Android

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

Large phones are the new normal size now.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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, 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.

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

I want a smaller phone, without sacrificing on the camera. I have an S22 ultra and the camera is great, but I can't use it one-handed.

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.

Unihertz, interesting, thanks!

I love my s23

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. 😂

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

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.

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

Just grow bigger hands 😉

Life is your creation. :)

Loving my 6.7" Pixel 6 Pro. As long as they keep the big phones around, I say hell yeah! More choice never hurts the consumer.

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.

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.

Old people, who have bad eyes and money, buy the bigger phones. Profit margins are bigger with the bigger, more expensive phones. If you want a small phone, get one. Just don't expect the large phone makers to sell them.

Agreed. I went from pixel 3a to 6a and thought okay this is definitely as big as I'm willing to use but prefer the smaller 3a size.

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

I had a Pixel 3 which I loved, and reluctantly moved to the massive 6 Pro. With a popsocket, the size is manageable, but I'm interested to see how the Pixel Fold (2?) pans out, foldables might be the last hope for compact phones.