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Because apparently people want big phones.
For the last 10-15 years it’s been a boiling frog situation really - .1 or .2" increase every generation until 7" somehow becomes the norm (for a phone, not a tablet, mind you).
I wish there were more small hi-end phones too.
Large phones are supposed to be called phablets, but it seems like that distinction was phased out as they got bigger.
I remember that term. It was short-lived.
I’m not gonna lie, as a 6’4" guy, I can’t stand small phones. I understand that I’m an outlier though, and wish there were more options to cater to more people.
How many times is this going to be regurgitated? The question has been well and truly answered.
We don’t buy them.
Not to mention: the old people (the ones with money) can’t see them.
Removed by mod
They don’t care about “you”. They care about their “consumers” (as in, you in bulk), who don’t buy them.
It’s capitalism; simple as that.
I don’t know how you youngsters do it.
One hand eternally glued to this big phone and now they need the other for a soup thermos they suddenly feel the need to drag with them everywhere.Consumers just aren’t that interested in a product that’s visibly cheaper and worse than what everyone else is carrying. And that is what a smaller phone signals.
Phones are a status purchase; they all do basically the same things, but most people gravitate towards higher end phones because they offer all the fancy features. Flagship phones are all large, so that’s what you see in the marketing. Just like you’ll never see a car company put its cheapest base model on a car catalog cover.
A smaller phone tends to cut corners; it’s not just smaller, but also functionally worse. While the price might be appealing, the potential customer also knows that using said phone will mean a worse experience, and might even get them ridiculed because they got ‘the cheap one’.
So we can absolutely go back to small phones - we just don’t want to. Smaller, cheaper, worse products just don’t appeal to a status-conscious buyer. If phone manufacturers offered the same specs at different sizes, that might change. But any savvy tech buyer knows a smaller phone is worse than the bigger one.
Back in the pre-smartphone days, size was a thing companies could compete on since customers wanted small, light, distinctive designs in premium materials. Like the Motorola Razr V3. These days, that just doesn’t work.
At least on the iPhone side the 12 and 13 mini were full flagships in a smaller form factor. I just wish we could go back to that
There is always the iPhone SE 3 with 4.7 inch display or the iPhone 16e with 6.1 inch display.
I had never heard of the 16e and checked their site, it will only allow comparison up to the 11, a phon from 2019. And its expensive.
That’s because it’s stupidly downgraded and aimed at people upgrading from the 11. It’s a no-one phone, there just to make people think, “well, the 15 is just $100 more, let’s buy that instead”. It would be a remarkable phone, if it were $200 cheaper. But Apple just can’t let an opportunity to scalp consumers go. Only Apple charges so much for a 60 Hz screen.
Yes. The 16e released only 2 days ago and it is an entry level version of the iPhone 16. And you are right, it is not that cheaper then the full-size version.
Its an entry iphone, I wouldnt say 16 given it shares very little with it.
people spend a third of their lives on those things. And while cumbersome, a big screen simply is better for media consumption
only way I see smaller phones make a comeback is if we change our habits or if a new technology comes along
A bigger screen is better for text consumption, too. Perhaps especially for that. If you don’t know why, just wait ;D
Seriously as a person getting on in years I always bump up the font size. And if you do this on a mini phone, you run out of usable space immediately.
I wish there were small phone options, too, but I can see why big is the default.
When are we finally going to get curved phones on some kind of bracer? They wear them in every futuristic movie, we finally have curved screens, and no one’s made one for wearing on your forearm yet.
Because they’re fucking stupid.
I can pick up a phone in either hand and type on it using only that hand, and I can play games using both hands at once. If I’m using a bracer, it means I can’t do anything else with either hand or use my off hand to interact with it.
The only problem a bracer solves is not having pockets, but even then you still need to wear a bracer.
Honestly sounds like a benefit. Could help battle phone addiction.
Samsung had a smart watch with a curved screen and a 3g modem in 2014 (the original Gear S). I guess it didn’t work out.
Seriously.
I don’t want a tablet in my pocket all day.
I bought my current phone because it was small and the options I had when looking for small phones were extremely limited.
I’m not trying to seriously game on a smartphone. I’m not trying to watch full length movies. It’s in my pocket 90% of the time. I want it to be small.
Porn. Next question
Too small, can’t phone
Even for the government you need apps nowadays. Yes you can try doing things in person but wait times aren’t reasonable. I’ve been trying to get a dumb phone for myself but still find I need a smartphone for specific apps a couple of times a month…
What happens if sms 2fa is phased out, and more sites require either an Authenticator app or passkey?
My workplace requires an Authenticator app, actually multiple, and help with my phone bill in return for doing that in my personal device. I don’t know what they do if someone had a feature phone
Exactly my dilemma
Here’s my dilemma:
- Been without cell service since the pandemic (eventually stopped using the smart phone altogether)
- All my digital needs are satisfied, devices and functionality in every room for every purpose I need
- Have multiple forms of solid and satisfactory communication channels (don’t need a cell number)
I’ve thought about buying a model I could jailbreak, but again it’s just to use a system that’s abusive. “Download our app!”, “Use our digital coupons!”, “Link your phone number!”, “Scan our code!”, “Let us track your location for your convenience!”.
I’m really a niche subgroup though, I already need other devices while at work that a phone wouldn’t suffice for. I kinda see more people going this route though. If your transportation has a computer, then what’s the endpoint in carrying a phone? If your job requires digital devices, the phone is basically reduced to a large brick of a communication device. I see more and more equipment being specialized and having added communication aspects for more complicated machinery, cell phones are not going to keep up with it in a general sense.
tldr: cell phones are just a fad with an abusive system that will die out one day and be remembered like rotary phones. They’re generally subpar for any specific task and are only a place holder till we figure out better systems.
I held on to my iPhone 4S as long as I could. Now I have a 12 “mini”. I know I’m in the minority, though, because I don’t spend all day staring at my phone. I do like having all the features, but I use them only occasionally–say, once a week or less. I prefer my internet use on my gaming computer with a big monitor, and a full-size keyboard.
I expect I’ll end up with a huge phone for my next one, that I don’t need, just to keep access to the functionality. Like everything else in life, there’s always compromises to be made.
I bought a pixel fold because the screen on the front is small and it opens in a wide format when I need to look at tables
I like big phones (and I can not lie)
