this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025
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[–] humourme@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

people spend more time on their phones than ever before. its substituted sitting in front of a tv, so i guess people want bigger screens the same way they want bigger tvs.

[–] heliophane@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

Porn. Next question

[–] brownirish@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i have a 6a and i think its about the optimal size. not too small, not too big.

by the way, my first post on here... how is this different to reddit?

[–] piratekaiser@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The instances are structured much like discord, in that you have a separate server for topics/communities. Think of them as servers that can talk to each other. Instead of subreddits you have this.

Regarding Reddit (US company), well, depending on your values and political views, you might see the need and have the desire to not depend on/support the platform.

[–] thatsTheCatch@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 day ago

There are still subreddits though, they're just called communities

[–] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I think it's a psychological thing.

Like, while thinking about what kind of phone we want - a small phone sounds pretty good. But when it comes time to buy it, we start comparing phones, and we see some small ones, and some slightly bigger ones, and some really big ones. We tend to go bigger than we'd originally intended because of psychological anchoring effects.

The slightly bigger phone is seen as a slightly better phone. "not too big" we think, as we compare it to some monsters; and the key stats such as screen resolution and battery capacity sound slightly better. So we tend to buy that bigger phone even if it isn't what we actually thought we wanted.

[edit] I should say that I'm saying "we" in a totally generic way. I definitely don't do this myself. I've literally only ever owned smartphone in my life, and it isn't particularly big or flashy. I have an anti-phone attitude.

[–] Hupf@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm just waiting for smart watches to get bigger and bigger and eventually lose the strap.

[–] diemartin@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Haha! I was thinking the same. Saw someone post ads for wireless headphone straps, so it's a matter of time before techbros reinvent phones, but worse.

[–] Lesrid@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

I mean that's kinda what the new razr is. I got one because Asus enbiggened their ZenPhone to normal dimensions. And the razr folds in half but it's still as wide as the phablets we pass off as typical.

The battery is still dense and the outer screen is still glass, so the weight distribution isn't great without the extra length for your fingers to share the load. But it's essentially an overgrown watch when it's closed. I rarely open it, so it's not like the external screen is useless.

[–] weew@lemmy.ca 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because every time a manufacturer releases a small phone, nobody buys them.

[–] Jtotheb@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well yeah, the people who want a small reliable phone are unlikely to replace them every year for no discernible reason. Cue more articles and comments about how there’s no sale data to support the idea that people want small phones! The odds are stacked against us.

[–] GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Plenty of people want small but powerful phones. The iPhone Mini line, for the 12 and 13 generation, offered the same features and processing power as the regular sized iPhone. But they didn't offer as much as the "Pro" model, which came in both normal and "Max" sizes.

So if you wanted the latest and greatest in CPU/GPU, camera sensors/lenses, display tech (not necessarily size), you tended to opt for the phone that just happened to be bigger.

Basically, there's never been a side by side comparison of the latest tech that actually happens to fit within the size of the first 5 generations of iPhone, versus the standard size of a flagship today.

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] TinyShonk@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Large phones are supposed to be called phablets, but it seems like that distinction was phased out as they got bigger.

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I remember that term. It was short-lived.

[–] _cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Yeah, because nobody wanted to call a phone a phablet. It's a stupid name.

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[–] BlueBaggy@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 days ago (7 children)

"Why can't we go back to small phones"

Company releases small phone

"No one" buys it

Company stops making small phones

People complaining why there are no small phones

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[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 53 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Because most people use their phone as their main, if not only, device, so a bigger screen is more desirable to consume content.

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[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] mvirts@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Too small, can't phone

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 9 points 1 day ago

If they're going to make only bog phones they could at least bring back all the hardware features they've removed over the years.

[–] mesamunefire@piefed.social 187 points 3 days ago (22 children)

I want a repairable phone. A phone where I can replace the battery

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 72 points 3 days ago (10 children)

And screen. And buttons.

I also want something that's supported more than 3 years so there's a point to repairing it. Ideally, support should come from the community so it can be infinite as long as someone is willing to do the work.

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[–] User79185@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I do, I bought smallest phone available from known company. But most of those companies just decided you need huge phone that can't fit everywhere, removed sdcard slot, removed headphone jack. Last time I remember nobody asked them to remove those features. I think it is the same enshittification like with everything, they no longer make cheap houses, smaller cheaper cars, actual budget gpus etc, etc. Feels like every company targets top 20% and the rest - gtfo and be damned.

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[–] sommerset@thelemmy.club 72 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (6 children)

I don't want a small phone or a slide out keyboards.

I want :
Replaceable battery.
Non glass back.
3.5 jack.

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[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 109 points 2 days ago (6 children)

Why can't we go back to small phones?

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I think this is correlation, not causation, as this was also when touch screens started being made

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[–] jaschen@lemm.ee 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (5 children)

You can. Ditch Apple and join us. Plenty of small phone selections here on the other side. Edit: you know what. Android doesn't have that many either.

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[–] Habarug@lemm.ee 106 points 3 days ago (30 children)

Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I can't go back because they don't sell any small phones.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 47 points 3 days ago (16 children)

I picked the Pixel 8 because:

  1. it runs GrapheneOS
  2. It was a little smaller than the Pixel 8 Pro

If there was a smaller version available, I would've gotten that instead.

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Spzi@lemm.ee 1 points 20 hours ago

Same here. My max is about 5.5'' and 160g. Otherwise I feel it's too hard to carry and handle, or even just hold. I also want to be able to reach the opposing screen corner with my thumb.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 76 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I don’t understand why so many people here keep saying that it’s too hard to make a small phone when all these companies literally make watches with 5G connections…

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 47 points 2 days ago (8 children)

They always lean a little too hard into making the small one the "budget" phone and end up gimping it into something nobody wants, and yet they still don't make it cost attractive.

Compared to the SomePhone Pro, the SomePhone Mini has:

  • 6GB of RAM rather than 8. (I mean, okay, what do I need that much RAM for?)
  • 128GB onboard storage rather than 512GB (Those chips are the same footprint so that wasn't done for miniaturization, but I don't store a lot on my phone so ok)
  • No SD card slot. (I suppose you could argue that IS for miniaturization but it's still a kick in the pants)
  • 1080p display rather than 4k. (fine, the PPI is still finer than my eyes)
  • 3100mAh battery instead of 3600 (You know the reduced resolution on the display will probably make up for that anyway)
  • No NFC (really?)
  • No fast charging (fucking sigh)
  • No wireless charging (pegwarmer says what?)
  • 5.9 inch 9:21 display (so it's 89% the size of the Pro model anyway?)
  • a laptop grade VGA camera (you're actively trying to make this product fail, aren't you?)
  • Locked bootloader, locked carrier (because of course)
  • $899 instead of $949 MSRP (Okay just stop saying words and drown yourself in the septic tank)
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[–] Cataphract@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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.

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[–] Pregnenolone@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (8 children)

How many times is this going to be regurgitated? The question has been well and truly answered.

We don’t buy them.

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