25 ms·

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

• betimsl 1y ago
  Dream phone: Underclocked Samsung25 internals, iPhone SE design/dimensions, at least 90hz OLED panel, 1 back decent camera, 1 front too. 3A battery. Preferably an extenal SD card slot.
• hammyhavoc 1y ago
  With a battery that can be swapped rapidly without tools. Bonus points for pogo pins like a Samsung XCover phone. Smaller size means smaller battery, but that's mitigated by the above. I want utilitarian. I don't want a phablet. I want practical and unobtrusive. The smartwatch was meant to replace the phone, but doesn't hit the right notes for me.
  • micromacrofoot 1y ago
    foldables are possibly good for this, I'm considering the fold 7 personally
    • hammyhavoc 1y ago
      I'm definitely open to the idea of foldables or even flip phones (perhaps even enthused!). I'm gutted that the Japanese "Galapagos syndrome" keitei are becoming extinct with fewer and fewer releases each year. The ones that are newly available tend to run Android 10 (yikes). The keitei were always very tasteful, ergonomic, and sensible. Sure, not always flashy in specs, but they didn't need to be when they prioritized the form above everything. Would love for the rest of the world to pick up this dropped ball and run with it.
      • dimitri_deploys 1y ago
        I've also been interested in this but a little at sea when it comes to navigating the alternate dimension of Japanese flip phones. Do you have any recommendations when it comes to identifying the last best example of the Japanese flip phone?
        • hammyhavoc 1y ago
          The first and foremost thing is checking the radio frequencies it operates on. Depending on where you live (or travel!), you might not be able to use it. Each device is different, so don't fall in love with it before you've checked the frequencies on the spec sheet. Then, realistically, you need to make sure that apps you do want to use do still offer functioning Android builds for what's almost certainly going to be an older version of Android running on a keitei. You might really struggle with banking apps due to this (despite plenty of keitei having NFC!), it depends on your bank's policies. You might also struggle with any official government apps if they force a recent version of Android. If it's Android, you can almost certainly run it in English, but beware any obscure outliers who heavily customize their ROMs and save space by removing other languages (few and far between, but they apparently do exist and can bite you on the ass if you don't read Japanese!). You'll probably really struggle to make it work for you overall if you don't live in Japan where this kind of phone is still expected to be supported. There's some beautiful phones, absolutely gorgeous designs in fact, but the above are a total pain in the arse and is what's made it non-viable for me (what forced me over to a Pixel 6a on release). The Pixel 6a getting a firmware update today that affected my battery (https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en) is why I'm pining after another keitei, but I don't think there's anything that can tick the necessary boxes for me. I'm gutted! There are some nice ones that have dual-screens, touchscreens, and touch-sensitive capacitive keypads for scrolling or navigation. Some can be folded to be used like a standard touch-only candybar style phone if you don't want to use the keypad. Some allow the display to be rotated, but those are very uncommon these days. I hear Gen Z loves retro flip phones as they are less intrusive and more sensible with swappable batteries, built-in screen protection et al, so perhaps there's a potential market fit for something in the West that ticks these very specific boxes. The funny thing is that I look at the average side-opening book-style wallet-esque case for candybar style touch phones in the West and they're basically recreating the beefits of flip phones with the hinged screen cover cases, but without much of the impact protection. I'm not a luddite by any means, I'm not even nostalgic for flip phones in any way, I just think that I've realized there's pros and cons to both, and the current offerings available in the West don't really suit me. Most popular phones in Japan these days in terms of units sold? iPhone and Pixel. That's what's killing the "Galapogos syndrome" keitei in terms of new models! A few friends I have in Japan find the candybar form-factor to be novel and cool, and others want larger screens for media, specific iOS-exclusive apps. or just enjoy the Apple ecosystem as they use a Mac for their work and play. They do tend to agree that there's pros and cons to both though! Pixel trails after the iPhone in numbers BTW.
      • Liftyee 1y ago
        Neat, I wasn't aware of that kind of Japanese flip phone before. Seems like one of the few phones I'd use without a case these days. I wonder if any were ever designed with a ThinkPad like aesthetic.
        • hammyhavoc 1y ago
          It's interesting to see someone bring up ThinkPads! I have been saying for a few years now that I want the "classic ThinkPad of phones" with readily available parts, sensible design choices (drainage holes on ThinkPads were a boon! Same with quickly swappable battery handles!) and some kind of afterlife that goes beyond whatever the manufacturer or OS developer decides it is going to be. To my knowledge of keitei, there aren't any Richard Sapper-ish ThinkPad-styled ones, but you do occasionally see red flourishes like the ThinkPad nurple/TrackPoint, but they're usually on things like a SIM card tray, but not generally contrasted by black, but similar impact to Sapper's distinctive style. I love me some utilitarian industrial design—I think that's what I'm searching for in modern phones. Sadly, I think that mentality is leaving us as the likes of Sapper pop their clogs and take the mindset with them. It's definitely somewhat oldskool values buried amidst all this. Sent from my modded classic ThinkPad next to Richard Sapper's '70s Artemide Tizio lamp with an aftermarket LED upgrade to make it energy efficient. :- )
    • micromacrofoot 1y ago
      (sorry, meant the flip 7)
  • jauntywundrkind 1y ago
    In past lives, I've clung to 3.5mm jacks and battery swaps (although I consider myself much reformed, yes I maybe would buy an updated LG v20 if one were released: that was an amazingly built metal slate of a phone with both. Just hot and slow, on that Snapdragon 820). Today, bluetooth works quite well for me (I love not having cables... but it sucks that performance with a microphone is trashfire). 3.5mm adapters are cheap and easy when needed (rarely. I also have a $10 bluetooth->3.5mm in my travel kit that does get used once a year!). And with usb-c providing fast charging, I rarely feel like I'd benefit from battery swaps. I can give myself 50%+ in 30 minutes, with a portable battery that will power not just my phone, but any other device I run into. With Qi 2.2 releasing with 25W wireless charging, and magnetic coupling being standard now, you don't even need wires anymore. Carrying a bespoke phone-only battery seems like a massive downgrade today. (It also felt like a massive fire hazard!) Time to update your expectations! Worth mentioning that battery swaps make water-resistance much much trickier to pull off. There' a real cost to battery-swappability. I do wish we saw something like Ara, some phone modularity & extensibility. Fairphone has some modular parts, but it doesn't feel like an open ecosystem, and the parts dont seem super designed for expansion but more just replacement. I guess maybe Framework is doing the best work, albeit in a bigger form factor space, with their Expansion Cards, which are basically just a card form factor USB-C. Licensed CC-BY-4. https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionCards https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionCards
    • hammyhavoc 1y ago
      For me, the battery swap interest is down to using CGMs and uploading that data to a mesh of local "follower" devices belonging to family members, as well as to my Nightscout server. That's quite intensive with new data every minute. We've had blackouts here before, and it's those moments you really value stuff like battery banks, however, keeping them charged and making sure others don't siphon your juice from time to time can be annoying (lol!). Would be nice to keep an additional battery just for my device in my pouch of diabetes-related paraphernalia. Once upon a time, I had a Motorola A920 in the early '00s that came with a dock to put a second battery into to charge it (pre-CGM era of course), but something like that would be lovely when combined with a foldable or flip phone. After Google pushed a firmware update to my Pixel 6a today, it definitely gives a feeling of vulnerability. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en Would love to recommend the Fairphone, but not available in every country. One of my cousins wanted one (his dad is diabetic too), but unfortunately not available to buy in Canada. Hopefully Framework humour the idea of a phone at some point, but it'll be difficult to please everybody, and I'm not sure it's economically viable. The Samsung XCover are mil-spec with swappable batteries (major selling point on their site) and don't struggle with being waterproof, so it can be done. I don't think it's as niche an idea as people would expect. I excitedly followed the Ara for years! Was gutted it never amounted to anything.
  • grishka 1y ago
    My first Android phone was an HTC Desire S. It had a rather sturdy metal case with some plastic inserts for the antennas. The bottom insert slid off to reveal the battery and SIM and SD slots. The only downside is that because of this construction it has the USB port on the side. I used it way beyond official support by installing custom ROMs, but eventually apps got so bloated it couldn't run them without frustrating me. So, uh, can I please have that but with a more modern SoC and a non-potato camera?
  • rtpg 1y ago
    I've come around on swapping batteries, and have decided that external battery packs are the way to go. Works on more devices, and you're not buying batteries that work on exactly one device. Still want my phone battery to be replaceable, but I'm pretty fine with not being able to do it myself.
    • oc1 1y ago
      just get a larger phone and you don't have to carry bulky battery packs.
      • rtpg 1y ago
        but I can have a smaller phone and also use the battery pack to charge my spouse's phone, not just my own
        • oc1 1y ago
          only if she prefers also smaller phones
• cypherpunks01 1y ago
  Unfortunately this still hasn't happened yet. There are almost no good options for reasonable size Androids anymore. Zenfone 10 is pretty good, especially with the headphone jack, but it's already out of print and will be obsolete before long. And smaller would be nicer. Any other current gen recommendations?
  • wmf 1y ago
    Zenfone 10 isn't even small; it's 2.5 mm narrower than an S25.
  • krater23 1y ago
    Unihertz JellyStar. Has a headphone jack too.
    • dmonitor 1y ago
      3" sounds like a novelty, but the Jelly Max seems a bit more reasonable at 5". Cool company.
    • kbrackbill 1y ago
      I tried with a Jelly Max but despite what they say it doesn't work on verizon :(. It's the perfect phone for me otherwise.
  • barrkel 1y ago
    I had to make this decision yesterday and picked Galaxy S25. A lot lighter than my work Pixel 9.
    • imp0cat 1y ago
      Seconded. Unfortunately the latest leaks suggest that the next gen - S26 - will be a bit bigger. https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-screen-sizes-edge-3577087 https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-screen-s...
  • mc3301 1y ago
• pclowes 1y ago
  My cynical take is that small phones don't exist because they are not the product. Similar to vape pens the product is the addictive substance the device loads. In this case its apps and ads. A smaller screen probably negatively impacts KPIs on many levels, at Google/Apple/Meta/X and on down through the ecosystem. I understand that Apple did not make enough money to make it worth their while to continue the iphone mini line. However, it does seem like there is a profitable business for someone there given how beloved it was/is. I only traded out my iphone 12 mini just recently for an iphone 16 pro (likely the last apple product I will ever buy but thats another story) and aside from the camera it is basically the same. Just heavier, awkward to hold and slightly worse designed. No major player wants a smaller screen because it has downstream impacts on the pipeline of addictive material and ad pixels they can stuff into ocular nerves.
  • abujazar 1y ago
    Agreed. I'd prefer a modern iPhone the size of an iPhone 4, it was perfegt. I made the same "upgrade" from 12 mini to 16 Pro, and the 16 Pro is so large and heavy. Feels like we're moving backwards in time.
    • walterbell 1y ago
      2026 iPhone Fold is rumored iPhone Mini size unfolding to iPad Mini size. https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/28/iphone-18-fold-details-launch-soon/ https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/28/iphone-18-fold-details-launch...
      • deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
      • frosted-flakes 1y ago
        Folding phones don't solve the problem of oversized phones, which is that they are awkward and cumbersome to use.
        • walterbell 1y ago
• robertoandred 1y ago
  I want an iPhone mini-sized iPhone again...
  • mobilio 1y ago
    SE user here... AMAZING device for it's size. Now i'm on SE 2020, but every day i miss original SE form-factor.
    • SchemaLoad 1y ago
      I considered the SE2 but went with the regular iphone after seeing the battery life was much worse on the SE2. Think that's probably what killed the iPhone mini too.
• luxuryballs 1y ago
  Theory: I prefer the iPhone mini because my hands are bigger. I think some people with smaller hands care less because they aren’t losing as much control as I am when the phone is bigger, not as much of a ratio difference.
• theendisney 1y ago
  I want a thick clunky device without a screen that can run for 4-7 days without charging. Then i want 1) a normal size device, 2) a tiny one and 3) a tablet. These should be terminals, little more than a screen, a battery and some radio to communicate with the herefore mentioned brick that does all of the heavy lifting. It needs only 20-30 meter range. The brick may also feature a webserver captive portal with public bluetooth and wifi access.
  • rjsw 1y ago
    I have a Nokia 6300 4G Dual SIM KaiOS phone that I can use as a 4G router for larger devices but has good battery life as a feature phone.
  • derefr 1y ago
    Except that the screen and the radio are 80% of power usage, so this doesn't help anything. For what most people do with their laptop/tablet/phone, the little bursts of CPU are effectively "free" — increasingly cheap with each process shrink! — while the IO is as expensive as ever.
    • theendisney 1y ago
      What fun comment. You are mistaken in so many ways :) When idle GSM uses a lot of power. Listening for a wakeup signal doesnt seem expensive at all. It even seems one could pull off the trick for free. Free < bluetooth < wifi < gsm There shall be e-paper ofc The brick can have a battery like that of a quality powerbank. For emergency charging the display snaps on top with some magnets. There will be heavy cpu loads with lots of reads and writes. Think a room full of people hammering the media server. Host websites on it. Imagine the fun! GPUs may work quite hard to decode and fit the picture on the screen. How to do io better is left as an exersize for the reader. (这意味着你) Whatever components we can get rid of buys extra space for the battery. It also makes the handheld device cheaper to replace. You may swap the battery or have a spare.(slide the empty one into the brick) You may also break or lose it. It can conveniently be replaced. Nothing important is stored on it. Lets make them with and without cameras. Imagine the opportunity to not make photos :)
• system2 1y ago
  There is Unihertz, but their 5G model is crap. They also don't update their OS. I believe the big manufacturers don't want to make a small phone (as other users have indicated) because of the big screen's addictiveness. Also, they can't fit a large battery in them so battery life would be a few hours with 1000mp 16k cameras. I'd rather carry a 1" thick, 4" tall phone than a 0.3" thick 8" tall phone. No pants pockets look normal anymore, and it is even more awkward to walk with tight pants.
  • krater23 1y ago
    Got two weeks ago a update for my jelly star. Don't know what they changed, whas not many, maybe some bugfixes. But I would be really angry when they just change the android version and the way I have to use the phone just with a over the air update that is installed without warning with one button press.
    • system2 1y ago
      Android 16 is out, and Jelly Star is still Android 13. Unihertz doesn't even have that many phones to worry about updates. I don't understand why they aren't updating it to the latest. Look at the iPhone 11. Got iOS 18 after 6 years.
  • ActorNightly 1y ago
    I had the titan pocket. The freaking wifi would just randomly disconnect.
  • theshackleford 1y ago
    > I believe You can believe whatever you want, but it doesn’t make it true. We know exactly why they make larger devices and it’s not a secret, it’s what consumers by and large want. It’s not a conspiracy. Every time a vendor falls for the “we want small phones” thing, they sell poorly thus proving the point again and again that it’s a minority at best that are interested.
• krater23 1y ago
  I want it too. And I have it: https://www.unihertz.com/en-de/products/jelly-star https://www.unihertz.com/en-de/products/jelly-star I have it since more than a year. I had the first one two weeks because I lost it as it fall through a hole in my pocket. So fix your pockets and buy this phone. I'm really happy with it :) And didn't found bugs since I have it.
• fgblanch 1y ago
  Funny enough, in 2023, Asus released a good very close to iphone Mini-size android phone. The asus zenfone 10. https://www.asus.com/us/mobile-handhelds/phones/zenfone/zenfone-10/techspec/ https://www.asus.com/us/mobile-handhelds/phones/zenfone/zenf...
  • wilsonnb3 1y ago
    I don't know why it was reported so frequently as a compact phone, the ZenFones are much larger than the iPhone mini. It's the same size as a standard iPhone or Galaxy S series.
    • quirino 1y ago
      https://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-13-mini,Asus-Zenfone-10,Apple-iPhone-13/phones/11637,12162,11634 https://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-13-mini,... I was convinced you were wrong but that's correct. The Mini is much smaller and the Zenfone is about the same size as the regular iPhone.
  • pohuing 1y ago
    Not only is it not a very small phone, I can't even properly type this message one handed. It's also not a good phone which I regret purchasing. Zenphones until the 10 had easy to unlock bootloaders, leading to long in official support by the community. However with the 10 ASUS stopped that tool and they've been lying ever since that they're still working on it. My zenfone is now on its final major android update, the rather minor android 15 version, and I've only got two years of security updates left until I need to look for a new phone. That's one thousand euros for barely four years of software support, it's such a disappointment. That aside the camera is lackluster, it's auto whitebalance is horrific, turning the same snowy scene into a sunset or illuminated by fluorescent light depending on the phase of the moon and it's sampling questionable making images much more blurry in a surreal way. But the optical stabilisation is seriously impressive. Overall I preferred the pixel 4a's images though. A smaller phone and my zenfone's predecessor. At least I get to just plug it into my stereo thanks to the 3.5mm jack though.
• kps 1y ago
  I want a pocket computer with phone connectivity (because too much still demands a phone number).
  • derefr 1y ago
    Why not a pocket computer with wifi + a softphone app + a virtual PBX service (e.g. voip.ms) for that softphone app to connect to? As a bonus, your phone number wouldn't be bound to that device, but instead would exist everywhere you can install the same softphone app.
    • SchemaLoad 1y ago
      Most things which require a phone number block any kind of virtual number service since the only reason they are asking for a phone number is anti spam and KYC.
    • efskap 1y ago
      I tried to make the softphone approach work but I was unreachable far too often when Android decided to kill whichever softphone app I tried. And if it did keep running, I'm pretty sure it consumed decently more energy than a dedicated telephony module. And yeah as mentioned, even with a "real" local phone number ported to voipms, I wasn't able to get sms codes from some services.
• MiddleEndian 1y ago
  6" doesn't register as small to me at all lol. The HTC 8X was 4.3" and that was a "normal" sized phone for me. I used the Palm Phone (PVG100) (3.3" screen) (basically the size of a credit card) [ https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_0973-2-1500x1000-1.jpg https://www.ricklohre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dsc_097... ] as long as I could until it became too slow to use as software got slower and increasingly battery-hungry and I had to give it up last year. Right now I have a Soyes S10Max, which has a 3.5" screen (same screen size as the original iPhone), but it's kinda chunky. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ47T53?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ47T53?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_... The specs are more than strong enough to handle whatever I need on a daily basis. But I miss the slimmer size of the Palm Phone. Right now I've pre-ordered this phone https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartphone https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartpho... with the 8gigram+128gig storage capacity. Has an even stronger cpu than the Soyes, but I am slightly worried about the resolution of 540x1168px because some elements may end up overlapping. Even though it's 4", it has a tiny bezel so it's only slightly bigger than the Palm Phone, although a bit thicker cuz of a bigger battery. But still relatively slim, especially compared to the Soyes. Front comparison: https://preview.redd.it/dtwnubx05scf1.png?width=3840&format=png&auto=webp&s=07daf4e0ee58c00e5d018356d2ea2a47612ce1b7 https://preview.redd.it/dtwnubx05scf1.png?width=3840&format=... https://preview.redd.it/s2391amd7hbf1.png?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dd8036884fd16a77b085df104675c08d5451312d https://preview.redd.it/s2391amd7hbf1.png?width=320&crop=sma... Will see!
  • dannyfreeman 1y ago
    Do these little phones work well in the US?
    • MiddleEndian 1y ago
      They seem to work fine on T-Mobile. I hear the Palm Phone had some issue with Verizon where it only worked as a "companion phone" and I hear AT&T limits what phones are allowed somehow, but I cannot speak to those things. They only have 4G rather than 5G. This has not bothered me but perhaps it would bother others.
• paxys 1y ago
  We've seen this story play out before. Every phone manufacturer has had the bright idea of introducing a small flagship. They spend a ton of money developing and marketing it. Internet people get excited. And when launched - no one buys it. They learn their lesson and move on.
  • rtpg 1y ago
    the foldables seem to have found their niche at least in this space though. But they get away with it by... also being a big phone
    • walterbell 1y ago
      iPhone Fold is rumored to be 5.5" screen size.
  • makeitdouble 1y ago
    > They spend a ton of money developing and marketing it. I beg to differ. How much marketing money did Apple spend on the mini line, in comparison to the "standard" size ? > And when launched - no one buys it. Pixel 3 and 4a are still the most sold phones in the Pixel line. The news when Pixel7 was launched: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/this-is-the-most-sold-google-pixel-phone-so-far/articleshow/94713363.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/this-is-the...
  • MostlyStable 1y ago
    It does not surprise me that the things that "internet" people want are not generally popular. What I don't understand is why that means they can't make money selling them anyways. Companies used to make money when the entire cell phone market was _dramatically_ smaller than today. Sure, maybe only 5% of customers want that phone, but 5% of a huge market is still a lot of people! I just have trouble believing that there isn't room for serving that segment of the consumer base.
    • bigstrat2003 1y ago
      Yeah, that is surprising and frustrating to me as well. I don't mind being a smaller market. Hell, I don't mind paying more because of it. But companies these days are largely unwilling to have a steady, sustainable business in a smaller market. The insatiable desire to capture the biggest market at all times leaves society as a whole much worse off, because if your needs aren't the most common - you simply cannot find anyone who will do business with you.
• dang 1y ago
  Discussed at the time: I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191 - May 2022 (1053 comments)
• pelagicAustral 1y ago
  I recently got a Samsung S25 and it's the best phone I've ever had. I went for the base model and the size is just perfect. It's a small enough phone that I barely feel I carry around all day. It's light and slim and has premium tier hardware so I don't miss out. Never paid more than £300 for a phone before, but I am more than happy with this one.
• sircastor 1y ago
  My iPhone 12 Mini's camera just broke (the zoom is failing..) I have been poking around for any solution that is around the same size. The best answer is generally never-heard-of companies that pop new phone models out and no certainty as to how long they'll last or be supported. That's on top of having to switch platforms (again). I'm resigned to getting a new iPhone in Sept - reluctantly.
• strathmeyer 1y ago
  You can still get a PVG100 on Amazon
• andai 1y ago
  I had a Samsung A3 (2016) which was almost the exact form factor of the iPhone Mini. I loved it for being so small and light. The last few years it became too slow for regular use (and many apps refused to install) so I put it in airplane mode and used it as an mp3 player. I'd still be using it today, but I lost it! I was very sad. I also loved the LG K8 (2017), wonderful device. That one was a touch bigger, but had a really nice curved screen. I used an iPhone SE (2016) until last year actually, which was even smaller. It worked fine, until software updates made it useless. That's a recurring theme with my phones!
  • EvanAnderson 1y ago
    > I used an iPhone SE (2016) until last year actually, which was even smaller. It worked fine, until software updates made it useless. That's a recurring theme with my phones! Very similar story with me. The iPhone SE 1st gen was peak iPhone. Small, had a headphone jack (and could charge while using headphones), nice display, decent battery life. I absolutely loved that phone. I miss having it every day (when I have to use two hands to use this clunker of a phone I have now, when I sit down and feel this gigantic phone in my pocket, etc). I used my iPhone 4 until the cellular radio wasn't supported anymore. Then I moved into an iPhone SE 1st gen. When the battery bulged I killed it trying to replace the battery (I am not suited to small electronics repair). I gave up, at that point, and moved to a janky Android phone because I couldn't get any phone I wanted from Apple (small and with a headphone jack). I wish I could have enthusiasm for phones again. Everything isn't what I want. I certainly won't make the mistake of making a phone integral to my personal workflows and habits again. I certainly won't come to rely on any native apps anymore, either. I recognize I'm a fraction of a fraction of a percentage of the market. Very few people regard their technology like I do. I feel like the computers (and, at one time, the phones) I use are extensions of myself. I think it's a little like how a musician might regard a beloved instrument, or a craftsman might regard a well-used tool. Very few people get bent out of shape about subtle changes in UI, appearance, latency, or functionality the way I do. I understand technology today isn't "for me". It makes me really sad, though.
  • barbs 1y ago
    I'm still on my first gen iPhone SE. Thankfully the apps I use are mostly compatible, and I just use web versions for everything else. Have replaced the battery and screen a few times each. This phone looks like it might be good replacement but it could also be a bit dodgy. I'm going to wait a bit for reviews before considering buying it https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartphone https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartpho...
• maz1b 1y ago
  I have on my desk, the Galaxy S8, iPhone SE (First generation), the iPhone 13 Mini, the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S22. I intentionally now choose and look for phones that are the smallest possible now (S25, iPhone 15pro or 16pro) etc My favorite to take with me is the 13 Mini. Would love an iPhone 18 mini.
• loloquwowndueo 1y ago
  What a coincidence, I also want an iPhone mini-sized iPhone :) the 12 mini is the perfect size but sadly it was the last of its kind.
  • phyrex 1y ago
    There's a 13 mini
• bschwindHN 1y ago
  I used the iPhone SE 1 until January of this year, it was such a great phone and a great form factor. I wrote an article about it to send it off: https://blog.bschwind.com/2025/01/11/the-original-iphone-se-is-the-best-iphone-apple-ever-made/ https://blog.bschwind.com/2025/01/11/the-original-iphone-se-...
  • jihadjihad 1y ago
    Pour one out. I’m still on my SE 2020 and have no idea what to go to once it dies.
    • user_7832 1y ago
      Likewise. The 70-something percent battery health isn't the best (and the phone lags like crazy), but the other day I realized it's still a bit smaller than my 2015 Moto G3 (that I still use, though only for basic tasks). If you are interested, Unihertz launched the titan 2 and it's pretty nice, but no waterproofing or wireless charging are big issues for me.
    • littlecranky67 1y ago
      An iPhone SE 2023 - it still gets current iOS version updates. My iPhone 8 is also still running (using iOS 16) but still gets security updates.
  • ghiculescu 1y ago
    I’m still rocking mine! Gonna start looking for second hand ones soon as the home button is starting to die, and that’s the best bit. I found using the browser is a good enough alternative for many apps, and it also makes them less addictive because they aren’t as slick. Particularly handy for work apps.
    • barbs 1y ago
      The home button's not too hard to replace, at least compared to the screen and battery. Mine actually broke ages ago but I've just gotten used to using TouchAssist.
• gandalfian 1y ago
  Mobiles are made by Asian companies to Asian tastes. They like big screens so that's what we get. The two exceptions are apple iPhones and Google pixel. The two American companies making phones for American tastes. Shame as the old 4.5" mobiles had such large bezels they could have accommodated 6" modern screens...
• axus 1y ago
  Just wait for smart watches to keep getting bigger until they are mini-phone sized?
• the__alchemist 1y ago
  I recently bought a new Pixel 4 BC I want a fresh battery, but don't want anything bigger than this. There are so many Android phone models, but not a single one that's a reasonable size?
• ghostly_s 1y ago
  I want an iPhone Mini sized iPhone.
• ls-a 1y ago
  I also wanted one, then Samsung released the foldable phones. The Z Flip was exactly what I wanted. Now that the Fold is so thin, I want it as a small iPad. I feel that Samsung has solved the small Android phone problem in a different way with foldables
  • _heimdall 1y ago
    I've wanted a small android phone for a while now too, but partly because I just don't care much for smartphones and want a small and cheap option. Ideally it'd be a pixel so that it should support GrapheneOS. The foldables are such an interesting concept. I actually had a Surface Duo for a while (though a different style of foldable) and really liked it, but I only had one after they were a year old and I could try it out with a used phone for ~$200.
  • kbrackbill 1y ago
    I guess people want different things out of small phones. I had a Z flip 3 for a few years because I thought the small pocket size would be nice, but it still doesn't solve the main issue that I can't reach the whole screen with my thumb. (and besides that I have a million other complaints about it, never going to buy a foldable again)
• grumpy_old_man_ 1y ago
  I remember when people complained that the iphone 6 was ridiculously big ... I'll keep my 12mini until it dies. Then I might buy another 12mini on ebay. I don't edit videos on my phone That's what desktops are for.
• snats 1y ago
  i get it. i want one of those. the problem is that most cellphones are not actual cellphones, they are entertainment machines. they are a pocket tv / social media feed place. most usage for my normal friends is for that.
• mannyv 1y ago
  For most consumers their phone has become their primary device, so the big screens make sense. Computer at home? Nope. I have multiple screen with me, so my 13 mini is great.
• mixmix 1y ago
  Funnily enough, I don't consider the iPhone 12/13 mini miniature at all. Granted, my hands are quite small even for someone of my height (5'7"), but remember those times people made fun of the iPhone 5 and of how gigantic it felt compared to 4S? I don't think human hands have grown that much since then. And I still believe the 1st generation SE is the best smartphone Apple has ever released: a rectangular screen, no camera bumps, a fingerprint sensor (that is still faster than Face ID), a mini jack, light, affordable, etc.
• kbrackbill 1y ago
  The best phone I ever had was a Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact. I would still be using it if it wasn't too slow to run modern versions of android. This is one of those things that just makes me feel so out of touch with the rest of the world. Does everyone else have giant pockets and giant hands? Does everyone use their phone with two hands and carry a bag everywhere? Is it just a trend like small phones were a trend before smartphones? Why do people want these giant phones?
  • ivanjermakov 1y ago
    > Why do people want these giant phones? Most people only use computers at work, solely relying on smartphones for communication, media, shopping, etc. It makes sense to have a big screen at inconvenience of having to carry it around. What surprises me is how small the demand for small phones is. I have absolutely no need for a big screen - I have a monitor.
    • shinycode 1y ago
      I never ever use my laptop anymore outside of work. I never surf the web, read, order stuff etc from my laptop. It’s basically useless now if I don’t code or use pro apps. So a bigger phone is confortable because some websites suck on smaller screens and using an iPad is too big sometimes
  • turtlebits 1y ago
    For more and more people, their phone is their primary (or only) device. On a day to day, I have more face time with my phone than my personal laptop.
  • Nursie 1y ago
    > Does everyone use their phone with two hands A lot of us do, yes. > and carry a bag everywhere? As a guy in 36" waist jeans (yeah I need to lose a few kg)... I can fit an iphone 16 pro max in my pocket pretty comfortably. > Why do people want these giant phones? Well, one reason is that I'm getting older and don't find it as easy to read tiny text on tiny screens any more. Another reason is that I sometimes watch streaming services on there. Also it's shiny and the battery lasts forever.
• famahar 1y ago
  I have an xperia compact phone I bought for $50 in Japan. It's a bit slow, but I don't do much on it other than jot down notes, maps, photos (the lens is a bit broken so it creates a cool lens flare effect), and messaging. Fits nicely in my pocket and hand. A giant phone just seems so silly to me.
• BuckRogers 1y ago
  iPhone 12 mini lover and user checking in here. The haters will berate us for our choice stating that "no one wants a small phone", but that's a lie. Normal sized phones were never going to be instant day-one hits. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy to launch them during Covid, offer them 2 years, and say no one wants them. Give them a permanent place in the lineup, treating phones like every other very personal device meant for humans. Small, medium, and large. If you do that, and give people time to see exactly why 5.42 screens are superior to 6.1"+ sizes, then I think the numbers will start to change from what we saw with the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, which were both launched when people were less on the go than in 100 years.
• yumenoandy 1y ago
  i put my whole family on the last iphone mini generation
• MinimalAction 1y ago
  I signed up for this perhaps two years ago. I don't remember the update banner being present at the top which says it's officially moving forward. I didn't find anything more on that, what's the actual status now?
  • david422 1y ago
    I think it's a dead project. There hasn't been any updates. I signed up about the same time you did.
• grahar64 1y ago
  I wrote this post https://maori.geek.nz/small-light-robust-phones-for-a-type-1-diabetic-child-fcb07378ff78 https://maori.geek.nz/small-light-robust-phones-for-a-type-1... that has a bunch of examples of small phones. The requirements are not exactly the same, but in the same boat as for want of good solid small phones. I recommend the pixel 4a 5g with LineageOS installed, or the Q9 mini.
  • VagabundoP 1y ago
    I moved from a Pixel 2 to the Pixel 5 and I'm very happy small phone user.
• userbinator 1y ago
  12 years ago a small Chinese company made this Android clone of an iPhone 4, but with additional features: https://www.gizchina.com/2013/11/07/jiayu-g5-unboxing-hands-on-video/ https://www.gizchina.com/2013/11/07/jiayu-g5-unboxing-hands-... https://www.gizchina.com/2013/09/18/exclusive-hands-video-stainless-steel-jiayu-g5/ https://www.gizchina.com/2013/09/18/exclusive-hands-video-st... https://www.gizmochina.com/2013/09/22/teardown-picture-jiayu-g5-android-smartphone/ https://www.gizmochina.com/2013/09/22/teardown-picture-jiayu... That was the "peak smartphone" era for me; lots of companies making slightly different variations on Androids, at relatively low prices, but almost all of them with the same basic set of practical features which are nearly extinct today. Now it seems all we get are faster CPUs and RAM, more (non-removable) storage and battery capacity, no headphone jacks, a very limited choice of screen sizes, and far too many cameras along with the obligatory unremovable spyware and locked-down OS.
• mrheosuper 1y ago
  I will hold my ip13 mini until i can't.
• catlikesshrimp 1y ago
  >> "Now I'm building Beeper - a universal chat app that lets you chat on 15+ different chat networks (including WhatsApp, iMessage, etc)." That is another idea which apple didn't like.
• dismalaf 1y ago
  Small Android phones did exist. They got bigger because the big phones ("phablets") sold better. Also, you can buy reasonably sized Android phones. They're still big-ish compared to say, 2008, but not huge considering the lack of bezel.
• nunez 1y ago
  If there's anyone that can make this happen, it'll be Eric. I signed up and absolutely cannot wait for the Pebble hacker to do this.
  • david422 1y ago
    I signed up 2 years ago. I think it's a dead project :(
• pentagrama 1y ago
  iPhone 13 Mini (2023) = 5.4 inches (discontinued). Pixel 9 (2024) = 6.3 inches. I know the Pixel 9 is not that small, but is close and an excellent phone (base or Pro models, the XL is bigger).
• CephalopodMD 1y ago
  you can pry my 13 mini from my cold dead hands
• jachee 1y ago
  I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone again. I busted out my old 4S, and the fit//finish,, materials, and just how nice it is to hold in your hand and operate are still really nice. Would love to fill it with modern guts.
• exabrial 1y ago
  same
• zhyder 1y ago
  I had filled out the form for this. Wish Eric stuck to this instead of the Pebble revival: it'd have a bigger market. I don't understand how the market isn't considered big enough for any phone OEM: how can it be smaller than that of foldables? Or even if it is, isn't it still big enough, and shouldn't there generally be more sizes and form factors of phones? It's as tho the car industry decided to only make 184" long SUVs (6.2-6.7" phones) and 200" long 3-row SUVs (foldables)... no other SUVs, no sedans/hatchbacks, no sports cars (much smaller and much lower volume). And different cars are actually hard to engineer and mass-manufacture the chassis and bodies for... in contrast a phone's HW is inherently more modular and mostly just the screen and battery need to be changed for each size.
  • notpushkin 1y ago
    Wait, is there any chance Google has released Pebble OS source code so that Eric doesn’t pursue making a small phone?
• Wistar 1y ago
  Heck, I want a new iPhone mini sized iPhone. I am stubbornly sticking to my iPhone 12 Mini because it is the form factor I really want.
• ShadowBanThis03 1y ago
  You can't even buy an iPhone-mini-sized iPhone anymore. Get used to making calls on a TV tray, and walking around looking like a schlub in cargo shorts for the rest of your life.
• Scrapemist 1y ago
  It is simply more difficult to cram the specs into a smaller form factor and they sell for less. A loose-loose situation. The same is happening in the tv market. 32” is disappearing because it’s more expensive to build smaller 4k displays.
• hollowturtle 1y ago
  Imo the real problem here is being able to use a phone with one hand, UI standardization led both android and iphone unusable with one hand, so I'd argue we actually stopped research mobile touch interfaces. A smaller phone would still need you to stretch the thumb to the other side of the screen
• RachelF 1y ago
  The Samsung S10e was probably peak Android. Small, high-end, SD card and 3.5mm jack. There are some decent small Android phones, if you're willing to buy non-mainstream brands. Take a look at: https://www.reddit.com/r/smallphones/ https://www.reddit.com/r/smallphones/
  • smt88 1y ago
    There's nothing close to the iPhone Mini anymore though
    • qingcharles 1y ago
      The 13 Mini should still get iOS updates for another couple of years, I think? Certainly iOS 26 appears to be supported.
      • Jtsummers 1y ago
        Through 2028 most likely, possibly longer, based on their OS support history (about 7 years).
        • lohfu 1y ago
          The 6s, released 2015, still gets security updates once in a blue moon
  • ashellunts 1y ago
    Fully agree. Mine has broken recently and I needed to buy a new phone. The S25 I have now is not much bigger, but even that small difference matters much. Though 120Hz screen is nice.
  • ChrisRR 1y ago
    As someone who often checks that sub, all I can say is that there's no decent small phones and it's just people constantly checking whether one has been released yet
  • 1y ago
• iamevn 1y ago
  I'm very happy with my Unihertz Jelly Max aside from the camera being not great. I think it's the smallest it can reasonably be (62.7mm wide) while still having its touchscreen keyboard be usable and because it's fairly thick it actually feels good to hold in my hands and I don't need to stick one of those silly pop sockets on the back.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• xarope 1y ago
  I dream of a foldable with an e-ink screen for multi-day usage, and an OLED screen when folded open for media/game consumption. Someone pinch me awake when that happens, thanks.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• mousethatroared 1y ago
  Larger phones have better battery life time. Screen power draw and battery capacity scale as the square of the linear dimension. They largely cancel out. However, all the other hardware are a fixed size so proportionally large phones have longer battery lives.
  • avereveard 1y ago
    Also panel manufacturer will not run limited run 5.4in panel just for a niche market and if they did cost would be super high. Like internal component can be rearranged to an extent, and battery is a tradeoff, but the panel need to be one on the market, no demand, no panel
  • coolg54321 1y ago
    Chinese manufactures has been using silicon carbon batteries with larger densities for long time, for example 6.3" vivo X200 FE has a 6500mAh battery which should solve small phone-smaller battery problem
    • mousethatroared 1y ago
      Ya but manufacturers believe, rightly, that folks will always prefer battery life to pocket confort. I say this as someone who clung onto his 1st gen SE until I got my current 13 mini
• qwerty2000 1y ago
  Yeah... we definitely don't get what we want.
• billfor 1y ago
  This was written before the Pixel 8, 8a, 9, and 9 pro. All of those are just slightly larger than a iPhone mini, at about 6.2".
  • leidenfrost 1y ago
    I have an S23 base for that exact reason. A full flagship phone at 6.1" size
  • Trollmann 1y ago
    They're slightly larger than a iPhone 16. Both are significantly larger than the mini iPhones. https://phonesized.com/compare/#2535,2552,1863 https://phonesized.com/compare/#2535,2552,1863
• Abishek_Muthian 1y ago
  I literally have dwarf hands, after experimenting with various form factors I've settled on using iPhone SE (4.7") as the main phone and a android (6.7") running FOSS stack as the secondary phone. I get the "just works" with decent privacy aspect of the smaller iPhone, health benefits from Apple Watch and for anything requiring longer screen time, termux, shelter cloned apps etc. I use the bigger android (Infact I'm typing this on the excellent HN client Hacki from android). Earlier I used to use Apple Watch with android using a tool I built[1] which now serves notifications from android to my iPhone. I'm glad Eric is going ahead with the small phone. [1] https://github.com/abishekmuthian/apple-watch-with-android https://github.com/abishekmuthian/apple-watch-with-android
• leke 1y ago
  It was quite strange to read this title this morning as my 15 year old daughter just received her iPhone 13 mini yesterday from Swappie. She too was complaining that the android phones are too big for her little hands. I tried all my reasoning skills to persuade her to stick with android, but ultimately she nagged me into getting a second hand one that is still way too expensive in my opinion. Well it looks like she is right and this is popular opinion. Perhaps small Android phones not selling well is a marketing problem. I've never seen one advertised with size being a selling point.
  • adithyassekhar 1y ago
    I think she prefers an iphone even if there was a tiny android phone.
  • jeffhuys 1y ago
    Thing about iphones is yea, they’re expensive, but if well-cared for can last you longer. I’m on a 6-year upgrade cycle and could stretch that more if I wanted to. Will go from my 12 pro to the 18 or 19 pro.
• QAkICoU7IDNkpFu 1y ago
  I was using Xperia XZ1 compact (4.6") and then moved to Vivo X70 pro+ (6.9") and it's so much easier for the eyes and typing. Yes, it's not the most convenient thing to carry around but I'd rather have less eye strain and typos. Also I think China makes 3-4" android phones but they're mostly a joke spec wise
• hexagonwin 1y ago
  I'm still using a 2013 LG G2 (SD800) and can't find a single device that I can switch to. The compact size is just perfect. iPhone 5/s/e was also pretty good but apple killed them with updates :/
• diforenzad 1y ago
  [dead]
• diforenzad 1y ago
  [dead]
• user_7832 1y ago
  Just as an FYI to everyone who thinks such products are financially "infeasible" - look at companies like Unihertz (or heck, even Framework). Niche categories can and do attract a small but devoted following. Btw: 1. Unihertz recently launched a BlackBerry esque phone (titan 2), if anyone reading this is interested. (Not sponsored by them) 2. There are many forums (and I think r/smallphones on reddit) where you can find much more discussion on such topics if you're interested.
  • margalabargala 1y ago
    Unihertz's phones are unfortunately simply technologically infeasible (to use). Their software is apparently write-once update-never, and any phone you buy of theirs will be riddled with permanent bugs. If Unihertz kept their phones up to date for a few years after launch, rather than only for the few years prior to launch, they would be an incredibly strong competitor in this space but as they are they are next to useless.
  • oaiey 1y ago
    Actually Framework is often asked to build a phone. So maybe the author should partner with them.
  • NoGravitas 1y ago
    Unihertz makes phones in a ton of interesting form factors. And then never support them with updates. The number of phones where my mouse has hovered over the "Add to Cart" button on their website before deciding updates are too important...
• mpweiher 1y ago
  I just want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone. It's OK if they just make one every couple of years. But please: at least every couple of years.
  • volemo 1y ago
    I don't care how often they make it as long as they release a new one before discontinuing the previous one. %(
  • manbitesdog 1y ago
    Same, I am a 13 mini user and will probably stay this way until there is a realistic alternative. It's obnoxious that there isn't a single phone on the market where you can reach the top corner with one hand.
    • quite-sfwd 1y ago
      We happy few will probably stay with them until their last breath
  • BrtByte 1y ago
    It's wild that something as basic as "a small phone that isn't garbage" has become a niche wish instead of a standard option
• ergocoder 1y ago
  I want a reliable e-ink phone. Minimal phone is good but flaky to the point that it is annoying. Odd UX that can't be configured (and no idea why). For example, if you touch the power button, it'll unlock and wake up the phone. There's no way to turn that off and require a click. Other android phones can but not minimal. like what the hell was going through their decision making process?
• maxglute 1y ago
  At this rate better chance of waiting for cover screen of flip foldables to be mini phone sized.
  • rtcoms 1y ago
    Samsung Z Flip 7 has that, it was launches few days back.
• O-stevns 1y ago
  I got the iPhone 13 mini as a work phone for the sole reason of it being the smallest iPhone at the time. I too dislike the phone landscape nowadays with their ridiculous and ever increasing sizes. My personal device is a Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, which I got because while it's huge when flipped, it's portable enough when it's closed. I can have it in my pocket without it falling out.. without it being annoying while i put on shoes etc... I use its cover screen a fair amount too, to avoid having to flip it open, which is also why I got the ultra rather than the slightly smaller version.
  • burnt-resistor 1y ago
    The iPhone 13 Pro -> 16 Pro upsizing is ridiculous. The 13 was just the right size, but now they had to change it so they could sell more cases. It's almost phablet-size now. Look at an iPhone 6S by comparison.
    • FinnKuhn 1y ago
      The iPhone 13 pro is 71.5mm x 146.7mm x 7.65mm [1] and the iPhone 16 pro is 71.5mm x 149.3mm x 8.25mm [2]. While it did get a tiny bit bigger I wouldn’t have noticed this u less you would look up the spec, especially as it got lighter from 204g [1] to 199g [2] at the same time. [1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/111871 https://support.apple.com/en-us/111871 [2] https://www.apple.com/iphone-16-pro/specs/ https://www.apple.com/iphone-16-pro/specs/
    • Analemma_ 1y ago
      This is an “unpleasable customer” problem. When the 13 Pro was current, everyone was yelling at Apple that it was too thin and that they wanted a slightly thicker phone with more battery life, which is what Apple did.
      • burnt-resistor 1y ago
        Not really. The iPhone 13 Pro non-Max was fine. If people want bigger, they can get a Max phablet. It's the 6 and 6 Plus especially that had a bendgate. They're trying too hard to make them too thin, sometimes. I'd be fine with a 5-7 mm thicker. Apple should do what's it's best at... not listening to frivolous criticism.
• udev4096 1y ago
  I love mini phones too but how naive do you have to be to trust a random page over an actual phone manufacturer? I can get a new pixel at 500$, install GrapheneOS on it, and call it secure enough. I wish google would make mini-pixel versions, same as apple does with SE
• jakegmaths 1y ago
  I'm writing this on a Unihertz Jelly Star which is tiny, and I consider it my "protest phone" at the lack of decent small phones. A friend jokingly calls it my "microphone", another a "prison phone" (due to its size allowing for more easily smuggling in body cavities). Occasionally I go to mobile phone shops and ask if they have a case for it just for the fun of seeing the look on their faces when they see it (I don't actually want a case, and in fact it came with one which I threw in the bin). Personally, I couldn't be happier with it. Only problems: they don't do software updates; camera is poor; non-OLED screen. In an ideal world I'd have a slightly bigger phone, but not too much bigger. I've grown very fond of this phone.
  • userbinator 1y ago
    non-OLED screen I'd consider that an advantage: No burn-in.
    • franga2000 1y ago
      Is OLED burn-in really something people still care about? I have a handful of OLED devices, some of which I've used daily for nearly 10 years, and none of them have any burn-in. I've never even seen burn-in on anything other than a signage TV, and that happens even on some LCDs.
      • diggan 1y ago
        > I've never even seen burn-in on anything other than a signage TV, and that happens even on some LCDs AFAIK, the hardware still suffers from that problem, but it's been fixed in most devices by software fixes. Instead of displaying the exactly same content 24/7, it has "cleaning programs" or similar to runs once in a while to prevent the burn in from happening. Our OLED TV does the same I think too.
        • franga2000 1y ago
          Of course, and many devices also use various pixel shift techniques. My point is that this isn't really a drawback from the user's perspective. Saying "I consider non-OLED to be a selling point because it won't burn in" simply doesn't make sense anymore.
• maxglute 1y ago
  Market wants big phones. The solution... look to the east. Phone accessories to manage big phones. Many women with small hands using finger loops (that double as kickstands), wrist straps, full body lanyards. Convincing main brands to dump 100s of millions to cater to small phone crowd should be proven DOA by now. The minimalist EDC crowd is niche aberration, most people throughout civilization EDC was more cumbersome. Most people are simply happy carrying more shit around. Look at Stanley cups. TBH 99% of big phone yucky crowd problems would be solved by a lanyard, but that's too goofy in the west. IMO what we need is better pockets. Front of legs or side belly of shirt. Have a little place to attach a chain like pocket watches. Fix for big phones is not a smaller phone, but better accessory/wardrobe.
  • raverbashing 1y ago
    I disagree, it seems the Eastern phones are gigantic for some reason And yes I do want smaller phones. Samsung S10e was the perfect size tbh. But no it seems the option dwindle and now I can't find a phone smaller than my thumb. At least some phones have a "shrink screen" option, but that's not the same thing as a smaller phone tbh
    • maxglute 1y ago
      Tiny market =/= no market, but not sustainable market. One hand mode + one hand type mode is not the same as small phone, but it makes one hand mode on big devices feasible. I'm personally waiting for eastern foldable phones to get hilariously gigantic so the front cover screen become useful "mini" phones.
  • Dylan16807 1y ago
    Some people want a phone where they can use the screen with one hand.
    • maxglute 1y ago
      Phone finger strap + learn one hand mode.
• deffrin 1y ago
  If I have money and the knowledge to build a phone, surely i will make it possible one day. But I don't know why new innovative people are not getting into smartphone making. Everyone is trying to make the next big software. But why that grit is missing to bring the variety into small hardware devices that target majority? Or, is it not reaching people like me? Is it the lack of awareness?
  • ge96 1y ago
    One reason is the modem, proprietary blob I think another reason is sourcing good parts that aren't old and bulky, speaking from the Linux phones I tried Also drivers somebody has to write em I used to be annoyed that you had to choose between Android or iOS I wish android phones had lidar
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    • deffrin 1y ago
      yes. that makes sense.
  • VoxPelli 1y ago
    Check eg. the Mudita Kompakt: https://store.mudita.com/store/mudita-kompakt-global https://store.mudita.com/store/mudita-kompakt-global And the Light Phone 3: https://www.thelightphone.com/lightiii https://www.thelightphone.com/lightiii
    • deffrin 1y ago
      both seems to be good options. will try one of these one day.
• renewiltord 1y ago
  All this is available on China market. Go buy there. Everyone always makes this post when they can just buy Chinese phone. Go get a Soyes or something.
• chartered_stack 1y ago
  I'm a convert on this topic. I went from wanting a small phone to being unable to wait to ditch mine. Like the OP, I switched from Android (Pixel 3a) to an iPhone SE 3 specifically for the smaller form factor. After using it for over a year, I've found the trade-offs in battery life and camera quality are too significant for my daily use. These limitations aren't an issue when I'm at home or my desk with easy access to a charger. However, they become acute the moment I'm out for the day. For example, using GPS for navigation or connecting Bluetooth accessories becomes a liability. I can't rely on the phone to last. Also, photos are noticeably more pixelated, and the quality drop-off is clear compared to larger, contemporary phones. This thread is evidence that the niche for small phones exists. But it's for people willing to accept these compromises by carrying a dedicated camera, a power bank, and using wired peripherals. For me and as the market suggests for most consumers, small phones just doesn't work out as reliable all-in-one devices. I'll probably wait till early next year to pick up one of the new iPhones after they iron out the initial kinks.
  • Jolter 1y ago
    The iPhone SE 3 might have a poor camera, but the one on the iPhone mini 13 is excellent! My conclusion is the same as the author’s: it’s a matter of you get what you pay for. The demand here is for a small premium phone. This would come with a good set of cameras.
  • VoxPelli 1y ago
    "the trade-offs in battery life and camera quality are too significant" - a small but thicker phone would have no trouble with battery life and could for sure have the same good cameras as larger phones – and could possibly even ditch the camera bump if it just made the entire phone as thick as the camera bump to fit a larger battery. (After all, easiest way to increase battery size is to increase the smallest dimension. Add 1mm to a 4-4.5mm thick battery and you'll increase the battery size by 22-25%. Make the iPhone 13 Mini as thick as its camera bump and you would probably add ≈2.4mm, which would make the battery 60% larger)
    • VoxPelli 1y ago
• asimops 1y ago
  Wow, that exploded over night :D It's nice to see, I am not alone. With Android working on including a "desktop mode" where you can add a screen and HID devices, I sure hope that the phone screens will get smaller again.
• raynr 1y ago
  I saw a post on this subject in the android subreddit back in 2019 [0] and it was clear that everyone had already accepted by then that the market was too small to sustain this. I too loved Sony's series of compact phones - the XZ1 Compact is still one of the best phones I've ever used. It is only going to get worse. Most of us who were young adults when the iPhone was announced are in our 40s now, and presbyopia is a real thing. In a few years my daily QOL will be better served by a bigger phone and I suspect many people around my age are feeling the same thing. The "small electronic accessory I bring around" niche will be filled by smartwatches. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/dijok5/is_there_a_market_for_us_pixel_and_the_state_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/dijok5/is_there_a_... (how quaint the prices look, a mere 6 years on)
• VoxPelli 1y ago
  The Mudita Kompakt (https://store.mudita.com/store/mudita-kompakt-global https://store.mudita.com/store/mudita-kompakt-global) is a 4.3” e-ink Android based phone that's about the size of an iPhone Mini. It doesn't have the Google Play Store but one can sideload Android apps onto it
  • NoGravitas 1y ago
    My only gripe with the Mudita Kompakt is that one of the reasons I need a smartphone is to run those little apps without which you cannot navigate the modern world - 2FA, corporate proprietary 2FA, parking, bank (my bank lets you deposit checks through the app, but not through the website, else I would only use the website). And a lot of those require the Play Integrity API at some level, unfortunately.
    • VoxPelli 1y ago
      Yeah, same here :/
• trumbitta2 1y ago
  Everybody loves a mini phone. Then you hit your 40s or 50s, and you suddenly understand the benefits of having a bigger screen.
  • trumbitta2 1y ago
    Yeah, thanks for the downvote. You're right. People older than 30 shouldn't exist and shouldn't be here commenting.
• phplovesong 1y ago
  The iPhone 4S was just this. Small, and had it all. It was the best iphone i owned. After this the overall phone size has ballooned. Such a shame.
• crossroadsguy 1y ago
  > $700-800 I can. Nothing will make happier than ditching Apple and get a smaller Android phone. In fact the size of iPhone 5s was the only reason that had piqued my interest and I had migrated to the iPhones. Then I stayed for other (and important) reasons. > Stock Android OS Ah, no. I take that back. That is not going to be worth 700-800 just for the size! In fact take more and put it to a fight which tries to force Google to "decolonise" every aspect of this mobile OS and push for apps to go for alternative app stores. But as long as Google has it claws and fingers and feet and palm and teeth (imagine every other organ) into my data (and also existence via sensors and what not) on an Android phone in every way possible (sometimes not even imaginable), such pervasive and entangled, that getting out of this Kafkaesque privacy nightmare means using a custom ROM that no OEM supports (or probably will every support) and half the app I use (including bank/payment/Govt apps) will stop functioning and it makes me feel like puking - even the thought of being tracked like that non-stop! Until then sadly I will contribute to the trillions of Apple and participate in this cozy duopoly these companies have established and rather be in this Kafkaesque control and closed walled garden. It is sad. So no, I am done with "Stock Android OS" trope at this point :( The reality is - and it is a sad truth - such a phone in today's world can only exist as a vanity/niche product and hence even with high cost it will suffer from lack of support, abandoned update/upgrade promises, and a really really bad support experience unless it is released to "just few cities" (not even few countries) because this is going to attract such a small number of people!
  • volemo 1y ago
    Doesn't "unlockable bootloader" requirement solve this problem?
  • karel-3d 1y ago
    There is no "stock android" btw. There is no such thing.
    • RichardCA 1y ago
      It's turned into a generic term that usually means the ability to remove all corporate branding from the UI. A lot of it is in the ability to apply themes. For example the Icon style for Android 6 (Marshmallow) is now considered retro. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Marshmallow#/media/File:Android_Marshmallow_screenshot.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Marshmallow#/media/Fil... I particularly despise the way Samsung wants to use impose a "bulging squircle" icon shape and I always find a way to override that (Nova Launcher still works well for this use case).
• thorio 1y ago
  Since Google is about to brick my Pixel 6a with the battery botchering update, i find myself in the same struggle again i had when buying the 6a. Basically you have to make compromises on performance and camera and then this was, what i came up with: - Zenfone 10 (flagship with prices still above launch price (!), which soon gets no updates anymore) - Unihertz Jelly Max (small, but thick and bad camera) - Rakuten Hand 5G and Rakuten Mini (also bad camera and older Android) - Balmuda Phone (which i really like, but also bad camera and discontinued, so probably not even security updates and no custom rom support) - Bluefox NX1 (really tempting, but appearantly kind of bad build quality and no NFC) All other options are even older phones. Samsung S25 line does exist, but i really like vanilla Android. I think the price chart of the Zenfone DOES somehow indicates the existence of a market and i wonder if it would be big enough for a small niche player!? Personally I am considering a pixel 8, which is the "smallest" of current phones, but it still really isn't small. And i don't see myself as a Google customer because of the battery topic... I personally would have been more happy had Eric made a small android phone instead of the new pebble, but hey...
  • mmarian 1y ago
    I have the Pixel 8, and I've been happy with the battery and pretty much everything. It's got a great performance/price ratio.
  • twiclo 1y ago
    Couldn't you put lineage on the zenfone?
    • thorio 1y ago
      How problematic is app compatibility with Lineage nowadays? (banking, google-pay etc.)
  • martin_henk 1y ago
    Rakuten hand was/is very small.
    • 1y ago
• tauntz 1y ago
  I switched from a Pixel 3a to an iPhone 16 and it really bothers me that it's way too huge for everyday usage. Maybe I have extremely short thumbs but here's the maximum reach I have on the screen when I hold my phone "normally" in my hand: https://i.postimg.cc/Cx97jxLZ/iphone16reach.png https://i.postimg.cc/Cx97jxLZ/iphone16reach.png - I can't reach the upper part of the screen at all, without doing finger-gymnastics or using my other hand. I'd love to switch to a phone that is 50-60%% of the size of the iPhone 16 but there are essentially no (modern) options for this. It's really a bummer :(
  • glandium 1y ago
    I have both and they're surprisingly essentially the same size. Except the iPhone has less bezel and is thicker. I only have the iPhone for dev purposes and I actually prefer the Pixel 3a, but I'm afraid it might die soon... Anyways, are you sure you're talking about the iPhone 16?
  • coldpie 1y ago
    It's clunky and stupid, but if you "swipe down" off the bottom of the screen, it will bring the top half down into the reachable area. That's the fix they chose, instead of making phones that fit in a human's hand.
• karel-3d 1y ago
  buy a z flip
• ChrisRR 1y ago
  I'd even be happy with a 5.5" phone nowadays but no-one even makes them
• ZeljkoS 1y ago
  You can actually find small Android phones via excellent GSMArena phone finder: https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2023&fDisplayInchesMin=4.8&fDisplayInchesMax=5.5&idOS=2 https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2023&fDisplayI... Quick search for just display size found these 10 phones released after 2023: https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2023&fDisplayInchesMin=4.8&fDisplayInchesMax=5.5&idOS=2 https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2023&fDisplay...
  • einpoklum 1y ago
    My very lax criteria yield only 4 phones released since 2023: * A phone, not a watch * Android 14 or later OS * Thickness: 9mm max * Height: 150mm max * Width: 71mm max and three of them are the overpriced Samsung Galaxy S phones. Only 7 released since 2020: https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nHeightMax=150&nWidthMax=71&nThicknessMax=10&chkCameraOIS=selected&sFormFactors=1,2,3,4,6,10,11&idOS=2&idOSVersion=2140 https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nHeightMa... and they are Samsung Galaxy S's, a couple of Asus ZenFone's, and Google Pixel 5. If you're willing to add another 5mm, there are also a couple of Sony Xperia's and Sharp Aquous, and Google Pixel 8. And if you want to cap the height at 145 mm - it's just Google Pixel 5.
• Raed667 1y ago
  There are some rugged Android phones with the "mini" format ~5.5" They can be quite chunky but honestly not too bad
  • OldfieldFund 1y ago
    I think the main reason is battery.
• amelius 1y ago
  Maybe buy a flip-phone? By the way, Apple is horribly behind in this area. It is time for them to realize that not everybody wants the same form factor. And people are getting bored by Apple's run-of-the-mill designs.
• sjw987 1y ago
  We are unfortunately a neglected part of the market. I used to have a Pixel 5. As somebody who uses phones minimally (<10 min average screentime per day), but still wants utilities beyond a feature phone for special use cases (maps, translate, digital tickets, public transport, NFC payments), it was about as small as I needed it to be to tuck it away in my pocket for the whole day. It was also quite a nice form factor with a black stone-like back case, which didn't seem to scuff or attract fingerprints. I had two of them. The first one lasted 2 years before the battery swelled up and I had to dispose of it. Google replaced it for free with another. Then eventually Google Pay stopped being supported on the second, since it was a few years beyond security updates. After that I found no alternative within the Android ecosystem. I don't want to get into Apple products (despite minimal use, I did have the phone customised so that it was stripped bare in terms of apps and notifications, and had a launcher which I preferred over Google's native design), and every tech blog talking about small phones led back to Pixel 5, or one of the ones just after which was also out of sale and security coverage. Even though they are sold at profit, I get the feeling phones are viewed by the industry as vehicles. Get one with a big screen into peoples hands, then keep riding on the payments for games, movies, TV and web browsing that follows that. As somebody who never used my phone for any of these things, I'm clearly not important to the market for the one-off payment of a new phone every 5/6 years.
  • VagabundoP 1y ago
    I'm using a google pixel 5 with google pay right now.
    • sjw987 1y ago
      Just a heads up, when I contacted Google Support about this, they insinuated that this is something slowly being rolled out across Pixel 5 devices, so while it may work now, it could stop at any moment. The issue I received when tapping to pay was "Your phone doesn't meet software standards". It did mention it can be due to rooting (my phone wasn't rooted) or "uncertified software" (of which I didn't have any). I'm sure you might already do so, but I'd advise not to rely on the phone to pay going forward. For me, I was caught off guard in a shop without any other payment method. There was no warning or notification about the change until I tapped to pay at the card terminal. I tried a few more times afterwards with another payment method as backup, and it never worked again, even after rebooting, toggling NFC off and on. I never received an email, notification or warning in the app itself. It was quite disappointing as I reckon I could have run that phone for a few more years as a minimal phone. Google did offer me about £100 off of a new Pixel. So if this happens to you and the lack of Google Pay is a dealbreaker, I'd give that a try.
• Aissen 1y ago
  We see those posts regularly about people wanting a flagship small phone, but I see two options: - either the market is dysfunctional, and the niche of people wanting those devices does not meet the smartphone offer. - or the market is even smaller than what they think, making it unsustainable. Both can be solved with time and patience (waiting for this to happen as conditions change) — or by voting with your wallet and making this requirement have priority over others (security, updates, quality, performance, compatibility, etc.).
• wkat4242 1y ago
  Samsung's S-series (without plus or ultra or edge or whatever) is basically this. Not quite as small as an iPhone mini, but just about small enough to be ok for me. Shouldn't be any bigger though (especially not wider!). For me the width is the big issue with big phones. It just feels uncomfortable in the hand then.
• theothertimcook 1y ago
  https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartphone https://aiphor.com/products/bluefox-nx1-4-0-android-smartpho... https://www.unihertz.com/collections/jelly-series https://www.unihertz.com/collections/jelly-series https://soyes.vip/en https://soyes.vip/en https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-servo-mobile-phones.html https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-servo-mobile-phones.h... They’re all kinda ass though
• Retr0id 1y ago
  > Cameras must be as good as Pixel 5 > must have great low light performance You'll probably have to compromise here a little too. Having "good" smartphone cameras is more about the software than the hardware (there's only so much you can do with small apertures and small sensors), and the flagships have huge R&D investments behind them. I too want a small phone, and I'd be willing to settle for "passable" camera quality.
• righthand 1y ago
  Forget Apple sizes, I want a 3-4 inch sqaure (4:3) phone. Preferrably with a keyboard that folds or slides out. Something I can use with one hand or two and not have to switch to two hands to tap an upper corner.
• Piraty 1y ago
  htc HD mini was the perfect form factor
• Marciplan 1y ago
  "My goal here is to rally other fans of small phones together and put pressure on Google/Samsung/anyone to consider making a small phone." 41k people is impressive, but that doesn't move the needle for any of these companies by a long long shot
• VagabundoP 1y ago
  Small phone person here. I tried the Sony Compacts and it was a good phone but very fragile. Smashed quite quickly. Moved to a Pixel 2 and then to a Pixel 5. I'm happy with the 5, good size and good features, fast enough for what I want and battery is okay.
• desdenova 1y ago
  This is almost describing the ASUS Zenfone 9 (except for some reason they wanted only 8GB RAM, while the zen 9 has 16). The small size and clean stock Android were the main reasons I bought this, and it's still a great phone.
• rickdeckard 1y ago
  The hard reality is that there is no PAYING market for such a device, because when it comes to the point-of-sale, most people still choose the normal-size device with better screen/battery/camera. This is equivalent to something I called the "QWERTY paradox" more than a decade ago: Back when the Smartphone market exploded, people disliked typing on a touchscreen and repeatedly stated that they want a device with a physical keyboard. There was plenty of evidence, surveys, market studies, trend predictions, devices for these "Messaging-centric" use-cases were always part of this market-demand roster. But whenever someone answered the call and built a Smartphone with QWERTY keyboard, the product failed commercially, simply because also to people claiming they want such a phone, at the point of sale they were less attractive than their slimmer, lighter, all-screen counterparts. Every major vendor went through this cycle of learning that lesson, usually with an iteration like "it needs to be a premium high-spec device" --> (didn't sell) --> "ah, it should be mass-market" --> (also didn't sell). You can find this journey for every vendor. Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola, Sony. The same lessons were already learnt for small-screen devices: There was a "Mini" series of Samsung Galaxy, LG G-series, HTC One, Sony Xperia. It didn't sell, the numbers showed that it didn't attract additional customers, at best it only fragmented the existing customer-base. Source: I work in that industry for a long time now
  • GRiMe2D 1y ago
    Every time I see messages and posts like this, I hope that big companies were being dissatisfied with the product factory scaling issue and device sell effectiveness. I hope that small companies would launch device like this with 500-1000 devices being created and sold in a year just fulfill the niche and doesn't go bankrupt
    • kayodelycaon 1y ago
      I don’t think you could manufacture a small run like that without the price being extremely high. Say you charge $1,000 per device. That means you need to build an entire company, pay staff, and prototype then manufacture a custom hardware device with customized software with less than a million dollars. Costs add up real fast.
• dengolius 1y ago
  looks like iPhone SE 2025 should cover user needs for $800
• CafeRacer 1y ago
  I wish there was a phone, preferably with buttons (bb q10 like), that can run WhatsApp, banking app and Apple Pay (or whatever android version is). Also it should be running these stupid government apps. And music please... preferably with 3.5mm jack so I can connect my nice headphones. This phone can have mediocre camera.
• eskibars 1y ago
  Man this hits home. I'm a reasonably sized human, but there are almost no devices on the market outside of iPhones where I can reach from bottom right to upper left with 1 hand without shifting the phone around in my hand. I hate it. I'd be willing to take less battery life to get something like this, but nearly everything that's anywhere close either has no NFC (which means mobile payments are out the door) or doesn't have 5G or just has such an awful camera/processor as to be basically unusable for many every-day tasks.
• spankibalt 1y ago
  > "But whenever someone answered the call and built a Smartphone with QWERTY keyboard, the product failed commercially, simply because also to people claiming they want such a phone, at the point of sale they were less attractive than their slimmer, lighter, all-screen counterparts." The slab form factor is excellent industry design; modern efforts to integrate a hardware-keyboard, i. e. in a non-detachable way, are quite frankly daft. It buys the worst of both worlds: added complexity and error-proneness, more (dead) weight, awkward handling, harder maintainability/repairability, etc. The form factor that was represented by Psion-machines such as the 3- or 5-series was great at the time, but is now obsolete, as evidenced by Planet Computers' recreations. Integrated sliders (e. g. F(x)tec) are only marginally better. Technically, the solution of course is very elegant and simple: 1. Slab-form factor UMPC/smartphone 2. Corresponding detachable (as "attachable folder"), roughly Psion 5-sized keyboard a similar 3. Small "click-in" keyboard dock à la Pinephone keyboard or a 4. Detachable slider But that is indeed just one variable in the whole equation; there's a whole set of features I consider essential for a smartphone- or UMPC-like device that one doesn't find anymore.
• qwertytyyuu 1y ago
  Take the compromise the the Motorola razr and never open it. At least for now, that;s what I’m doing
• moron4hire 1y ago
  I want an Android phone that doesn't break. My iPhone is a beast, but I hate using it, I'm too used to the Android interface (especially the keyboard, I can't believe how bad the keyboard is on iOS). But every Android phone I've ever had gets dinged up very easily and eventually falls apart. I bought an iPhone 15 and a Pixel 7 at the same time when I started a new job 2 years ago. I keep my work stuff on the iPhone. For the first year, I kept them in the same pocket and had them both everywhere with me. The Pixel within a few weeks was starting to look beat up. The iPhone still looks practically brand new. Just last night, I got home, pulled my Pixel out of my pocket, and found a crack near the corner of the screen. Now the screen is glitching out on the bottom 15% of the screen. I didn't drop it, I didn't bump into anything. Regular pocket pressure while sitting in my car must have bent it and it buckled. My wife has had similar experiences with Samsung phones. If it weren't for the lack of good browsers on iOS, I'd put up with the shitty keyboard.
• Mouvelie 1y ago
  Switched from my iPhone 13 mini to a Qin F21 Pro. I will buy phones like this as long as I can ! It was a pain to setup but it works well for what I want (having a smartphone in Canada) https://www.duoqin.com/ https://www.duoqin.com/
• omgtehlion 1y ago
  These days I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone phone... :(
• mpascale00 1y ago
  Number one factor for me when buying a phone is how long is it going to last. I mean durability, camera quality, os updates. Will I still want to use/be using it in 5 years? I cannot justify $700 as much as I _really want a smaller phone_. But _maybe if it was built to last_ I would be the customer and I would tell all my friends. Currently use a Pixel 7a because it was cheap and OK. I was debating the iPhone 12 mini but it was already a little old, and I prefer Android. I suspect, if others are like me, that those who want small phones also just want something that works and is a little minimal - not necessarily all the power best camera etc. To be clear, I _don't_ want one of those minimalist dumbphones, I want _a smartphone_ that's small Do y'all feel the same? Propose a $500 small phone that's OK on specs but LASTS.
  • JamesSwift 1y ago
    Yes. The iphone se was basically the exact thing I wanted (and previously the moto G series). It doesnt seem like apple wants to continue to offer the product line.
    • RankingMember 1y ago
      The 16e is the successor to the SE in case you want to take a look at that.
      • alabhyajindal 1y ago
        16e is not a small phone, it's about the same size as an iPhone 16. https://phonesized.com/compare/#2552,2644,1975,1863 https://phonesized.com/compare/#2552,2644,1975,1863
        • JamesSwift 1y ago
          Right, and even the 2nd/3rd gen SE got much bigger than the original. I basically want the original SE (which I believe is the same as the iPhone 5s), with no bezels. Actually, looking at that handy link you provided, it appears the 13 mini is basically that. Discontinued in 2023 : /
• butz 1y ago
  Silly question: how hard would it be to find some manufacturer in China, that could manufacture several hundreds or thousands of low-mid range devices, of iPhone SE size or similar? Would be great to have ability to run PostmarketOS.
• _seiryuu_ 1y ago
  This resonates strongly. The Pixel 7 is my current holdout due to its 'acceptable' size, even though it's not exactly "mini". It's a shame to see manufacturers like Asus move away from compact form factors, as I'd have been an immediate buyer for a smaller ZenFone. The market's push towards larger devices is making e-ink 'dumb' phones increasingly appealing for me.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• otikik 1y ago
  I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone. They don't do them any more
• neuroelectron 1y ago
  The idea that nobody wants a small phone seems odd to me when Asus Zen Fone 10 is extremely rare and the iPhone 13 mini only exists in retail as refurbs.
• herpdyderp 1y ago
  I was hoping that the foldable phone market would fix this, but instead of making normal sized (huge) phones that fold into half the size, they made tablets that fold into normal sized (huge) phones!
  • ikari_pl 1y ago
    It's something. (I may be biased, just switched to my 2nd foldable, even more foldable than the previous one)
  • arccy 1y ago
    you can get a Samsung Galaxy Flip series phone
• Eric_WVGG 1y ago
  Heh. I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone (2025)!
• BeFlatXIII 1y ago
  I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone with the Pro model cameras.
• ceedan 1y ago
  I have a 13 mini and a case with a built-in 6800mAh battery. Without the case, this phone is low battery half way through the day. When watching videos, I do feel like 5.4" screen is a little bit small. Overall happy though. I wanted a smaller phone.
• ccorcos 1y ago
  I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone! You can’t buy them anymore and now I have a big phone! A weird correlation I’ve observed is that many tech savvy designer folks have iPhone mini’s. I think partly because they do their main work on a computer and don’t lean on their phones as much.
• kristopolous 1y ago
  Japan still makes reasonably sized phones - plenty of them. Recommend shopping for one if you're going over sometime soon.
• raydev 1y ago
  What I find fascinating is that Apple's and [Android manufacturers]'s previous attempts at smaller phones aren't even worth maintaining after they assess sales. In my mind, these companies are all so massive they can afford a little fragmentation for the obviously small market, with no meaningful impact to their sales numbers or profits. On the iPhone minis, there's very obviously a market for them, but the market is so small compared to the market for "all iPhones" that it practically vanishes in comparison, which leads Apple to not bother. Is it really that expensive to maintain a more niche line for each generation?
  • Skunkleton 1y ago
    > Is it really that expensive to maintain a more niche line for each generation? Think of just the work that goes into having an assembly line customized for a specific form factor. To keep price, quality, and profit in line with their other phones I think the answer here is clearly yes.
    • kevincox 1y ago
      Especially if having that line means only 1% more customers and 19% customers that just buy the small model instead of the other model. And unless you are launching the Mini Pro Max Ultra X you are losing money on that 9% of customers that would have bought the higher margin phone but instead bought the mini version which is only available at the more base model. (Numbers made up to illustrate the point)
      • Skunkleton 1y ago
        I fall into that category. My first choice would be an iphone pro mini. My second choice is an iphone pro max. I refuse to explain my preferences.
• redbell 1y ago
  This was a hot post in 2022: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191
• melesian 1y ago
  I want a Linux phone based on open source hardware. I gave up an iPhone for Android then switched to Pixels. My current Pixel 7 will be my last Google phone. I want out of the surveillance economy. I want AI assistance as badly I want a hole in the head. I carry an 8 inch tablet (fits in a jacket pocket) and do most of my mobile web, email, podcast listening etc. on that, using my phone as a hotspot. Can't buy a new 8 inch tablet with a fingerprint reader. Got a couple of 2nd hand ones on eBay and will soon look at putting LineageOS on them (they have out of date versions of Android).
• the_gipsy 1y ago
  Tha sad truth is that small screens don't work anymore, because apps are all tailored for bigger screens. I noticed this when I had an iPhone mini. It just did not work right. The UIs that are supposed to be surrounding the main part just cover too much. The range is from mildly annoying to completely blocked. Really sad, because the device was physically very practical, and I don't really need such a big screen, just smart UIs like we used to have, that don't cram the screen full of every feature of every PM that ever worked at the company.
• xorcist 1y ago
  Make your 5.4" screen phone with: - a 3.5mm jack - fingerprint sensor on the back and it's an immediate buy for me, (almost, but not really) regardless of price! The Pixel 4 had a 5.6" screen and it feels like the local maxima of mobile phone design. Ran GrapheneOS perfectly too.
• SaaSified 1y ago
  [dead]
• lloda 1y ago
  I think a squat format like 4:5 would be much more practical than 9:16 or whatever most phones are. It's unfortunate that's the format that's come to dominate, especially when you consider the rise of vertical video.
• nottorp 1y ago
  Umm I want an iPhone Mini-sized iPhone...
• lion__93332 1y ago
  There are many such phone sellers in China—you can find them in the second-hand market. But I feel like all the internal parts have been replaced. It may look like an iPhone on the outside, but the components inside are probably no longer original.
• kubatyszko 1y ago
  HTC magic was just about that size ! (and it ran whooping Android up to 1.6 I believe). It was a 2nd publicly available android phone, right after the HTC with Dream.
• SirMaster 1y ago
  Ugh, yes I HATE how big phones have gotten... I like the idea of the folding flip style phones (Galaxy Flip) though and hope Apple makes one of those!
• fhcbix 1y ago
  I gave up on finding a <6" with my requirements (audio jack, microSD, USB-C display) and can use my 6.1" Xperia 5 III reasonably well with one hand using a MomoStick. Other smartphone ring attachments exist but this one acts as a stand as well.
• BrtByte 1y ago
  As a fellow small phone enjoyer, this speaks to my soul. The big phone trend feels like it’s being driven by media consumption and spec sheet flexing rather than actual usability. One-handed operation? Pocketability? Those used to matter!
• rbits 1y ago
  My god... are we really at the point where even in the "nice to have specifications" people don't put a headphone jack anymore? Did the phone companies actually succeed at spreading apathy towards the headphone jack?
• jeffbax 1y ago
  I would have bought the 13 mini except at the time the 13 Pro's 3x camera, 120hz and better battery was notable. Now I kind of dread what will be available when it's time to finally upgrade this year. Am sure they could make a new mini that didn't seem as compromised, but now they think the size is non-viable. Bring back when small was not a synonym for cheaper.