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> very small Android phones IMHO this is just not viable in the current world. I agree with line the article sets (5"4 for 1080p, almost the size of the Pixe

> very small Android phones IMHO this is just not viable in the current world. I agree with line the article sets (5"4 for 1080p, almost the size of the Pixel 4a), as mainstream apps will properly work at that size. I still have a working 4a, and some banking apps are getting pretty cramped for instance. And many websites already need furious panning and zooming. A credit card size phone would only work for people who basically hate their phones I think.

ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
I agree. I think the article about them was on Ars Technica, but I don’t really feel like looking for it. They seemed underwhelmed at the phones. [EDITED TO ADD] Found ‘em: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/palm-rises-from-the-dead-as-a-zombie-brand-launches-tiny-smartphone/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/palm-rises-from-the-... Also, these: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/meet-this-unique-compact-android-phone-from-a-japanese-toaster-company/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/meet-this-unique-com...
- deleted 1y ago
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- ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
  And this was their review of it: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/12/palm-phone-review-fun-endearing-and-bad-at-everything/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/12/palm-phone-review-fu...
happymellon 1y ago
> banking apps are getting pretty cramped Completely agree. Although not even on "small phones", my S23 isn't small but the design of these apps has regressed so much that I barely see any useful information. On my old WAP phone I could see bank balance and maybe the last transaction or two. Now half the screens taken up with upselling account levels, invest in shares, buy crypto, you've been pre-approved!
- zo1 1y ago
  It's the padding! And the UX teams that add them into the designs! My cynical take is that an unholy pact was formed between FE devs and UX designers: By adding in "design" and "user experience" you essentially reduce features, complexity and general "dev time" of every single user-screen or page or component. They're no longer cram-packed with oodles of features, toggles, buttons, menus, etc. Most pages are glorified lists of things, with maybe a menu on each item if you are lucky. Devs dev less, have less bugs, just use FE-library of the day and go home happy because they made a CRUD screen essentially. Meanwhile, UX designers get to play around and constantly fiddle with design because let's all be honest, nothing will ever be truly good and in a perfect "user experience" space because complexity and functionality are never what the user is happy about having, until they need it.
ghaff 1y ago
>A credit card size phone would only work for people who basically hate their phones I think. Probably. It's people who know they have to own a smartphone for so many things like park their car but don't really want one. This was a number of years back but I know a then tech executive who got a phone (I think it may have been a feature phone at the time) only because their nanny absolutely insisted.

ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago

I agree. I think the article about them was on Ars Technica, but I don’t really feel like looking for it. They seemed underwhelmed at the phones. [EDITED TO ADD] Found ‘em: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/palm-rises-from-the-dead-as-a-zombie-brand-launches-tiny-smartphone/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/palm-rises-from-the-... Also, these: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/meet-this-unique-compact-android-phone-from-a-japanese-toaster-company/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/meet-this-unique-com...

deleted 1y ago
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ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
And this was their review of it: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/12/palm-phone-review-fun-endearing-and-bad-at-everything/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/12/palm-phone-review-fu...

happymellon 1y ago

> banking apps are getting pretty cramped Completely agree. Although not even on "small phones", my S23 isn't small but the design of these apps has regressed so much that I barely see any useful information. On my old WAP phone I could see bank balance and maybe the last transaction or two. Now half the screens taken up with upselling account levels, invest in shares, buy crypto, you've been pre-approved!

zo1 1y ago
It's the padding! And the UX teams that add them into the designs! My cynical take is that an unholy pact was formed between FE devs and UX designers: By adding in "design" and "user experience" you essentially reduce features, complexity and general "dev time" of every single user-screen or page or component. They're no longer cram-packed with oodles of features, toggles, buttons, menus, etc. Most pages are glorified lists of things, with maybe a menu on each item if you are lucky. Devs dev less, have less bugs, just use FE-library of the day and go home happy because they made a CRUD screen essentially. Meanwhile, UX designers get to play around and constantly fiddle with design because let's all be honest, nothing will ever be truly good and in a perfect "user experience" space because complexity and functionality are never what the user is happy about having, until they need it.

ghaff 1y ago

>A credit card size phone would only work for people who basically hate their phones I think. Probably. It's people who know they have to own a smartphone for so many things like park their car but don't really want one. This was a number of years back but I know a then tech executive who got a phone (I think it may have been a feature phone at the time) only because their nanny absolutely insisted.