6 ms·

Agree kind of, although airline seats, sedans and furniture haven't been trending towards one end of the spectrum over a number of years. And I think it sounds

by spurgu 7y ago

Agree kind of, although airline seats, sedans and furniture haven't been trending towards one end of the spectrum over a number of years. And I think it sounds like a reasonable idea to offer cars with swappable (or well-adjustable) seats. Airlines already offer seats with extra legroom, as well as business class depending on your needs. The first touch devices might've been around 3.5-4" (just guessing here) but they've since then been constantly growing to where 6" is nowadays considered normal. How far can you going up in size? It's definitely not comparable to finding the size of a seat, as a phone's "right size" depends on how you intend to use it. There are hundreds of phone models on the market but they all seem to revolve around price points (and hence features/specs). Why not expand the range size-wise as well while at it? I have fairly large hands and I don't mind manhandling a 6" "phone" but I simply do not want to carry one in my pocket. I can't imagine I'm alone on this. Largest phone I've ever had was 5.5" and that one constantly fell out of my shorts pocket when sitting down and now with the 4" iPhone SE I've grown rather accustomed to the form factor and am willing to trade off usability (more difficult, precise typing required) for it. And then you have people with small hands. Edit: Easy one-handed usage is also important to me.

bluntfang 7y ago
>Airlines already offer seats with extra legroom, as well as business class depending on your needs. I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. Not to mention you are usually paying more than other customers for the added responsibility of accepting to help in case of an emergency.
- spurgu 7y ago
  > I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. But you're fine with paying extra for more screen estate on your phone? I'd gladly pay less - or more (I don't care either way, I just want the option!) - for a smaller footprint phone.
  - nightski 7y ago
    Personally I'd be fine with it if it was comparable. By that I mean 10% more leg room equates to a ~10% increase in airline ticket price. But currently business class tickets are significantly more expensive - sometimes 200%+
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - bluntfang 7y ago
    If I had a disability that required a larger screen, I wouldn't want to pay extra for it...if that's what you're getting at.
    - spurgu 7y ago
      It's really not. I would simply like the option of having smaller size mobile phones available on the market. I don't really give a shit if they are differently priced. If they only existed that would be a huge improvement from the current situation.
- esoterica 7y ago
  > I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. If you eat more than the average person do you also expect grocery stores to give you extra food at no extra cost?
  - bluntfang 7y ago
    In an ideal world, no one would have to take on extra responsibilities for being born outside the average. I'm 6'5". I eat more than someone who's 6'0". It sucks that I'm taxed because of the way I was born.
- samatman 7y ago
  If you happen to be male (and I'd wager 95% of people who are tall enough to complain about airline seats are), then you have a distinct and inherent advantage when it comes to sexual attraction. This applies whether you're homosexual, heterosexual, or both. Oh, and statistically you make more money as well. But you're less comfortable on airplanes, and Asian minibuses, so it's impossible to know if it's a net benefit or not...
  - def8cefe 7y ago
    >Oh, and statistically you make more money as well. But you're less comfortable on airplanes, and Asian minibuses, so it's impossible to know if it's a net benefit or not... Don't forget shorter lifespans, back issues, discomfort in most vehicles, difficulty finding clothes furniture and bedding (unless you're well off) and instant contempt from any male shorter than 5'9".
    - ashwoods 7y ago
      And washing the dishes is also uncomfortable and always get wet unless you squat all the time. :)
    - samatman 7y ago
      I'm above the 95th percentile in male height, and have never experienced contempt from short men. Must be friendly. I'm also below the 99th percentile, which is where most of what you describe starts to kick in. Lucky me, I guess. I do have to put up with my knees pressing into the back of airplane seats...
      - def8cefe 7y ago
        I'm 99th percentile, 6'6". If I had to pick a height it would be 6'4". There are certainly benefits, but most people ignore the drawbacks when discussing height. I like to put it in perspective for shorter men who feel unlucky as well. The argument about attraction makes no sense to me either. People reporting they like tall people also care about other traits. If you find a partner who fetishises you just for your height you really haven't gained anything, it's still just as hard to find actual love. Let's not even get into the advanced math required to find positions that work with an average sized partner.
- megablast 7y ago
  If you take up more space, you cost more. And even with an extra leg room cost, prices for flights are cheaper than ever.
Domenic_S 7y ago
> airline seats, sedans and furniture haven't been trending towards one end of the spectrum over a number of years. I beg to differ! Airlines have slowly crammed in more and more seats for years. "Less legroom is now the industry norm. In the early-2000s, rows in economy used to be 34 inches (86 centimeters) to 35 inches apart; now 30 to 31 inches is typical, though 28 inches can be found on short flights, according to Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Flyers Rights. Seats have narrowed, too, from about 18.5 inches to 17 inches on average." https://time.com/5636154/airplane-legroom-shrinking-asia/ https://time.com/5636154/airplane-legroom-shrinking-asia/
- spurgu 7y ago
  I stand corrected! I still believe I'm correct on cars and furniture though. :)
mtone 7y ago
Car size have steadily increased up to the early 2010s [1] and I haven't noticed a stop to this trend, especially when including the market movements towards car-like small SUVs. Availability of smaller cars keeps going down (Honda Fit dropped in Canada, Toyota Prius C gone, etc.) [1]: https://www.teoalida.com/cardatabase/images/Car-Classes.png https://www.teoalida.com/cardatabase/images/Car-Classes.png
- spurgu 7y ago
  That's probably true but I thought we were talking about car seats. Car size doesn't really matter much within this topic, whereas I can imagine standard size car seats being quite uncomfortable if you're way smaller or larger compared to the average human being.
  - mtone 7y ago
    Agreed I'm slightly off-topic. I was more thinking of the general thread of some things getting bigger and not always an improvement (for various reasons).
    - spurgu 7y ago
      Yeah although if we were to continue on the off-topic then I'd argue that I'm similarly baffled by cars growing in size, whereas you'd think that the increased urbanization would drive people to use smaller vehicles. Oh well, I guess there might be some logic behind it but I fail to see what.
  - colechristensen 7y ago
    Its not just seats. Pushing the seat lower doesn't put the pedals any lower or change the distance between the steering column and the top of the windshield. Every ergonomic setting on my car is at the extreme and it's still not right. I need the ceiling to be taller and the windshield to be taller and the steering column to be further from the floor. The best car I ever drove was the silly VW New Beetle
chrisbennet 7y ago
There is a clothing manufacturer called Kuhl that makes pant and shorts [other stuff too] and all their pants have a cell phone pocket on the right leg. The quality is very high but they are kind of expensive. My 6" iPhone fits perfectly. I don't think anything larger would though.
- spurgu 7y ago
  Haha are you seriously suggesting that I should change my wardrobe instead of my mobile phone?
  - analog31 7y ago
    From what I've read, when Sony came out with the first portable transistor radio, they outfitted their salesmen with shirts that had oversized pockets to fit the radio. Just an amusing bit of history.
  - TeMPOraL 7y ago
    Clothes are definitely cheaper to change, more disposable, and in fact changed much more often than mobile phones. Are you seriously suggesting that one should change their phone to acommodate their clothes?
    - spurgu 7y ago
      This is starting to feel like trolling... Yes, I am seriously suggesting that. To continue on the trolling, I suggest that everyone now using 6" phones immediately upgrade to 7-8" and upgrade their wardrobe to clown clothing. Then they can have that huge screen estate to watch their videos on and pockets that match their devices.
      - Dylan16807 7y ago
        Fun fact: pockets are generally made of thin internal fabric and making them bigger does not require making the clothing baggy.
    - 7y ago
sandermvanvliet 7y ago
The thing that annoys me no end when I talk about the size of airline seats is that the usual remark is: “but they offer extra legroom!” Yes, generally that’s true but being 6’10 (2.08m) tall I am forced to spend more money just to fit in the seat. Especially now that emergency exit row seats are also sold as extra legroom seats. Airlines I've flown with Over the last few years haven’t been very accommodating...
- spurgu 7y ago
  Somewhat off-topic but yeah, I can understand your frustration... And it would naturally be great if airlines would be able to accommodate for people not fitting into average parameters. But it's also a tricky proposition, as you surely understand. Should obese people get huge, two person sized seats? Should people with stiff joints automatically get extra legroom? Should people with a cold have no passengers in a 2 meter radius around them? How do the airlines check/verify these things (yes, height is obv easy)? Besides, even having the option to pay for extra legroom is what I'm missing altogether from the mobile phone market. Do you see my point? At least you have the option when it comes to legroom. I don't have any sub 5" options when it comes to Android phones, even though I would be prepared to pay extra for it.
  - wiseleo 7y ago
    There's a law requiring FAA to regulate seats. I have a petition to support it. Wouldn't it be nice to fly in comfort again? :) http://chng.it/HLxMmhnF http://chng.it/HLxMmhnF
- megablast 7y ago
  Ok, but then look at airline prices. Prices have dropped fairly consistently over the last 30 years. Even though you have to pay more, you are still paying less than people over the years. Seems fair to me.
harikb 7y ago
Manufacturers have been trying to increase the size of phone as much as they can get away with. Larger size usually means larger battery & life (even after accounting for the larger screen) and more people doing more things on the phone (viewing more videos, longer reading etc). All are good for the mobile manufacturers. The size of the pocket is an unfortunate restriction in their ever expanding world. They are hoping and likely winning the bet that pants will start having larger pockets.
- twic 7y ago
  I wonder if this is a bit like bodybuilders and fake tan. Nobody, least of all bodybuilders, thinks bodybuilders should be the colour of French polished walnut (the ones with naturally white skin, that is!). But if being a fraction of a shade darker than your competitor gives you an edge in showing off, that's where you end up.
- hnhg 7y ago
  I also think it's responsible for the unisex fannypack comeback success.
- megablast 7y ago
  Rubbish, they have been doing it for one reason only. They can charge more. They get more profits for bigger phones.
  - z6 7y ago
    It's obviously a profit motive. They can charge more and have to spend less on R&D since they don't have to try to squeeze all the hardware into a small form factor. Not to mention there is no competition that could eat into their marketshare since nobody is making small phones.
solarkraft 7y ago
I have no problem using my 6 inch phone generally, but I can't use it one handedly (especially over head), which is insanely annoying.
- spurgu 7y ago
  Agreed. I recently bought a Nokia 3310, just to hold my two extra SIMs (because I move around) and I was enamored by the T9 keyboard and remembered typing SMS's while driving without looking, back in the good old days 20 years ago. You can't do that shit anymore. Slightly off-topic but felt I should share..

by spurgu 7y ago

bluntfang 7y ago

>Airlines already offer seats with extra legroom, as well as business class depending on your needs. I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. Not to mention you are usually paying more than other customers for the added responsibility of accepting to help in case of an emergency.

spurgu 7y ago
> I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. But you're fine with paying extra for more screen estate on your phone? I'd gladly pay less - or more (I don't care either way, I just want the option!) - for a smaller footprint phone.
- nightski 7y ago
  Personally I'd be fine with it if it was comparable. By that I mean 10% more leg room equates to a ~10% increase in airline ticket price. But currently business class tickets are significantly more expensive - sometimes 200%+
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- bluntfang 7y ago
  If I had a disability that required a larger screen, I wouldn't want to pay extra for it...if that's what you're getting at.
  - spurgu 7y ago
    It's really not. I would simply like the option of having smaller size mobile phones available on the market. I don't really give a shit if they are differently priced. If they only existed that would be a huge improvement from the current situation.
esoterica 7y ago
> I don't like having to pay more money because I was born a different size. If you eat more than the average person do you also expect grocery stores to give you extra food at no extra cost?
- bluntfang 7y ago
  In an ideal world, no one would have to take on extra responsibilities for being born outside the average. I'm 6'5". I eat more than someone who's 6'0". It sucks that I'm taxed because of the way I was born.
samatman 7y ago
If you happen to be male (and I'd wager 95% of people who are tall enough to complain about airline seats are), then you have a distinct and inherent advantage when it comes to sexual attraction. This applies whether you're homosexual, heterosexual, or both. Oh, and statistically you make more money as well. But you're less comfortable on airplanes, and Asian minibuses, so it's impossible to know if it's a net benefit or not...
- def8cefe 7y ago
  >Oh, and statistically you make more money as well. But you're less comfortable on airplanes, and Asian minibuses, so it's impossible to know if it's a net benefit or not... Don't forget shorter lifespans, back issues, discomfort in most vehicles, difficulty finding clothes furniture and bedding (unless you're well off) and instant contempt from any male shorter than 5'9".
  - ashwoods 7y ago
    And washing the dishes is also uncomfortable and always get wet unless you squat all the time. :)
  - samatman 7y ago
    I'm above the 95th percentile in male height, and have never experienced contempt from short men. Must be friendly. I'm also below the 99th percentile, which is where most of what you describe starts to kick in. Lucky me, I guess. I do have to put up with my knees pressing into the back of airplane seats...
    - def8cefe 7y ago
      I'm 99th percentile, 6'6". If I had to pick a height it would be 6'4". There are certainly benefits, but most people ignore the drawbacks when discussing height. I like to put it in perspective for shorter men who feel unlucky as well. The argument about attraction makes no sense to me either. People reporting they like tall people also care about other traits. If you find a partner who fetishises you just for your height you really haven't gained anything, it's still just as hard to find actual love. Let's not even get into the advanced math required to find positions that work with an average sized partner.
megablast 7y ago
If you take up more space, you cost more. And even with an extra leg room cost, prices for flights are cheaper than ever.

Domenic_S 7y ago

> airline seats, sedans and furniture haven't been trending towards one end of the spectrum over a number of years. I beg to differ! Airlines have slowly crammed in more and more seats for years. "Less legroom is now the industry norm. In the early-2000s, rows in economy used to be 34 inches (86 centimeters) to 35 inches apart; now 30 to 31 inches is typical, though 28 inches can be found on short flights, according to Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Flyers Rights. Seats have narrowed, too, from about 18.5 inches to 17 inches on average." https://time.com/5636154/airplane-legroom-shrinking-asia/ https://time.com/5636154/airplane-legroom-shrinking-asia/

spurgu 7y ago
I stand corrected! I still believe I'm correct on cars and furniture though. :)

mtone 7y ago

Car size have steadily increased up to the early 2010s [1] and I haven't noticed a stop to this trend, especially when including the market movements towards car-like small SUVs. Availability of smaller cars keeps going down (Honda Fit dropped in Canada, Toyota Prius C gone, etc.) [1]: https://www.teoalida.com/cardatabase/images/Car-Classes.png https://www.teoalida.com/cardatabase/images/Car-Classes.png

spurgu 7y ago
That's probably true but I thought we were talking about car seats. Car size doesn't really matter much within this topic, whereas I can imagine standard size car seats being quite uncomfortable if you're way smaller or larger compared to the average human being.
- mtone 7y ago
  Agreed I'm slightly off-topic. I was more thinking of the general thread of some things getting bigger and not always an improvement (for various reasons).
  - spurgu 7y ago
    Yeah although if we were to continue on the off-topic then I'd argue that I'm similarly baffled by cars growing in size, whereas you'd think that the increased urbanization would drive people to use smaller vehicles. Oh well, I guess there might be some logic behind it but I fail to see what.
- colechristensen 7y ago
  Its not just seats. Pushing the seat lower doesn't put the pedals any lower or change the distance between the steering column and the top of the windshield. Every ergonomic setting on my car is at the extreme and it's still not right. I need the ceiling to be taller and the windshield to be taller and the steering column to be further from the floor. The best car I ever drove was the silly VW New Beetle

chrisbennet 7y ago

There is a clothing manufacturer called Kuhl that makes pant and shorts [other stuff too] and all their pants have a cell phone pocket on the right leg. The quality is very high but they are kind of expensive. My 6" iPhone fits perfectly. I don't think anything larger would though.

spurgu 7y ago
Haha are you seriously suggesting that I should change my wardrobe instead of my mobile phone?
- analog31 7y ago
  From what I've read, when Sony came out with the first portable transistor radio, they outfitted their salesmen with shirts that had oversized pockets to fit the radio. Just an amusing bit of history.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Clothes are definitely cheaper to change, more disposable, and in fact changed much more often than mobile phones. Are you seriously suggesting that one should change their phone to acommodate their clothes?
  - spurgu 7y ago
    This is starting to feel like trolling... Yes, I am seriously suggesting that. To continue on the trolling, I suggest that everyone now using 6" phones immediately upgrade to 7-8" and upgrade their wardrobe to clown clothing. Then they can have that huge screen estate to watch their videos on and pockets that match their devices.
    - Dylan16807 7y ago
      Fun fact: pockets are generally made of thin internal fabric and making them bigger does not require making the clothing baggy.
  - 7y ago

sandermvanvliet 7y ago

The thing that annoys me no end when I talk about the size of airline seats is that the usual remark is: “but they offer extra legroom!” Yes, generally that’s true but being 6’10 (2.08m) tall I am forced to spend more money just to fit in the seat. Especially now that emergency exit row seats are also sold as extra legroom seats. Airlines I've flown with Over the last few years haven’t been very accommodating...

spurgu 7y ago
Somewhat off-topic but yeah, I can understand your frustration... And it would naturally be great if airlines would be able to accommodate for people not fitting into average parameters. But it's also a tricky proposition, as you surely understand. Should obese people get huge, two person sized seats? Should people with stiff joints automatically get extra legroom? Should people with a cold have no passengers in a 2 meter radius around them? How do the airlines check/verify these things (yes, height is obv easy)? Besides, even having the option to pay for extra legroom is what I'm missing altogether from the mobile phone market. Do you see my point? At least you have the option when it comes to legroom. I don't have any sub 5" options when it comes to Android phones, even though I would be prepared to pay extra for it.
- wiseleo 7y ago
  There's a law requiring FAA to regulate seats. I have a petition to support it. Wouldn't it be nice to fly in comfort again? :) http://chng.it/HLxMmhnF http://chng.it/HLxMmhnF
megablast 7y ago
Ok, but then look at airline prices. Prices have dropped fairly consistently over the last 30 years. Even though you have to pay more, you are still paying less than people over the years. Seems fair to me.

harikb 7y ago

Manufacturers have been trying to increase the size of phone as much as they can get away with. Larger size usually means larger battery & life (even after accounting for the larger screen) and more people doing more things on the phone (viewing more videos, longer reading etc). All are good for the mobile manufacturers. The size of the pocket is an unfortunate restriction in their ever expanding world. They are hoping and likely winning the bet that pants will start having larger pockets.

twic 7y ago
I wonder if this is a bit like bodybuilders and fake tan. Nobody, least of all bodybuilders, thinks bodybuilders should be the colour of French polished walnut (the ones with naturally white skin, that is!). But if being a fraction of a shade darker than your competitor gives you an edge in showing off, that's where you end up.
hnhg 7y ago
I also think it's responsible for the unisex fannypack comeback success.
megablast 7y ago
Rubbish, they have been doing it for one reason only. They can charge more. They get more profits for bigger phones.
- z6 7y ago
  It's obviously a profit motive. They can charge more and have to spend less on R&D since they don't have to try to squeeze all the hardware into a small form factor. Not to mention there is no competition that could eat into their marketshare since nobody is making small phones.

solarkraft 7y ago

I have no problem using my 6 inch phone generally, but I can't use it one handedly (especially over head), which is insanely annoying.

spurgu 7y ago
Agreed. I recently bought a Nokia 3310, just to hold my two extra SIMs (because I move around) and I was enamored by the T9 keyboard and remembered typing SMS's while driving without looking, back in the good old days 20 years ago. You can't do that shit anymore. Slightly off-topic but felt I should share..