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I’m a long-time small phone Android user. But after the Pixel 5, I have not been able to find a suitable small Android replacement. The Pixel 6 is gigantic, and

I’m a long-time small phone Android user. But after the Pixel 5, I have not been able to find a suitable small Android replacement. The Pixel 6 is gigantic, and the Pixel 7 looks like it is also destined to be huge. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve resorted to using an iPhone Mini, biding my time and hoping desperately that some Android OEM would step up. But it’s increasingly clear that a small premium phone is not on the roadmap. So I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. My goal with https://smallandroidphone.com https://smallandroidphone.com is to rally other fans of small phones together and put pressure on Google/Samsung/Anyone to consider making a small phone. I have a very specific set of skills and industry connections that I have acquired over a long career in the hardware business (my first startup was Pebble). I will put them to use in our shared quest to get the perfect small Android phone. If no one else builds one, and enough people sign up...maybe I will be forced to make it myself. If you want a small premium Android phone, this may be your last chance (ever?) to help bring back the phone category that we love.

wing-_-nuts 4y ago
It's pretty damning that when one searches for 'best small android phone' the pixel 5a (massive!) is at the top of most lists.
- mertd 4y ago
  Maybe they are conflating Pixel 5 and 5a. 5a is larger but 5 while still a big phone, is not that bad.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
djbusby 4y ago
Pixel3 here, cause it's still pretty small (but not too small)
rsyring 4y ago
The Pixel 5 was just right IMO. I upgraded to a Pixel 6 after the fingerprint sensor had problems. The first thing I noticed was it was too big. I liked the size of the five much better.
binkHN 4y ago
Hear hear! I hope your gadget guy dreams come to fruition again and you sell 10 million! I only am chiming in to say a premium phone should be water resistant!
eertami 4y ago
Similar user, and I have no idea if there will be anything left to buy after the Pixel 4a. I expect the 4a will be good enough for another 3 years at-least, if there are no accidents. Hopefully by then there is something available which continues the form factor. 4a has been the perfect successor to the Nexus 4, it's a little taller but other than that has practically the same footprint. With the 6a moving in a different direction (eg: removing the headphone jack) I'm just hoping someone else comes along as a spiritual successor for the Pixel Xa-series.
- makeitdouble 4y ago
  I am also planning to move from a 4a, and at this point it would be either a Sharp R7 (probably not available internationally though) or a Sony Xperia 10 IV. The Sony seems to be the best alternative though I have no idea of the software quality.
  - amyjess 4y ago
    > Sony Xperia 10 IV Unfortunately, it looks like it won't be sold in the US. Does it support US LTE bands so I can import it at least?
    - makeitdouble 4y ago
      Band support seems to be better, though I’m not sure which band would work in the US. Also they haven’t announced the non carrier bundled model yet, so I’m stil waiting as well to see how it pans out.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Is Sharp R7 your option? It's just a normal sized (read: big/weighty) flagship phone.
  - lrem 4y ago
    I've been burnt by Sony. Back in the first generation of the compact flagship. A great phone in all aspects... Until it was dropped. A tiny crack in the corner of the screen, you wouldn't notice without looking for it. Unfortunately engineering choices by Sony folk meant that any crack anywhere disabled the digitizer (i.e. the touchscreen loses the touch part). Such a bummer.
starwind 4y ago
I use an S10e. Love it. It's not small-small but def small by todays standards. Probably switching to an iPhone here soon
- jgtrosh 4y ago
  I also got an s10e because iirc it was the only smallish Android phone with ok specs and ok IP rating (also I avoided Chinese brands—though Samsung isn't necessarily everyone's choice either). Very comfortable format!
- Markoff 4y ago
  Why? S22 has almost same dimensions. List of smaller Android phones with decent specs: Pixel 5 - 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm Samsung S22 - 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm Zenfone 8 - 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm (could be higher thanks to narrower body) Xiaomi 12X - 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm Samsung S21 - 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
  - nsonha 4y ago
    I've gotten the s10e just last month because it's the top phone that can still run linux on dex (which is a disappointment, but that's a topic for another day), and doesn't have those stupid Samsung edge displays (s10+ 12GB RAM edition). I'm not sure those other phones are any better in terms of running linux (termux) and those non-samsung ones don't even have dex so I don't even know what the high specs are for. S22 should be good once it's no longer the latest phone and you can grab at a discount, and maybe Android 13 with KVM is out by then.
jray 4y ago
One of the reasons I want a small phone is because I already have other devices with a larger screen: computer, laptop and tablet. That's why I want it to be cheap, I have already spent a lot on different devices and for the little use I give it I want it to be cheap and small.
- octoberfranklin 4y ago
  Of course. But phone manufacturers don't want this. They don't want you using those other devices. And they have the power, so you will submit to their decisions.
  - steanne 4y ago
    why don't they? then they could sell me two things! back in the day i had a motorola droid AND a xoom.
dspillett 4y ago
I'd love a small primary phone with good battery life for general use (SMS/IM, and (shock!) making/taking calls). Relatively low resolution screen would not be a problem at all. But I, like most people I expect, also use my phone for many other uses some of which make good use of a larger screen at higher resolution: in-car GPS and while running/walking out on the trails, web browsing and social media stuff that would not be pleasant on smaller screens, occasionally video. The better screen necessitates a bigger battery too, increasing the weight and size a bit more. I'm not sure there is a solution for that, other than perhaps carrying two devices around. Most people would not be happy with that solution and tethering the bigger device to the smaller ones (so they share internet connectivity instead of both needing SIMs & paid accounts) will reduce the battery life of the small device noticeably (running the 4G/5G and WiFi radios constantly being quite a drain I find, when tethering a laptop to my main current phone). For a lot of people who would want the smaller phone, there is a secondary need for which they want the larger one too, and putting up with a big device for everything is likely to be the preferable “compromise” compared to carrying two devices. I've considered the two device approach, but the only really small phones (significantly smaller than my current main device) I found were cheap Chinese imports and one of the first corners cut on those is using a cheap battery that won't last long on active use. Battery life is why my current phone is large than the previous one (which was already larger than I'd prefer often) as it can last a goodly while in active use (GPS and screen on). tl;cbatr: I suppose the point of this directionless rambling, is that I think the market for a smaller device, people who would actually buy one rather than just those who think it is something that should exist, is smaller than you hope.
- ohyoutravel 4y ago
  This is where I am. Love the idea of a small phone like the android Palm Phone, and almost bought one. But my iPhone 13 Pro Max is basically so big I use it in place of my laptop for many, many things. So it basically replaces my dslr because of the camera quality and my laptop unless I’m writing software. Though I would love a small phone, I didn’t buy the Palm which would have been perfect for when I’m running or something, so I’m not sure I would buy this, even though I want it to exist. Palm phone fwiw also got discontinued for lack of interest as far as I know.
fbn79 4y ago
I think Sony Xperia 5 is a premium phone in you spec target range
achow 4y ago
Curious how would you solve the battery issue, since in your spec you mention 4Hrs of Screen On Time (SoT), and it would be a 5G phone (battery drainer)? iPhone Mini with its H/W & S/W integration barely manages 4Hrs of SoT. An 'Android Mini' phone with its mini batteries, how can it match upto iPhone Mini? And mind you, low sale of iPhone Mini is also due to the 'battery/range anxiety' that its users have. Upon that any Mini form factor needs to be even less thinner, as visual perception of thickness is inversely proportional to a form's face/back surface area. So for this mini phone to be reasonably attractive (not chunky) it needs to have a very slim profile; which translate to small battery.
prutschman 4y ago
I get that tastes vary and some people apparently don't mind the hole punch in the display, but I'm curious why you list its presence as a hard requirement. It seems like it would make the display unnecessarily harder to source.
bhandziuk 4y ago
I just had to throw away my Pebble Time ~1 month ago. It was the best watch I could have asked for but I got some ocean water in it and it wouldn't dry out this time :( I am also using an Moto G7 Play android phone from like 2018 because it's the only small phone I could find for a reasonable price. I would love to see you make something like this!
chrischen 4y ago
I want to add another comment here supporting the fact that the camera is probably the main device feature I care about, and why I end up with a phone fancier and bigger than I’d like, and maybe second most important factor is battery life.
grishka 4y ago
Yes, I'm as frustrated as you are. I want a no-compromise 4" Android phone, comfortably usable with one hand. For me, the phone is a communication device for the outside, that's it. I hardly use it at home except for calls. My primary device is my laptop. I have exactly zero use cases that would benefit from a large screen, yet all of my use cases would benefit from being able to fully use it one-handed. I don't watch any kind of video on my phone because it's a torture either way, and I'm okay with smaller fonts to make more things fit on a smaller screen. It's gotten so bad I contemplated porting Android to the iPhone SE. Not the complete OS, just the userspace, enough to run SystemUI and apps. Except: a headphone jack is a hard requirement. If a phone has no headphone jack, it could as well not exist for me.
- dont__panic 4y ago
  Very much the same situation for me. I'm especially interested in why Eric doesn't mention the headphone jack -- does he simply think it isn't a noteworthy feature, and assume the phone WILL have the jack? Or does he assume that bluetooth is the future and only silly luddites like us care about the jack? I hope Eric eases up on the weirdly specific requirements, like dual rear cameras, symmetrical bezels, and a punchout front camera, and refocuses on features that make or break the phone to end users.
  - phinnaeus 4y ago
    I agree that the requirements should be pared down to the absolute least common denominator, but disagree that the headphone jack belongs in that category. You (and GP) surely have to recognize that at this point requiring a headphone jack is also a niche request.
    - hoseja 4y ago
      That's just fiction phone manufacturers want to make true by repetition.
      - zmix 4y ago
taude 4y ago
I have a Pixel 4a, and I'm in agreement with you. I'm thinking about jumping to an iPhone Mini, however, even Apple doesn't seem to be making a new version of that....
- rwiggum 4y ago
  i dunno what makes you think that. the iphone 13 mini was released alongside the other iphone 13's and is the latest gen. all signs point to apple releasing a mini version of the next iphone, too.
- wingworks 4y ago
  Yeah, I'm 100% switching to Apple on my next upgrade, probably the mini, but it's screen may be a tad too small. Either way, I've been with Android since the start, but I'm over it. They depreciate so fast.
Vladimof 4y ago
My Pixel 3 is just a bit bigger then the iPhone 13 Mini... works great with Lineage OS... might have to change the battery in a year though (not looking forward to it).
- radec 4y ago
  I just replaced the battery on my pixel 3. I also replaced the USB C port, because it was cheap and the phone was open. It's pretty simple to do, just tedious. I would recommend buying a replacement back as well so you don't have to worry about keeping the glass intact. I would love a smaller phone then the pixel 3 but I'll stick with this for now, it's my absolute max size.
  - Vladimof 4y ago
    thanks for the tips, will definitely try to replace the USB port and back when I do the battery. Is your phone still waterproof?
    - radec 4y ago
      No not waterproof, but I didn't try very hard. I would sort of prefer the phone to be easier to open. I used t-7000 glue which seemed really good, the main spot I feel like is not waterproof is where the finger print reader attaches to the back panel, and the camera lense cover.
      - Vladimof 4y ago
        I might replace the fingerprint sensor if it's not too expensive because that's the part I'm having the most issues with...
        radec 4y ago
        Looks like it's less then 5 bucks. I bought everything from injuredgadgets. I'm sure there are other good places as well. Can't really review the battery, it's only been a couple days, but so far it's good.
GekkePrutser 4y ago
Why only aim for 4 hours of screen on time? I understand the battery will be smaller too but so is the screen. I'd hope to see a bit more. Also, remember that most people won't care about thickness so much especially if it's rugged enough to not need a case. But anyway good luck with the project! I backed the first Pebble and I'll probably use Beeper once it's fully available. You have a history of delivering on your promises. I just want to wait a bit to see how this one turns out in detail.
sudosteph 4y ago
Thank you for taking initiative on this! As a 5'5" woman with small hands, I haven't had an android phone that I could use with one-hand since my Nexus 5 (which I used for 5 years straight). The current android flagships are unwieldy even with two-hands for me, and it's been just a quality of living downgrade ever since my Nexus 5 broke. I'm not into apple products myself, but I know many other women swear by the iphone mini since it's the only phone that fits their hands.
- mtremsal 4y ago
  I'm a tall man with large hands and my S10 is uncomfortable. Just ordered an iPhone 13 mini after finding out that the Pixel 6a, my last hope for a small Android phone, will be big. This will be my first iOS phone despite 10+ years on Android. The situation is idiotic.
- WolfRazu 4y ago
  What did you think of the Pixel 5? It's only 0.5cm taller and otherwise more or less identical in dimensions.
  - sudosteph 4y ago
    I used a friend's once and it seemed fine! Taller height is generally more manageable. It's the lack of one-handed keyboard usability that irritates me the most with modern android phones, and that's more of a width thing.
- rodgerd 4y ago
  I'm a fairly large person (185 cm and decent sized hands), but I prefer the mini, and in my Android days used the Xperia mini. I don't particularly want a large phone on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately it seems that it's a niche that doesn't generate enough revenue to get broader support.
  - zmix 4y ago
    I got the feeling, that niche markets could be lucrative if the middle man (retail) is left out. The internet is a very powerful tool in this regard. It brings together customers from all over the world.
stratosmacker 4y ago
I have an iphone SE 2016 because I too felt that new Androids were too big, switched in 2019. If too many people are upset at the price maybe you could have an Android Mini-a like the Pixel line. I had the first Pebble and have fond memories. I have high hopes for this!!!! I also love hardware but I never made it stick for work. I was one of the first engineers at Mesur.io, but things didn't work out. My other thought would be to make this highly configurable; there is a large cohort of HN crowd who also want an un-Googled Android phone, myself included. There are no un-Googled small android phones, however with Project Treble many of them can run GSIs such as this most popular one https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/releases https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/releases . Of course Lineage OS deserves a mention, maybe you could ship with that, build on what the community already offers. The Unihertz line of phones deserves mention, but also scorn; they do NOT support their old hardware at all. The Jelly had 1 update to Android 8.1 and was left for dead. Additionally the system updater software included in the stock ROM was spyware. So unfortunately they were written off in my book. Finally, I would like to see band 71 LTE availability for T-Mobile in the US. It really makes a big difference in the sticks. Unihertz does not support that, and for that reason I am sticking with my iPhone SE 2016 for the moment (until I find a small Android phone....) Can't wait to hear more!
- pasdechance 4y ago
  I always wondered about Unihertz. I almost considered one of their keyboard devices. Thanks for the heads-up.
- phh 4y ago
  Thanks for mentioning my GSI ^^ With regards to Unihertz, I'll add on top of what you said, that they are hiding behind ""crowdfunding"" to give non-existent customer support, while devices have already passed Google certifications months ahead (so my guess is that the device is actually already produced when they start the crowdfunding). In my case, the smartphone I ordered never arrived, and I never got any compensation for it, even though However, hardware-wise, they aren't too bad, so once you managed to receive it, and you flashed a GSI on it, it's a rather acceptable experience. I know someone daily-driving a GSI (I think it's ProtonAOSP?) on Unihertz Jelly 2, and they are happy with it. In my opinion, Unihertz small phones are fun, but /too/ small. As the article says, target would be 5-5.5" borderless, 4.5" in Jelly2's format, and I couldn't find any model that match. Closest is Xiaomi Qin 2 Pro (I have it, the form factor is really awesome), but it is too thin and thus its battery is abysmal. (If anyone is interested in Xiaomi Qin 2 Pro, yes it can run GSI just fine, but it requires a bit of work - feel free to send me an email for help)
akrymski 4y ago
I've never owned a better phone than the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G because it's substantially thinner and lighter than any other phone of that size. A smaller screen size may be nice but I've realised how much more I really care about the phone being thin and light. I don't even notice it in my back pocket. I'm now allergic to picking up the new heavy iPhones. If the smaller screen wouldn't make the phone even thinner I probably wouldn't care enough to switch.
bscphil 4y ago
Thank you for working on this! I want to be honest, though, and say I think you're missing what the majority of users on this forum want in a small phone. > Sub 6" display, matching size and design of iPhone 13 Mini No, bad. What most of us want are the particular set of trade-offs made by phones around 2015. Design wise, that means that you've got to have another hole in the bezel, because there's going to be an earphone jack. That's apparently anathema for modern phones, but probably 90+% of us want it. Again, that's Hacker News specific. I haven't polled the market in general. I just know that I (and many others) won't consider buying your phone unless it has a jack. Likewise, I have not much interest in a phone with a hole punched in the screen (?!) for a camera or an ugly "notch". I realize this is more controversial, but I don't know the last time I even used a front camera. I think it's more in keeping with the ideal 2015 design to make the bezel just large enough to contain a camera, speakers, light sensor, flash/LED, etc. I would reluctantly buy a phone with a camera hole if it was otherwise acceptable and there was no ideal option on the market. I'd prefer if the back were completely flat as well, with no camera bump. That's totally just my aesthetic preference though, I don't know how others feel. I think it should be possible to achieve this if we're going back to not worshiping thinness, and making the small phone thicker for the sake of battery life. I'd also prefer a 16x9 display to whatever Apple is doing now. So much web video is still 16x9.
- BugsJustFindMe 4y ago
  > Design wise, that means that you've got to have another hole in the bezel, because there's going to be an earphone jack. That's apparently anathema for modern phones, but probably 90+% of us want it. Again, that's Hacker News specific. I haven't polled the market in general. I just know that I (and many others) won't consider buying your phone unless it has a jack. Your jump from "I want" to "90+% of us want" is an egregious failure in reasoning. You say that you haven't polled the greater market, but you also haven't even polled HN.
  - bscphil 4y ago
    That's fair. On the other hand, if there's a single issue with modern phones that gets HN users raging more than their size, it's the lack of a headphone jack. I don't think I've seen a single issue that's been more complained about. The dominant narrative on HN seems to be that even if one doesn't use headphones personally, the removal of the jack served no purpose other than to pad the pockets of Apple. (Someone even managed to modify their iPhone to add an internal jack without breaking it, so it was definitely possible for Apple to do so without compromises.)
shahar2k 4y ago
please reverse the order you list the phones in your last image... no reason other than it irks me that the lowest phone in the image is listed highest and vice versa
mikelward 4y ago
I would buy your phone, but I don't really like the iPhone mini industrial design. The square edges make it a bit hard to hold. I also don't mind if it's a bit larger than iPhone mini. Pixel 3/iPhone 13 size is my limit. If nobody makes something like this, I'll likely switch to iPhone 14 when it's released.
- cyxxon 4y ago
  At the moment it looks as if there will be no iPhone 14 Mini. You don't explicitely mention "Mini" here, but from context it looks as if you mean that. Just a heads up (and the reason why I bought a 13 Mini even though my old phone was still fine).
jjav 4y ago
I bought a Palm Phone as soon as it came out, it is the perfect phone. Basically same size as the old Motorola Razr but even a bit thinner. I'm very sad they discountinued it. I hope mine lasts forever or that either Palm or someone else fills this market gap for a small phone. If this initiative does it, thank you! My highest requirement for a phone is that it easily fits into the front pocket of tight jeans so I can't ever even feel that it is there. The Palm Phone meets this requirement, haven't found anything else that does.
m1sta_ 4y ago
Sony dude. The screen ratio makes it feel small in the hand.
51Cards 4y ago
I'm curious why you say "After the Pixel 5". Isn't that still pretty current specs wise? I love mine. I too would like to know where I'm moving next, but I'm also quite content with its specs for likely awhile yet.
rejor121 4y ago
I’m in the same boat, though I like apple. I’d still go for an android phone if they made something really small though. However, I think the era of small phones as we know it is over for now. The smallest we have is the Mini, and even that isn’t small. In fact, I think the next version of the small phone will be flip phones. We already see this with the Samsung fold. I tried one and was pretty impressed, and I feel like this is the likely direction the industry may take. However, I’m using my current phone for the next five or six years. I’m sure by then, the folding screen tech will improve a lot, and apple may even have their own version out by then.
peterlk 4y ago
If this phone allowed for 2 SIM cards, I would pay a silly amount of money for it
disillusioned 4y ago
The Pixel 6a is supposed to be nearly the same size as the Pixel 5, I thought.
carlivar 4y ago
Samsung S22
toastercat 4y ago
I agree with you, but the Pixel 5 is barely a year old. Why did you move on so quickly?
Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
I have baby hands, I am a dwarf. With each generational increase of display size, The number of times I drop the phone over its lifetime increases proportionally. I've used android phones from 2.8" to 5.7" display as daily drivers over the past decade. I assume, Many with small hands(palms) do face the issue of dropping phones, So I finding it quite surprising that 'Easily Repairable' wasn't included in neither 'Must have' nor 'Nice to have'. Repairability is so important to me that, I have stopped buying new smartphones since 2017. My last/current phone has full-metal construction, is easily repairable, has security updates(sans proprietary blobs) via LineageOS and I'm planning to switch to a postmarketOS device from near-same generation for better security(Only bootloader is proprietary). IMO in the age of Fairphone, there's no excuse for a non easily-repairable phone; Especially one which has community interests in mind. I wish you the best on this endeavor.
- mjfisher 4y ago
  I’m not a dwarf, but I do have smaller than average hands and really struggle to type on a phone one handed. I dropped my phone a lot trying to balance it. Have you come across pop sockets? Small collapsible self-adhesive handles for the back of your phone. They’ve made an absolutely massive usability difference to my phone usage (although I aim for the smallest handset I can get without compromising too much on quality anyway). Total game changer
  - Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
    I tried pop sockets on the phones of my friends, my fingers are too small and stubby that I felt I would drop the phone more by fiddling with it so I didn't use them. Btw checkout Swiftkey's one-hand mode for typing, If you haven't already.
- zdwolfe 4y ago
  Thanks for referring to Fairphone. I didn't know they existed and am considering getting one.
  - Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
iagocds 4y ago
What are your thoughs at the Zenphone 8? 5.92 is too big?
- leeoniya 4y ago
  im using one now. and yes, i consider it too big to use one-handed without dropping it. also, the physical buttons are way too easy to press. every time i hold it, i accidentally press something :( 5.5 inches is about the limit for me, with pretty avg hands, imo. previous phones were sony xperia compacts. last one was xz2 compact and felt pretty good, though could have been a tad thinner/lighter.
winternett 4y ago
I want headphone jack and SD card compatibility back, so I can store my audio library somewhere else (more reliable and less costly) other than the cloud, but phone makers are bent on disappointing customers and customers keep buying whatever junk they make and label as overpriced flagship devices.
Valakas_ 4y ago
Samsung S7 user here. Perfect phone. Good looking (silver one is awesome), no notches, great camera, good battery.... and perfect size. It's hard to accept for companies that they already achieved a great result, and only minor improvements need to be added. Maybe because if they would keep selling S7a, S7b, etc people wouldnt be so convinced to buy new ones so they need to make changes and somehow convince people the many changes are for the better... even if they aren't.
Markoff 4y ago
List of smaller Android phones with decent specs: Pixel 5 - 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm Samsung S22 - 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm Zenfone 8 - 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm (could be higher thanks to narrower body) Xiaomi 12X - 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm Samsung S21 - 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm S22 has almost identical dimensions as Pixel 5, so there is your upgrade. Personally I find all of these overpriced for what I need, I would be perfectly fine with 4A specs with better battery, so can't justify to upgrading to some of these.
mixxit 4y ago
Pixel 7 dimensions: 155.6 x 73.1 x 8.7mm Pixel 7 Pro dimensions: 163 x 76.6 x 8.7mm Pixel 6 dimensions: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm Pixel 6 Pro dimensions: 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
nicbou 4y ago
When I broke my Pixel 5, I bought another one, even though the Pixel 6a was out at that point. The Galaxy S22 has a similarly-sized screen, but the EU version is rubbish.
theodric 4y ago
If you can make a phone I love as much as my Pebbles, I'll buy nothing else, forever. I guess confirming there's a market for it is the first step. My phone requirements haven't changed much in the last ten years. I bought one of the first "phablet" phones with a comically oversized 5" screen that got me ribbed by friends ("compensating for something eh mate?") Now 5" is at the bottom of the available size range. I'm a smallish person/manlet and don't need a phone I'm going to drop, but I do need something big enough that I can reliably type on it. I'll gladly support your endeavor. Thanks for taking the initiative. edit: fine with me to make the phone thicc so it has a day+ battery life. A little thicker is far easier to hold on to, anyway! edit2: I did own a Pixel 6 non-XL for about a day. It was large, but the bigger problem was that I found it incredibly topheavy, which made it difficult to hold on to. I swapped for a used 4a 5G, which is a well-balanced midsized device.
miniwark 4y ago
I think than some two of the prerequisites are the real problem : * Great cameras * Stock Android OS There are plenty of recent small smartphones with a display under 6". But most of them use Android Go and a not-great camera. I have recently tested one, the Logicom Le Wave, a 60€ phone with a 4" display sold in Europe. During my test, i have find Android Go 11 very reliable. It's even more easy to avoid using Google applications and to not link the phone to a Google account (by using F-Droid & Aurora Store) than Stock Android. There are also nice features for managing battery usage. That said the two cameras are indeed crap (but i do not take photos with a phone, for this i use a real cameras). My main problem with this phone is that it's also bad for... phoning: I mean than the sound quality is crap too. I was probably unlucky with my choice, but there are plenty of alternatives for 4" to 6" smartphones. Search for "teenage" or "unbreakable" phones. If the real objective is to have a light phone, who fit nicely in the pocket, than can be used one-handed and who won't fall out of the pocket while bicycling, then this sort of phones are perfectly fine. So my question is why the need of a good camera and stock Android ? (For the main point, i agree with you, smartphones are becoming ridiculously too big)
nicolas_t 4y ago
By the way, I was interested in Beeper but it seems the airtables link to sign up blocks any ip addresses from Hong Kong. I just get a blank page when I try to sign up. Just bringing it up, I have noticed quite a few sites have blanket bans on HK ips but it's rather frustrating.
barfingclouds 4y ago
Jelly 2

wing-_-nuts 4y ago

It's pretty damning that when one searches for 'best small android phone' the pixel 5a (massive!) is at the top of most lists.

mertd 4y ago
Maybe they are conflating Pixel 5 and 5a. 5a is larger but 5 while still a big phone, is not that bad.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

djbusby 4y ago

Pixel3 here, cause it's still pretty small (but not too small)

rsyring 4y ago

The Pixel 5 was just right IMO. I upgraded to a Pixel 6 after the fingerprint sensor had problems. The first thing I noticed was it was too big. I liked the size of the five much better.

binkHN 4y ago

Hear hear! I hope your gadget guy dreams come to fruition again and you sell 10 million! I only am chiming in to say a premium phone should be water resistant!

eertami 4y ago

Similar user, and I have no idea if there will be anything left to buy after the Pixel 4a. I expect the 4a will be good enough for another 3 years at-least, if there are no accidents. Hopefully by then there is something available which continues the form factor. 4a has been the perfect successor to the Nexus 4, it's a little taller but other than that has practically the same footprint. With the 6a moving in a different direction (eg: removing the headphone jack) I'm just hoping someone else comes along as a spiritual successor for the Pixel Xa-series.

makeitdouble 4y ago
I am also planning to move from a 4a, and at this point it would be either a Sharp R7 (probably not available internationally though) or a Sony Xperia 10 IV. The Sony seems to be the best alternative though I have no idea of the software quality.
- amyjess 4y ago
  > Sony Xperia 10 IV Unfortunately, it looks like it won't be sold in the US. Does it support US LTE bands so I can import it at least?
  - makeitdouble 4y ago
    Band support seems to be better, though I’m not sure which band would work in the US. Also they haven’t announced the non carrier bundled model yet, so I’m stil waiting as well to see how it pans out.
- fomine3 4y ago
  Is Sharp R7 your option? It's just a normal sized (read: big/weighty) flagship phone.
- lrem 4y ago
  I've been burnt by Sony. Back in the first generation of the compact flagship. A great phone in all aspects... Until it was dropped. A tiny crack in the corner of the screen, you wouldn't notice without looking for it. Unfortunately engineering choices by Sony folk meant that any crack anywhere disabled the digitizer (i.e. the touchscreen loses the touch part). Such a bummer.

starwind 4y ago

I use an S10e. Love it. It's not small-small but def small by todays standards. Probably switching to an iPhone here soon

jgtrosh 4y ago
I also got an s10e because iirc it was the only smallish Android phone with ok specs and ok IP rating (also I avoided Chinese brands—though Samsung isn't necessarily everyone's choice either). Very comfortable format!
Markoff 4y ago
Why? S22 has almost same dimensions. List of smaller Android phones with decent specs: Pixel 5 - 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm Samsung S22 - 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm Zenfone 8 - 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm (could be higher thanks to narrower body) Xiaomi 12X - 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm Samsung S21 - 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
- nsonha 4y ago
  I've gotten the s10e just last month because it's the top phone that can still run linux on dex (which is a disappointment, but that's a topic for another day), and doesn't have those stupid Samsung edge displays (s10+ 12GB RAM edition). I'm not sure those other phones are any better in terms of running linux (termux) and those non-samsung ones don't even have dex so I don't even know what the high specs are for. S22 should be good once it's no longer the latest phone and you can grab at a discount, and maybe Android 13 with KVM is out by then.

jray 4y ago

One of the reasons I want a small phone is because I already have other devices with a larger screen: computer, laptop and tablet. That's why I want it to be cheap, I have already spent a lot on different devices and for the little use I give it I want it to be cheap and small.

octoberfranklin 4y ago
Of course. But phone manufacturers don't want this. They don't want you using those other devices. And they have the power, so you will submit to their decisions.
- steanne 4y ago
  why don't they? then they could sell me two things! back in the day i had a motorola droid AND a xoom.

dspillett 4y ago

I'd love a small primary phone with good battery life for general use (SMS/IM, and (shock!) making/taking calls). Relatively low resolution screen would not be a problem at all. But I, like most people I expect, also use my phone for many other uses some of which make good use of a larger screen at higher resolution: in-car GPS and while running/walking out on the trails, web browsing and social media stuff that would not be pleasant on smaller screens, occasionally video. The better screen necessitates a bigger battery too, increasing the weight and size a bit more. I'm not sure there is a solution for that, other than perhaps carrying two devices around. Most people would not be happy with that solution and tethering the bigger device to the smaller ones (so they share internet connectivity instead of both needing SIMs & paid accounts) will reduce the battery life of the small device noticeably (running the 4G/5G and WiFi radios constantly being quite a drain I find, when tethering a laptop to my main current phone). For a lot of people who would want the smaller phone, there is a secondary need for which they want the larger one too, and putting up with a big device for everything is likely to be the preferable “compromise” compared to carrying two devices. I've considered the two device approach, but the only really small phones (significantly smaller than my current main device) I found were cheap Chinese imports and one of the first corners cut on those is using a cheap battery that won't last long on active use. Battery life is why my current phone is large than the previous one (which was already larger than I'd prefer often) as it can last a goodly while in active use (GPS and screen on). tl;cbatr: I suppose the point of this directionless rambling, is that I think the market for a smaller device, people who would actually buy one rather than just those who think it is something that should exist, is smaller than you hope.

ohyoutravel 4y ago
This is where I am. Love the idea of a small phone like the android Palm Phone, and almost bought one. But my iPhone 13 Pro Max is basically so big I use it in place of my laptop for many, many things. So it basically replaces my dslr because of the camera quality and my laptop unless I’m writing software. Though I would love a small phone, I didn’t buy the Palm which would have been perfect for when I’m running or something, so I’m not sure I would buy this, even though I want it to exist. Palm phone fwiw also got discontinued for lack of interest as far as I know.

fbn79 4y ago

I think Sony Xperia 5 is a premium phone in you spec target range

achow 4y ago

Curious how would you solve the battery issue, since in your spec you mention 4Hrs of Screen On Time (SoT), and it would be a 5G phone (battery drainer)? iPhone Mini with its H/W & S/W integration barely manages 4Hrs of SoT. An 'Android Mini' phone with its mini batteries, how can it match upto iPhone Mini? And mind you, low sale of iPhone Mini is also due to the 'battery/range anxiety' that its users have. Upon that any Mini form factor needs to be even less thinner, as visual perception of thickness is inversely proportional to a form's face/back surface area. So for this mini phone to be reasonably attractive (not chunky) it needs to have a very slim profile; which translate to small battery.

prutschman 4y ago

I get that tastes vary and some people apparently don't mind the hole punch in the display, but I'm curious why you list its presence as a hard requirement. It seems like it would make the display unnecessarily harder to source.

bhandziuk 4y ago

I just had to throw away my Pebble Time ~1 month ago. It was the best watch I could have asked for but I got some ocean water in it and it wouldn't dry out this time :( I am also using an Moto G7 Play android phone from like 2018 because it's the only small phone I could find for a reasonable price. I would love to see you make something like this!

chrischen 4y ago

I want to add another comment here supporting the fact that the camera is probably the main device feature I care about, and why I end up with a phone fancier and bigger than I’d like, and maybe second most important factor is battery life.

grishka 4y ago

Yes, I'm as frustrated as you are. I want a no-compromise 4" Android phone, comfortably usable with one hand. For me, the phone is a communication device for the outside, that's it. I hardly use it at home except for calls. My primary device is my laptop. I have exactly zero use cases that would benefit from a large screen, yet all of my use cases would benefit from being able to fully use it one-handed. I don't watch any kind of video on my phone because it's a torture either way, and I'm okay with smaller fonts to make more things fit on a smaller screen. It's gotten so bad I contemplated porting Android to the iPhone SE. Not the complete OS, just the userspace, enough to run SystemUI and apps. Except: a headphone jack is a hard requirement. If a phone has no headphone jack, it could as well not exist for me.

dont__panic 4y ago
Very much the same situation for me. I'm especially interested in why Eric doesn't mention the headphone jack -- does he simply think it isn't a noteworthy feature, and assume the phone WILL have the jack? Or does he assume that bluetooth is the future and only silly luddites like us care about the jack? I hope Eric eases up on the weirdly specific requirements, like dual rear cameras, symmetrical bezels, and a punchout front camera, and refocuses on features that make or break the phone to end users.
- phinnaeus 4y ago
  I agree that the requirements should be pared down to the absolute least common denominator, but disagree that the headphone jack belongs in that category. You (and GP) surely have to recognize that at this point requiring a headphone jack is also a niche request.
  - hoseja 4y ago
    That's just fiction phone manufacturers want to make true by repetition.
    - zmix 4y ago

taude 4y ago

I have a Pixel 4a, and I'm in agreement with you. I'm thinking about jumping to an iPhone Mini, however, even Apple doesn't seem to be making a new version of that....

rwiggum 4y ago
i dunno what makes you think that. the iphone 13 mini was released alongside the other iphone 13's and is the latest gen. all signs point to apple releasing a mini version of the next iphone, too.
wingworks 4y ago
Yeah, I'm 100% switching to Apple on my next upgrade, probably the mini, but it's screen may be a tad too small. Either way, I've been with Android since the start, but I'm over it. They depreciate so fast.

Vladimof 4y ago

My Pixel 3 is just a bit bigger then the iPhone 13 Mini... works great with Lineage OS... might have to change the battery in a year though (not looking forward to it).

radec 4y ago
I just replaced the battery on my pixel 3. I also replaced the USB C port, because it was cheap and the phone was open. It's pretty simple to do, just tedious. I would recommend buying a replacement back as well so you don't have to worry about keeping the glass intact. I would love a smaller phone then the pixel 3 but I'll stick with this for now, it's my absolute max size.
- Vladimof 4y ago
  thanks for the tips, will definitely try to replace the USB port and back when I do the battery. Is your phone still waterproof?
  - radec 4y ago
    No not waterproof, but I didn't try very hard. I would sort of prefer the phone to be easier to open. I used t-7000 glue which seemed really good, the main spot I feel like is not waterproof is where the finger print reader attaches to the back panel, and the camera lense cover.
    - Vladimof 4y ago
      I might replace the fingerprint sensor if it's not too expensive because that's the part I'm having the most issues with...
      - radec 4y ago
        Looks like it's less then 5 bucks. I bought everything from injuredgadgets. I'm sure there are other good places as well. Can't really review the battery, it's only been a couple days, but so far it's good.

GekkePrutser 4y ago

Why only aim for 4 hours of screen on time? I understand the battery will be smaller too but so is the screen. I'd hope to see a bit more. Also, remember that most people won't care about thickness so much especially if it's rugged enough to not need a case. But anyway good luck with the project! I backed the first Pebble and I'll probably use Beeper once it's fully available. You have a history of delivering on your promises. I just want to wait a bit to see how this one turns out in detail.

sudosteph 4y ago

Thank you for taking initiative on this! As a 5'5" woman with small hands, I haven't had an android phone that I could use with one-hand since my Nexus 5 (which I used for 5 years straight). The current android flagships are unwieldy even with two-hands for me, and it's been just a quality of living downgrade ever since my Nexus 5 broke. I'm not into apple products myself, but I know many other women swear by the iphone mini since it's the only phone that fits their hands.

mtremsal 4y ago
I'm a tall man with large hands and my S10 is uncomfortable. Just ordered an iPhone 13 mini after finding out that the Pixel 6a, my last hope for a small Android phone, will be big. This will be my first iOS phone despite 10+ years on Android. The situation is idiotic.
WolfRazu 4y ago
What did you think of the Pixel 5? It's only 0.5cm taller and otherwise more or less identical in dimensions.
- sudosteph 4y ago
  I used a friend's once and it seemed fine! Taller height is generally more manageable. It's the lack of one-handed keyboard usability that irritates me the most with modern android phones, and that's more of a width thing.
rodgerd 4y ago
I'm a fairly large person (185 cm and decent sized hands), but I prefer the mini, and in my Android days used the Xperia mini. I don't particularly want a large phone on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately it seems that it's a niche that doesn't generate enough revenue to get broader support.
- zmix 4y ago
  I got the feeling, that niche markets could be lucrative if the middle man (retail) is left out. The internet is a very powerful tool in this regard. It brings together customers from all over the world.

stratosmacker 4y ago

I have an iphone SE 2016 because I too felt that new Androids were too big, switched in 2019. If too many people are upset at the price maybe you could have an Android Mini-a like the Pixel line. I had the first Pebble and have fond memories. I have high hopes for this!!!! I also love hardware but I never made it stick for work. I was one of the first engineers at Mesur.io, but things didn't work out. My other thought would be to make this highly configurable; there is a large cohort of HN crowd who also want an un-Googled Android phone, myself included. There are no un-Googled small android phones, however with Project Treble many of them can run GSIs such as this most popular one https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/releases https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/releases . Of course Lineage OS deserves a mention, maybe you could ship with that, build on what the community already offers. The Unihertz line of phones deserves mention, but also scorn; they do NOT support their old hardware at all. The Jelly had 1 update to Android 8.1 and was left for dead. Additionally the system updater software included in the stock ROM was spyware. So unfortunately they were written off in my book. Finally, I would like to see band 71 LTE availability for T-Mobile in the US. It really makes a big difference in the sticks. Unihertz does not support that, and for that reason I am sticking with my iPhone SE 2016 for the moment (until I find a small Android phone....) Can't wait to hear more!

pasdechance 4y ago
I always wondered about Unihertz. I almost considered one of their keyboard devices. Thanks for the heads-up.
phh 4y ago
Thanks for mentioning my GSI ^^ With regards to Unihertz, I'll add on top of what you said, that they are hiding behind ""crowdfunding"" to give non-existent customer support, while devices have already passed Google certifications months ahead (so my guess is that the device is actually already produced when they start the crowdfunding). In my case, the smartphone I ordered never arrived, and I never got any compensation for it, even though However, hardware-wise, they aren't too bad, so once you managed to receive it, and you flashed a GSI on it, it's a rather acceptable experience. I know someone daily-driving a GSI (I think it's ProtonAOSP?) on Unihertz Jelly 2, and they are happy with it. In my opinion, Unihertz small phones are fun, but /too/ small. As the article says, target would be 5-5.5" borderless, 4.5" in Jelly2's format, and I couldn't find any model that match. Closest is Xiaomi Qin 2 Pro (I have it, the form factor is really awesome), but it is too thin and thus its battery is abysmal. (If anyone is interested in Xiaomi Qin 2 Pro, yes it can run GSI just fine, but it requires a bit of work - feel free to send me an email for help)

akrymski 4y ago

I've never owned a better phone than the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G because it's substantially thinner and lighter than any other phone of that size. A smaller screen size may be nice but I've realised how much more I really care about the phone being thin and light. I don't even notice it in my back pocket. I'm now allergic to picking up the new heavy iPhones. If the smaller screen wouldn't make the phone even thinner I probably wouldn't care enough to switch.

bscphil 4y ago

Thank you for working on this! I want to be honest, though, and say I think you're missing what the majority of users on this forum want in a small phone. > Sub 6" display, matching size and design of iPhone 13 Mini No, bad. What most of us want are the particular set of trade-offs made by phones around 2015. Design wise, that means that you've got to have another hole in the bezel, because there's going to be an earphone jack. That's apparently anathema for modern phones, but probably 90+% of us want it. Again, that's Hacker News specific. I haven't polled the market in general. I just know that I (and many others) won't consider buying your phone unless it has a jack. Likewise, I have not much interest in a phone with a hole punched in the screen (?!) for a camera or an ugly "notch". I realize this is more controversial, but I don't know the last time I even used a front camera. I think it's more in keeping with the ideal 2015 design to make the bezel just large enough to contain a camera, speakers, light sensor, flash/LED, etc. I would reluctantly buy a phone with a camera hole if it was otherwise acceptable and there was no ideal option on the market. I'd prefer if the back were completely flat as well, with no camera bump. That's totally just my aesthetic preference though, I don't know how others feel. I think it should be possible to achieve this if we're going back to not worshiping thinness, and making the small phone thicker for the sake of battery life. I'd also prefer a 16x9 display to whatever Apple is doing now. So much web video is still 16x9.

BugsJustFindMe 4y ago
> Design wise, that means that you've got to have another hole in the bezel, because there's going to be an earphone jack. That's apparently anathema for modern phones, but probably 90+% of us want it. Again, that's Hacker News specific. I haven't polled the market in general. I just know that I (and many others) won't consider buying your phone unless it has a jack. Your jump from "I want" to "90+% of us want" is an egregious failure in reasoning. You say that you haven't polled the greater market, but you also haven't even polled HN.
- bscphil 4y ago
  That's fair. On the other hand, if there's a single issue with modern phones that gets HN users raging more than their size, it's the lack of a headphone jack. I don't think I've seen a single issue that's been more complained about. The dominant narrative on HN seems to be that even if one doesn't use headphones personally, the removal of the jack served no purpose other than to pad the pockets of Apple. (Someone even managed to modify their iPhone to add an internal jack without breaking it, so it was definitely possible for Apple to do so without compromises.)

shahar2k 4y ago

please reverse the order you list the phones in your last image... no reason other than it irks me that the lowest phone in the image is listed highest and vice versa

mikelward 4y ago

I would buy your phone, but I don't really like the iPhone mini industrial design. The square edges make it a bit hard to hold. I also don't mind if it's a bit larger than iPhone mini. Pixel 3/iPhone 13 size is my limit. If nobody makes something like this, I'll likely switch to iPhone 14 when it's released.

cyxxon 4y ago
At the moment it looks as if there will be no iPhone 14 Mini. You don't explicitely mention "Mini" here, but from context it looks as if you mean that. Just a heads up (and the reason why I bought a 13 Mini even though my old phone was still fine).

jjav 4y ago

I bought a Palm Phone as soon as it came out, it is the perfect phone. Basically same size as the old Motorola Razr but even a bit thinner. I'm very sad they discountinued it. I hope mine lasts forever or that either Palm or someone else fills this market gap for a small phone. If this initiative does it, thank you! My highest requirement for a phone is that it easily fits into the front pocket of tight jeans so I can't ever even feel that it is there. The Palm Phone meets this requirement, haven't found anything else that does.

m1sta_ 4y ago

Sony dude. The screen ratio makes it feel small in the hand.

51Cards 4y ago

I'm curious why you say "After the Pixel 5". Isn't that still pretty current specs wise? I love mine. I too would like to know where I'm moving next, but I'm also quite content with its specs for likely awhile yet.

rejor121 4y ago

I’m in the same boat, though I like apple. I’d still go for an android phone if they made something really small though. However, I think the era of small phones as we know it is over for now. The smallest we have is the Mini, and even that isn’t small. In fact, I think the next version of the small phone will be flip phones. We already see this with the Samsung fold. I tried one and was pretty impressed, and I feel like this is the likely direction the industry may take. However, I’m using my current phone for the next five or six years. I’m sure by then, the folding screen tech will improve a lot, and apple may even have their own version out by then.

peterlk 4y ago

If this phone allowed for 2 SIM cards, I would pay a silly amount of money for it

disillusioned 4y ago

The Pixel 6a is supposed to be nearly the same size as the Pixel 5, I thought.

carlivar 4y ago

Samsung S22

toastercat 4y ago

I agree with you, but the Pixel 5 is barely a year old. Why did you move on so quickly?

Abishek_Muthian 4y ago

I have baby hands, I am a dwarf. With each generational increase of display size, The number of times I drop the phone over its lifetime increases proportionally. I've used android phones from 2.8" to 5.7" display as daily drivers over the past decade. I assume, Many with small hands(palms) do face the issue of dropping phones, So I finding it quite surprising that 'Easily Repairable' wasn't included in neither 'Must have' nor 'Nice to have'. Repairability is so important to me that, I have stopped buying new smartphones since 2017. My last/current phone has full-metal construction, is easily repairable, has security updates(sans proprietary blobs) via LineageOS and I'm planning to switch to a postmarketOS device from near-same generation for better security(Only bootloader is proprietary). IMO in the age of Fairphone, there's no excuse for a non easily-repairable phone; Especially one which has community interests in mind. I wish you the best on this endeavor.

mjfisher 4y ago
I’m not a dwarf, but I do have smaller than average hands and really struggle to type on a phone one handed. I dropped my phone a lot trying to balance it. Have you come across pop sockets? Small collapsible self-adhesive handles for the back of your phone. They’ve made an absolutely massive usability difference to my phone usage (although I aim for the smallest handset I can get without compromising too much on quality anyway). Total game changer
- Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
  I tried pop sockets on the phones of my friends, my fingers are too small and stubby that I felt I would drop the phone more by fiddling with it so I didn't use them. Btw checkout Swiftkey's one-hand mode for typing, If you haven't already.
zdwolfe 4y ago
Thanks for referring to Fairphone. I didn't know they existed and am considering getting one.
- Abishek_Muthian 4y ago

iagocds 4y ago

What are your thoughs at the Zenphone 8? 5.92 is too big?

leeoniya 4y ago
im using one now. and yes, i consider it too big to use one-handed without dropping it. also, the physical buttons are way too easy to press. every time i hold it, i accidentally press something :( 5.5 inches is about the limit for me, with pretty avg hands, imo. previous phones were sony xperia compacts. last one was xz2 compact and felt pretty good, though could have been a tad thinner/lighter.

winternett 4y ago

I want headphone jack and SD card compatibility back, so I can store my audio library somewhere else (more reliable and less costly) other than the cloud, but phone makers are bent on disappointing customers and customers keep buying whatever junk they make and label as overpriced flagship devices.

Valakas_ 4y ago

Samsung S7 user here. Perfect phone. Good looking (silver one is awesome), no notches, great camera, good battery.... and perfect size. It's hard to accept for companies that they already achieved a great result, and only minor improvements need to be added. Maybe because if they would keep selling S7a, S7b, etc people wouldnt be so convinced to buy new ones so they need to make changes and somehow convince people the many changes are for the better... even if they aren't.

Markoff 4y ago

List of smaller Android phones with decent specs: Pixel 5 - 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm Samsung S22 - 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm Zenfone 8 - 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm (could be higher thanks to narrower body) Xiaomi 12X - 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm Samsung S21 - 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm S22 has almost identical dimensions as Pixel 5, so there is your upgrade. Personally I find all of these overpriced for what I need, I would be perfectly fine with 4A specs with better battery, so can't justify to upgrading to some of these.

mixxit 4y ago

Pixel 7 dimensions: 155.6 x 73.1 x 8.7mm Pixel 7 Pro dimensions: 163 x 76.6 x 8.7mm Pixel 6 dimensions: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm Pixel 6 Pro dimensions: 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm

nicbou 4y ago

When I broke my Pixel 5, I bought another one, even though the Pixel 6a was out at that point. The Galaxy S22 has a similarly-sized screen, but the EU version is rubbish.

theodric 4y ago

If you can make a phone I love as much as my Pebbles, I'll buy nothing else, forever. I guess confirming there's a market for it is the first step. My phone requirements haven't changed much in the last ten years. I bought one of the first "phablet" phones with a comically oversized 5" screen that got me ribbed by friends ("compensating for something eh mate?") Now 5" is at the bottom of the available size range. I'm a smallish person/manlet and don't need a phone I'm going to drop, but I do need something big enough that I can reliably type on it. I'll gladly support your endeavor. Thanks for taking the initiative. edit: fine with me to make the phone thicc so it has a day+ battery life. A little thicker is far easier to hold on to, anyway! edit2: I did own a Pixel 6 non-XL for about a day. It was large, but the bigger problem was that I found it incredibly topheavy, which made it difficult to hold on to. I swapped for a used 4a 5G, which is a well-balanced midsized device.

miniwark 4y ago

I think than some two of the prerequisites are the real problem : * Great cameras * Stock Android OS There are plenty of recent small smartphones with a display under 6". But most of them use Android Go and a not-great camera. I have recently tested one, the Logicom Le Wave, a 60€ phone with a 4" display sold in Europe. During my test, i have find Android Go 11 very reliable. It's even more easy to avoid using Google applications and to not link the phone to a Google account (by using F-Droid & Aurora Store) than Stock Android. There are also nice features for managing battery usage. That said the two cameras are indeed crap (but i do not take photos with a phone, for this i use a real cameras). My main problem with this phone is that it's also bad for... phoning: I mean than the sound quality is crap too. I was probably unlucky with my choice, but there are plenty of alternatives for 4" to 6" smartphones. Search for "teenage" or "unbreakable" phones. If the real objective is to have a light phone, who fit nicely in the pocket, than can be used one-handed and who won't fall out of the pocket while bicycling, then this sort of phones are perfectly fine. So my question is why the need of a good camera and stock Android ? (For the main point, i agree with you, smartphones are becoming ridiculously too big)

nicolas_t 4y ago

By the way, I was interested in Beeper but it seems the airtables link to sign up blocks any ip addresses from Hong Kong. I just get a blank page when I try to sign up. Just bringing it up, I have noticed quite a few sites have blanket bans on HK ips but it's rather frustrating.

barfingclouds 4y ago

Jelly 2