I remember when big phones used to be called “phablets” and that was considered a bad thing that only certain power user types would want…
And then the same marketing that hit cars came to phones when companies realized that “bigger than the last model” was an easy way to have a number that they could point to that got bigger to imply this one was somehow better. That and human brains are wired to like bright colors so store displays of PHONE WITH BIG BRIGHT COLOR SCREEN made people want it despite it being objectively less easy to use than a more reasonably sized device.
-Sent from my iPhone 13 mini
I’m very happy that phones got bigger. I got big hands, so a tiny phone like we had a decade ago sucked to use.
Once users have given up on comfortable single-handed use, the only limiting factor is pocket size.
For me, that means once it passes about 65mm in width, I might as well jump to ~80mm in width, which is huge even by today’s standards. 70mm wide phones are just the worst of both worlds to me.
I want a small phone, but there hasn’t been a serious option in over 10 years. The Xperia Z3 Compact was the last good “small” Android phone that was actually small enough to justify its existence. That was 2014.
Edit: Also, I suspect with bezels being so small now, the frame would need to be even smaller to avoid accidental edge presses with one-handed operation.
The quotes around the ‘Mini’ are well deserved with a 6.3" screen
The iPhone 13 mini had 5.4", so almost one inch smaller
The issue with the iPhone 13 Mini is that it’s discontinued, and due to the limited number of existing devices, prices tend to be quite high for a device released in September 2021.
Looking forward the next SE in 2025, my SO has to change her phone, hopefully the SE will be a cheaper option.
And even that is too big.
'Memba when 4-inch screens were considered “ginormous”? Pepperidge Farms 'membas.
That’s a bigger screen than my pixel 6a, which is borderline unusable one handed for me. I’m in the market for a new, smaller phone, but unless they’ve warped space to get this thing smaller I don’t know how it completes against all the non ‘mini’ phones which will be mere millimeters larger
I remember when big phones used to be called “phablets” and that was considered a bad thing that only certain power user types would want…
And then the same marketing that hit cars came to phones when companies realized that “bigger than the last model” was an easy way to have a number that they could point to that got bigger to imply this one was somehow better. That and human brains are wired to like bright colors so store displays of PHONE WITH BIG BRIGHT COLOR SCREEN made people want it despite it being objectively less easy to use than a more reasonably sized device.
-Sent from my iPhone 13 mini
“big phones” make sense when you use it more like a small computer than a phone. Bigger screen is easier on eyes and hands.
After trying out OxygenOS and enjoying it recently, this looks pretty sweet
