14 ms·

I hate the trend that the "pro" versions of all these flagship phones need to be an XL Phablet monstrosity. Human hands haven't gotten any bigger. I have owned

by Sodman 5y ago

I hate the trend that the "pro" versions of all these flagship phones need to be an XL Phablet monstrosity. Human hands haven't gotten any bigger. I have owned most of the Nexus & Pixel phones throughout the years. After having the Nexus 6 as my daily driver for 2 years, I have always opted for the smaller option ever since. I would totally pay flagship prices for a regular ~5.5-6" phone with flagship specs, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Make it 50% thicker if there are space/heat concerns, but making it wider and taller just makes it super difficult to use consistently with one hand. I also say this as somebody with larger-than-average hands!

grae_QED 5y ago
I hear you, but being able to read books on my phone is a game changer for me. I wasn't able to do that with my old 5" phone. Also, along the same line, not straining my eyes to read a text or work email is pretty great too.
kelnos 5y ago
Hell, the non-pro version stretches credibility size-wise. I have a Pixel 4, and it's uncomfortably large for my (normal-sized?) hand. For me, the sweet spot was probably around 4.5". But good luck finding a phone with flagship specs in that size.
kalleboo 5y ago
Smaller phones with decent specs like the Xperia Compact range and the iPhone mini series have not sold well, so there does not seem to be much of a market for it. You may very well be the only one.
stjohnswarts 5y ago
And they still "don't have room for headphone jack"
executive 5y ago
https://www.asus.com/Mobile/Phones/ZenFone/Zenfone-8/ https://www.asus.com/Mobile/Phones/ZenFone/Zenfone-8/
- spinax 5y ago
  From a quick look at tech specs from a few sources (asus, gsmarena, etc.) the USA version lacks 5G band n41, which is the backbone of T-Mobile (+Sprint).
- qwertygnu 5y ago
  Recently spent a long time agonizing over getting a new phone. This is the only phone that checked all my boxes (small, decent ram, storage and camera, headphone jack...) but it doesn't work on Verizon :( Went with the Pixel 4a, we'll see how it goes
  - nightowl_games 5y ago
    4a is a great choice. I think you'll be happy with it. The Samsung 10e is another similarly priced device. I think the Google photos integration is really nice. Even though the Google photos app drives me nuts sometimes.
    - account_b 5y ago
      How's battery life? I think it's not great, is it?
- layer8 5y ago
  The Zenfone is still significantly larger and heavier than the iPhone mini, which for me is already at the upper limit for one-handed use.
  - executive 5y ago
    Bit larger yes, just under 1oz heavier... not too significant. And headphone jack, no notch (dealbreaker in 2021), no CSAM.
    - layer8 5y ago
      I already found the increase in size and weight from iPhone SE (2016) to iPhone mini quite significant, so... YMMV.
jeltz 5y ago
Yes! I have small hands and can barely use the Pixel 5, which was the smallest Android phone of the largest generation. And now it seems like Pixel 6 has also become a fablet.
hajile 5y ago
Apple is finally taking that more seriously. The 6.1" pro and the 6.7" max have the same hardware. Likewise, the 5.4" mini has no compromises over the 6.1" iphone except battery life. I used Android for about a decade, but I'm glad I switched.
- Heliosmaster 5y ago
  one year they do, the other they don't (last year they didn't). I wouldn't claim Apple has learned the lesson until they do it for 2-3 years in a row
Marsymars 5y ago
Looks like the Galaxy S22 will be smaller than the S21. (And same size as the iPhone.) Will likely be my next phone despite never owning a Samsung phone and not liking their take on Android, simply because of the size.
octorian 5y ago
Agreed, and I'm personally struggling to decided whether to get the 6 or 6 Pro an an upgrade from my "regular" Pixel 4. The size difference between the two doesn't actually seem that substantial, but the specs difference kinda is. Meanwhile, both are bigger than the phone I currently have.
randallsquared 5y ago
As long as I can hold it in one hand to my ear, and put it in a pocket, bigger is better. With much longer wireless earphone battery life, the former constraint might not apply. Ultimately, the main use (by time spent) I have for my phone is reading and watching, and therefore the main complaint I have with phones is that they don't have enough screen, and the next biggest is UI lag. The recent folders like the Surface Duo and others have been interesting to watch, but they have so far sacrificed too much in other specs for that gimmick.
crossroadsguy 5y ago
There are many reasons I’m in Apple’s walled garden but a sane phone size is simply the biggest. I sometimes think about what I’m going to get after 12 mini that I’m using is done for :) Because there are reports that Apple is done with this screen size segment.
- simondotau 5y ago
  It's a tough market. The majority of people who want a smaller phone do so because phones aren't so important to them. And those people probably expect a cheaper device. I think Apple would make a better selling product if they could chop an extra $100–200 from the price of the mini. A single rear camera, fewer SKUs (say, two colours and two capacities), and maybe a binned version of the A16 chip with one fewer GPU core.
  - least 5y ago
    > The majority of people who want a smaller phone do so because phones aren't so important to them. I flat out disagree with this sentiment. People who don't care about their phone that much will buy whatever fits their personal needs (usually what is least expensive), while a person who specifically in today's market opts to purchase a smaller phone is doing so with intention. Sure, a cheaper iPhone would probably sell just by the virtue of being a cheaper iPhone and perhaps a future iteration of the SE will be based on the mini chassis to facilitate that price sensitive market. But the people getting iPhone minis are almost all doing so with intention. That intention being they want a physically smaller device for whatever reason. I think Apple would sell more iPhone minis if the branding were different. If the iPhone mini was simply called the 'iPhone' and then the current 'iPhone' became 'iPhone plus' and then the max remains the 'iPhone max' more people would probably purchasing it as the default phone.
    - simondotau 5y ago
      > I flat out disagree with this sentiment. Sure, everyone is entitled to an opinion. But really we're all just guessing. My guess is that the iPhone 12/13 Mini has potential appeal to two markets: • Someone who wants a flagship device, who places positive value in smaller size, and is not price sensitive; • Someone who wants a premium device, who places negative value in larger size, and is moderately price sensitive. With the anemic sales of the last two generations of mini iPhone, Apple has shown that this first market is smaller than hoped. The question is: is it nonetheless big enough to warrant Apple making an iPhone 14 mini? If it is, great. If not, your preference is moot because the device won't exist. My argument is that this second market is likely much larger and represents an opportunity which Apple hasn't quite honed in on—yet. If it's necessary in order for an iPhone 14 mini to exist, a device with wider appeal is preferable to no device.
xeromal 5y ago
I think a lot of it is to fit a bigger battery. No easy way to do it unless you want a 3 inch thick phone
- picture 5y ago
  Adding thickness will increase battery volume and thus capacity quite significantly since most of them are currently thin rectangular prisms. You can try the math yourself.
- Dunedan 5y ago
  Aren't larger displays the reason for the need of bigger batteries in the first place?
londgine 5y ago
https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_compact-9082.php https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_compact-9082.php Sony used to have a compact line with flagship hardware and a reasonable size. Unfortunately, it looks like they stopped making them
- SoapSeller 5y ago
  https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_5_iii-10851.php https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_5_iii-10851.php They still have them. They grow a little bit, but the real issue for me is price...
  - londgine 5y ago
    I would categories a phone with a screen large than 6" as a phablet
GVRV 5y ago
This is precisely why I moved to the Samsung S10e after being a Nexus range user for years. I'm still unsure what my next phone will be: I'm _very_ tempted to go with a Unihertz, but realistically, it will probably be an iPhone Mini.
- jeppesen-io 5y ago
  I got a Umihertz Atom. I love it, as a backup phone for off grid adventures But there are a few issues I've had, of course your mileage may vary 1. When my primary phone broke, I had great issues getting Google Fi to work. It seems the phone/sim process often hung when making APN changes, manually or with Fi app 2. Battery life is fantastic, but by default it kills apps after five min when the screen is off. You'll need to allow for music apps or whatever you want running when screen is off It's great for hiking though
vincnetas 5y ago
thats why im still sticking with iPhone SE from 2016. this phone has perfect shape and size. no camera bump so it can be used without case and enjoy its perfect shapes. and also it costs 50€ so i don't need to worry about dropping it. it basically costs less than phone case for new iphone. and it still supports latest ios (not for long though)
- nothis 5y ago
  Team SE! I miss absolutely zero features on it, which is bizarre for a pocket computer. What happened in these 5 years?
- nightowl_games 5y ago
  I am a lifelong android user. I almost switched to iPhone during the 5 era because I loved the form factor of those solid metal edges. When iPhone 6 came out with the "Samsung esque bar of soap" I was shocked and disappointed. I think iPhones today are sooooo slippery! The iPhone SE is a really attractive device, but I am pretty deep into the android ecosystem at this point and have disapproved of a few of apples decisions. It's funny to me that companies keep copying the worst parts of each other's designs: the slipper bar of soap rounded corners, the notch, the removal of headphone jack and USB A...
jeppesen-io 5y ago
Am I missing something, isn't the pro basically the same except for a few GB of ram?
- utrack 5y ago
  Camera is different and it's 90hz screen versus 120hz (a deal breaker for me).
- Sodman 5y ago
  The 6 pro is 0.3" taller and 0.1" wider than the 6. But both are also significantly larger than the previous generation pixels. The Pixel 6 pro for example is 0.8" taller and 0.2" wider than the Pixel 5, which is a significant difference (especially considering you lose the rear fingerprint scanner that gave the ability to swipe down notifications from the unreachable top of the screen).
webmaven 5y ago
> I hate the trend that the "pro" versions of all these flagship phones need to be an XL Phablet monstrosity. The difference between the Pixel 6 (6.4") and the Pixel 6 Pro (6.7") screen size doesn't seem very large to me.

by Sodman 5y ago

grae_QED 5y ago

I hear you, but being able to read books on my phone is a game changer for me. I wasn't able to do that with my old 5" phone. Also, along the same line, not straining my eyes to read a text or work email is pretty great too.

kelnos 5y ago

Hell, the non-pro version stretches credibility size-wise. I have a Pixel 4, and it's uncomfortably large for my (normal-sized?) hand. For me, the sweet spot was probably around 4.5". But good luck finding a phone with flagship specs in that size.

kalleboo 5y ago

Smaller phones with decent specs like the Xperia Compact range and the iPhone mini series have not sold well, so there does not seem to be much of a market for it. You may very well be the only one.

stjohnswarts 5y ago

And they still "don't have room for headphone jack"

executive 5y ago

https://www.asus.com/Mobile/Phones/ZenFone/Zenfone-8/ https://www.asus.com/Mobile/Phones/ZenFone/Zenfone-8/

spinax 5y ago
From a quick look at tech specs from a few sources (asus, gsmarena, etc.) the USA version lacks 5G band n41, which is the backbone of T-Mobile (+Sprint).
qwertygnu 5y ago
Recently spent a long time agonizing over getting a new phone. This is the only phone that checked all my boxes (small, decent ram, storage and camera, headphone jack...) but it doesn't work on Verizon :( Went with the Pixel 4a, we'll see how it goes
- nightowl_games 5y ago
  4a is a great choice. I think you'll be happy with it. The Samsung 10e is another similarly priced device. I think the Google photos integration is really nice. Even though the Google photos app drives me nuts sometimes.
  - account_b 5y ago
    How's battery life? I think it's not great, is it?
layer8 5y ago
The Zenfone is still significantly larger and heavier than the iPhone mini, which for me is already at the upper limit for one-handed use.
- executive 5y ago
  Bit larger yes, just under 1oz heavier... not too significant. And headphone jack, no notch (dealbreaker in 2021), no CSAM.
  - layer8 5y ago
    I already found the increase in size and weight from iPhone SE (2016) to iPhone mini quite significant, so... YMMV.

jeltz 5y ago

Yes! I have small hands and can barely use the Pixel 5, which was the smallest Android phone of the largest generation. And now it seems like Pixel 6 has also become a fablet.

hajile 5y ago

Apple is finally taking that more seriously. The 6.1" pro and the 6.7" max have the same hardware. Likewise, the 5.4" mini has no compromises over the 6.1" iphone except battery life. I used Android for about a decade, but I'm glad I switched.

Heliosmaster 5y ago
one year they do, the other they don't (last year they didn't). I wouldn't claim Apple has learned the lesson until they do it for 2-3 years in a row

Marsymars 5y ago

Looks like the Galaxy S22 will be smaller than the S21. (And same size as the iPhone.) Will likely be my next phone despite never owning a Samsung phone and not liking their take on Android, simply because of the size.

octorian 5y ago

Agreed, and I'm personally struggling to decided whether to get the 6 or 6 Pro an an upgrade from my "regular" Pixel 4. The size difference between the two doesn't actually seem that substantial, but the specs difference kinda is. Meanwhile, both are bigger than the phone I currently have.

randallsquared 5y ago

As long as I can hold it in one hand to my ear, and put it in a pocket, bigger is better. With much longer wireless earphone battery life, the former constraint might not apply. Ultimately, the main use (by time spent) I have for my phone is reading and watching, and therefore the main complaint I have with phones is that they don't have enough screen, and the next biggest is UI lag. The recent folders like the Surface Duo and others have been interesting to watch, but they have so far sacrificed too much in other specs for that gimmick.

crossroadsguy 5y ago

There are many reasons I’m in Apple’s walled garden but a sane phone size is simply the biggest. I sometimes think about what I’m going to get after 12 mini that I’m using is done for :) Because there are reports that Apple is done with this screen size segment.

simondotau 5y ago
It's a tough market. The majority of people who want a smaller phone do so because phones aren't so important to them. And those people probably expect a cheaper device. I think Apple would make a better selling product if they could chop an extra $100–200 from the price of the mini. A single rear camera, fewer SKUs (say, two colours and two capacities), and maybe a binned version of the A16 chip with one fewer GPU core.
- least 5y ago
  > The majority of people who want a smaller phone do so because phones aren't so important to them. I flat out disagree with this sentiment. People who don't care about their phone that much will buy whatever fits their personal needs (usually what is least expensive), while a person who specifically in today's market opts to purchase a smaller phone is doing so with intention. Sure, a cheaper iPhone would probably sell just by the virtue of being a cheaper iPhone and perhaps a future iteration of the SE will be based on the mini chassis to facilitate that price sensitive market. But the people getting iPhone minis are almost all doing so with intention. That intention being they want a physically smaller device for whatever reason. I think Apple would sell more iPhone minis if the branding were different. If the iPhone mini was simply called the 'iPhone' and then the current 'iPhone' became 'iPhone plus' and then the max remains the 'iPhone max' more people would probably purchasing it as the default phone.
  - simondotau 5y ago
    > I flat out disagree with this sentiment. Sure, everyone is entitled to an opinion. But really we're all just guessing. My guess is that the iPhone 12/13 Mini has potential appeal to two markets: • Someone who wants a flagship device, who places positive value in smaller size, and is not price sensitive; • Someone who wants a premium device, who places negative value in larger size, and is moderately price sensitive. With the anemic sales of the last two generations of mini iPhone, Apple has shown that this first market is smaller than hoped. The question is: is it nonetheless big enough to warrant Apple making an iPhone 14 mini? If it is, great. If not, your preference is moot because the device won't exist. My argument is that this second market is likely much larger and represents an opportunity which Apple hasn't quite honed in on—yet. If it's necessary in order for an iPhone 14 mini to exist, a device with wider appeal is preferable to no device.

xeromal 5y ago

I think a lot of it is to fit a bigger battery. No easy way to do it unless you want a 3 inch thick phone

picture 5y ago
Adding thickness will increase battery volume and thus capacity quite significantly since most of them are currently thin rectangular prisms. You can try the math yourself.
Dunedan 5y ago
Aren't larger displays the reason for the need of bigger batteries in the first place?

londgine 5y ago

https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_compact-9082.php https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_compact-9082.php Sony used to have a compact line with flagship hardware and a reasonable size. Unfortunately, it looks like they stopped making them

SoapSeller 5y ago
https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_5_iii-10851.php https://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_5_iii-10851.php They still have them. They grow a little bit, but the real issue for me is price...
- londgine 5y ago
  I would categories a phone with a screen large than 6" as a phablet

GVRV 5y ago

This is precisely why I moved to the Samsung S10e after being a Nexus range user for years. I'm still unsure what my next phone will be: I'm _very_ tempted to go with a Unihertz, but realistically, it will probably be an iPhone Mini.

jeppesen-io 5y ago
I got a Umihertz Atom. I love it, as a backup phone for off grid adventures But there are a few issues I've had, of course your mileage may vary 1. When my primary phone broke, I had great issues getting Google Fi to work. It seems the phone/sim process often hung when making APN changes, manually or with Fi app 2. Battery life is fantastic, but by default it kills apps after five min when the screen is off. You'll need to allow for music apps or whatever you want running when screen is off It's great for hiking though

vincnetas 5y ago

thats why im still sticking with iPhone SE from 2016. this phone has perfect shape and size. no camera bump so it can be used without case and enjoy its perfect shapes. and also it costs 50€ so i don't need to worry about dropping it. it basically costs less than phone case for new iphone. and it still supports latest ios (not for long though)

nothis 5y ago
Team SE! I miss absolutely zero features on it, which is bizarre for a pocket computer. What happened in these 5 years?
nightowl_games 5y ago
I am a lifelong android user. I almost switched to iPhone during the 5 era because I loved the form factor of those solid metal edges. When iPhone 6 came out with the "Samsung esque bar of soap" I was shocked and disappointed. I think iPhones today are sooooo slippery! The iPhone SE is a really attractive device, but I am pretty deep into the android ecosystem at this point and have disapproved of a few of apples decisions. It's funny to me that companies keep copying the worst parts of each other's designs: the slipper bar of soap rounded corners, the notch, the removal of headphone jack and USB A...

jeppesen-io 5y ago

Am I missing something, isn't the pro basically the same except for a few GB of ram?

utrack 5y ago
Camera is different and it's 90hz screen versus 120hz (a deal breaker for me).
Sodman 5y ago
The 6 pro is 0.3" taller and 0.1" wider than the 6. But both are also significantly larger than the previous generation pixels. The Pixel 6 pro for example is 0.8" taller and 0.2" wider than the Pixel 5, which is a significant difference (especially considering you lose the rear fingerprint scanner that gave the ability to swipe down notifications from the unreachable top of the screen).

webmaven 5y ago

> I hate the trend that the "pro" versions of all these flagship phones need to be an XL Phablet monstrosity. The difference between the Pixel 6 (6.4") and the Pixel 6 Pro (6.7") screen size doesn't seem very large to me.