it didn't have a full app ecosystem, but it took photos and little videos and was a great little device. I wish I could remember what it was called so I could look it up and buy one. Edit: Found it! LG KE820: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ke820-1761.php https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ke820-1761.php SMS, e-mail, MP3 player, Bluetooth, photos, video. The only thing missing is GPS, but my car has that.
- andrepd 7y agoHahaha, here is mine around that time; I had it for over 4 years: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_w595-2469.php https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_w595-2469.php Honestly I have considered more than once in the past year just ditching smartphones altogether and carrying a feature phone with wifi+gps... But it's still a big headache in terms of missing features and applications.
- dangus 7y agoIf you’re interested in that, KaiOS devices may be of interest to you.
- hedora 7y agoThese tick all the boxes for me (small, long battery life, GPS, music), but they have 2-3 MP cameras. This is understandable, given the < $100 price tag. Am I the only one that would pay $100’s more for that package with a decent camera? (And AGPS, since some seem to be GPS-only)
- jvagner 7y agoFeature phone + iPad w/ LTE
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- zmix 7y agoAbsolutely! I still hang on to my Sony Xperia Compact Z3 for this very reason.
- eyegor 7y agoIf you're us, I hope you don't need to travel outside of cities much. That was my last phone, most newer built or refurbished towers rely on bands it can't support. I loved it until I moved to a smaller, newer city, and was constantly running into dead zones because of it. Most of my received calls went straight to voicemail because the towers couldn't reach me.
- zmix 7y agoNo, I am in EU.
- foobarbecue 7y agoWriting this on my Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. It's nice and small and plenty powerful and I hope it keeps running forever. Phones on the market now are all way too big.
- foobarbecue 7y agoCorrection: XZ1 compact. My Z5 compact stopped working. They have such confusing model names.
- mackrevinack 7y agosony's xz1 compact is the perfect size for me. I still have it as a backup phone but I had to upgrade to sansung's s10e to get a decent camera. its a bit of a joke that this is supposed to be the small version