this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2023
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just make normal sized cellphones again, please!

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[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Large phones are the new normal size now.

Going back to small phones now feels like trying to type through a postage stamp

[–] kofe@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'm waiting for a free upgrade to switch to a flip phone. I didn't want one immediately because I was worried about quality, but from what I hear they're doing well. Decent compromise for me

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[–] half_fiction@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I was thinking who's to say what "normal" size even is? In hindsight, it was awkward as hell taking calls on my tiny nokia brick. Personally, I think we've hit a sweet spot between functionality and size practicality. I'm happy with my 6" screen as long as women's clothes continue on the trend of indulging us with functional pockets.

[–] FeebaskMeAnything@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

People asked Apple for this, and when they obliged, it sold so terribly that retailers literally could not give them away. Unfortunately, it seems those who actually want smaller phones are a vocal minority

[–] Kichae@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Capitalism: Providing infinite consumer choice, so long as your choice is to consume what everyone else is consuming.

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[–] slinky317@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Everytime someone says this and manufacturers end up making a smaller phone... no one buys them.

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[–] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I'm a big guy, with big hands.

Got the s22 ultra, and it feels like it's finally a me sized phone. I've been fighting tiny phones for decades!

In the end, we need a range from small to large.

[–] smik@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 year ago

The comments section of a post like this feels like early reddit. Love it!

I adored my Pixel 3a. The size was perfect in my opinion. Small enough to handle with one hand and to put it in my pockets, big enough to enjoy watching videos on it. The Samsung S10e was lovely too.

I don't have sources but I remember them stating that small form factor phones were not selling too well. So I guess we won't see many flagship or even midrange phones in the near future.

[–] i5-2520M@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Unironically if there was enough demand they would be made. Even the iPhone mini failed in market penetration, not to mention things like the Sony compacts and the Zenfones.

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[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

It's these glass backs that I can't stand. I bought a phone not a wet bar of soap.

[–] Ryan213@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

No way, Note/Ultra always! Because I'm old and can't see properly now.

[–] gila@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

I switched to a Pixel 7 today from a Xiaomi Android phone. I always felt my existing phone was too big, and when looking for a new one the first thing I did was go to gsmarena and search for a phone released relatively recently with a smaller screen. Literally the only result was the Iphone SE.

The Pixel phone is practically the same size as my existing phone, just a tad smaller and just a tad heavier. But there is a significant difference in the gesture support, which is usually something I don't bother with. The result is that the basic system navigation and app switching can be done with my right hand only, in its normal holding position. The swipe from the left to go back a screen can be done from the bottom of the screen, so I don't need to stretch my thumb up and across to do it from the middle of the screen.

Stretching unnaturally is still required to swipe down from the top of the screen, or I guess if third party app design puts buttons in the top left. But as a software solution to this hardware problem which also preserves the larger screen size for cases where that's useful or desired, I think it's pretty good.

[–] V4uban@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] ggnoredo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I love my s23

[–] Tinawebmom@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

20 years ago these were great. Now? Ye gods I'm too old for that tiny stuff.

[–] wolfpack86@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A friend of mine was all in on the palm pre. And extolled the small form factor and how much better it was than the incoming 4G Android phones...

Now he buys the largest iphone possible every year

[–] Ataraxia@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I used an overlooked palm pre for internet access before I got my first smart phone and while it was neat at the time it really wasn't going to be good for say, browsing on jerboa with that screen size. The keyboard wasn't good either.

[–] mikestevens@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I'm generalising here and obviously it won't apply to everyone, but I tend to think most people with small phones look at huge phones and say "whoa, too big" and thus never bother to give it a go. People with large phones either love them already, or they love the idea of a small phone — so they go get one, and in most cases, immediately miss their large phone.

Of course, some people have experienced both formats enough to know that they definitely prefer small phones — but, unfortunately, they appear to be a minority. Small phones don't sell well, or else there'd be more of them. And so, these people fall into that all-too-common market category 'You're Not Significant Enough'.

All that said, it absolutely depends on what you want from your phone. I use my S23 Ultra to edit photos and videos, play a few games, get some work done — and all of those things benefit from a big display. Hell, even typing is easier for me on a big screen, thanks to my sausage thumbs. 😂

[–] ZytaZiouZ@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

At least here, I am apparently in the minority. I have an S22 Ultra, and I would legitimately take a much larger phone. I estimate I could use up to a 8.5" screen version of the S22U, but that would be the absolute max size I would use.

I do think if someone made a proper small high end phone they could sell them like hotcakes. Maybe make it just thick enough to accommodate a large enough battery.

[–] d3ceived@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I love larger displays. Easy on the eyes, better gaming and video experience. Still, on many newer phones aspect ratio is a problem for me. If the phone's screen is something like 21:9 then it's only really big on paper, since videos won't fit perfectly, and the text and UI elements of games I play would still be pretty small, since they scale with the screen's height in landscape mode.

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[–] keeb420@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

On the one hand I love my fold 3. On the other I miss my pre. That thing was great except the terrible slider.

[–] lka1988@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Big phones sell though, that's the issue. Apple sold the mini version of the iphone right alongside the bigger models and it sold like shit. The people who want smaller phones are in a minority.

[–] aksdb@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not possible at the moment. Without the large size, you can't fit an adequate battery to last a day or longer.

Not to mention that many people want good cameras on their phone, an they need space as well.

[–] adidson@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm typing this comment on a Zenfone 9, which is a pretty reasonably sized phone with a decent battery and camera. Charging to 80% usually lasts me over a day of usage. The camera is good enough as well. Phones don't have to be so massive to have those features

[–] kniescherz@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago

Display needs a lot of battery, less of it and you dont need such a big one. Than make it two millimeters thicker and the problem is solved.

[–] bandario@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago

Just grow bigger hands 😉

[–] waterbogan@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's definitely a market for these - my partner prefers a more compact phone, it has been harder and harder to get a decently spec'd small phone of late. There are certain niche markets for small devices and alwasy will be

[–] LordShrek@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

but the big phone manufacturers don't realize there's a market for this and they completely neglect that. or rather, they know that there's a market for it but they know it won't make them enough profit so they stick with the mainstream, which is a huge shame. i'm sure that there are engineers working at google, samsung, etc. who would love to work on smaller phones, phones with other unique hardware such as trackballs, but aren't able to because of "turn everything into money" mindset.

[–] waterbogan@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

It is strange, it may be a small market niche (pun intended) but surely its worthwhile for someone to jump into it, particularly given that it could be satisfied with existing technology, no great advances required

[–] coldhotman@nrsk.no 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[–] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Life is your creation. :)

[–] burgersc12@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I would love a phone around the size of the s8 with a flat screen. I love my s20FE but it can feel a bit big sometimes

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