I know I have small hands but c’mon. Flagship phones these days are strait up small tablets, not even what we’d have called on phablets 15 years ago.
I know it’s what people buy, but I’m still sad that if I want a phone that small then I have to deal with camera and display a couple gens old
I just want a keyboard or a modern take on the Sidekick design.
The Oppo X8 (non-Pro) is probably the smallest flagship with a top level chip and good camera currently made but it is only available in a few markets.
The problem is they took it too far.
Plus, the larger phones do actually fit in my hands, so…
I miss my Droid Mini.
I mean, i still have it. It’s just nigh worthless.I remember when I was picked on at work for how big my Note 3 was. They used to call it “my insecurity”. Now it’s basically smaller than the smallest standard size.
The Note 3 did look ridiculously large back then. Kind of insane.
I have the opposite viewpoint. I miss big phones that were actually big, and not just really tall.
I miss my Nexus 6.
That is my exact complaint. The phones are too tall! I am ok with it being wider, but the height is insanity. The whole balance of the phone is awkward and I would be ok with more of the weight on the bottom instead of the middle of a tall ass phone.
The problem is any wider makes it so that it requires two hand to use comfortably for a lot of people. My S22 ultra is just barely comfortable in a case because of the rounded edges, I have tried to see what the S24s felt like and just the flat edges make it so that I can not use it one handed at all.
They used to have a whole variety.
Now top-end phones are all almost the same dimensions
4in phones had poop batteries, but 6in is too big.
A big bright screen uses more battery. They could make the phone slightly thicker to accommodate a bigger battery.
Still, a 5in oled phone in dark mode is reasonable. LCD eats power like mad.
I agree. 5 in is The Sweet spot
I started off with iphone 7, then pixel 5, now on pixel 7a. With each phone, it got increased in size. Pixel 5 was a compromise for me. Pixel 7a feels a step too big to be pocketable.
Pixel 5 was the perfect size, imho.
As you add more compute per user interaction (“smart” features), you increase power consumption. To keep an 18hour discharge cycle, you have to have more battery. Since phone thickness is a negative marketing feature but increased screen size is a positive marketing feature, you end up with bigger phones.
Every time they reduce compute power consumption, feature inflation overtakes the gain and more power is needed over time. Try turning on battery saver in the morning… even with “normal” use the battery will last significantly longer due to disabling background power consumption.
and your pockets! in both the literal and figurative sense.
I wish I could get a flagship phone with a swappable battery, headphone jack, SD slot and allow my apps to interface with each other’s files when I want without having to fuck around with permission bullshit… I don’t care if it’s the size of a dinner plate
I don’t know of any with swappable batteries anymore. The HTC U24 and U23 series both have headphone jack and MicroSD slot. There are a few others.
App restrictions can be disabled in developer options.
I would categorize that as having to fuck around with permission bullshit but thank you for the suggestion.
Fairphone might be somewhat closer for what you want
FP5 doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack 😔
Yeah, that’s the problem. Why only 1 phone has the options most of us want?
I hate this billionaire-controlled timeline we’re on.
Most people don’t care and if there’s no microSD slot, you can sell more expensive phones via overpriced internal storage. No 3.5mm jack, but we’ve got these wireless buds you could try. Would be stupid for companies to put these things back unfortunately.
HMD Skyline and Fusion also
Edit: Skyline doesn’t have headphone jack
No headphone jack on those unless I missed something.
Looks like Skyline doesn’t have one but Fusion does
Also make it durable. Thicker. Heavier. I’m going to slap a case on it otherwise
People simply did not buy the small phones.
I bought them until they stopped making them… My favorite phone was the Sony Xperia X Compact with a 4.6" screen. It had decent midrange specs and a great camera.
There are some niche small budget phones from China these days which beat your old Xperia. No flagships, but small (and cheap)
Asked ChatGPT for a list and got this: (the “UniHerz Jelly Max” and the “Qin3Ultra” look decent)
• Fonepia Q9 mini – Display: ~4.0 inches (540p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: A very pocketable device from a niche manufacturer, built for minimalists who value size over high‑end specs.
• Cubot KingKong mini 3 – Display: ~4.5 inches (480p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: Engineered for durability and compactness, it fits easily in one hand or a small pocket.
• Doogee S mini – Display: ~4.5 inches (480p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: A rugged mini smartphone that offers the basics in a very small chassis.
• Blackview N6000 – Display: ~4.3 inches (540p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: Known for its tough build, this phone packs essential smartphone functions into a tiny screen.
• 8849 Tank mini – Display: ~4.3 inches (520p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: Combines a robust (if no‑nonsense) design with an ultra‑compact form factor.
• Ulefone Mini 20T Pro – Display: ~4.7 inches (720p, 90Hz) – Release: 2024 – Note: This model offers a slightly larger screen and smoother performance; manufacturers in this segment are known to refresh their lines in early 2025, so a 2025 update is possible.
• Unihertz Jelly Max – Display: ~5.0 inches (720p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: Unihertz specializes in ultra‑compact designs, and while the Jelly Max launched in 2024, expect an updated version in 2025 as the brand continues to cater to fans of credit‑card‑sized smartphones.
• QIN 3 Ultra – Display: ~5.0 inches (720p) – Release: 2024 – Overview: A compact phone with modern features; there are indications that its series may see a refresh or an updated variant in 2025.
• NanoPhone – Display: ~3.5 inches tall – Release: Late 2024 (with promotional pricing and deals extending into early 2025) – Overview: Marketed for minimalists and those wanting to reduce screen time, this ultra‑mini smartphone offers 4G and Wi‑Fi in a device that can literally fit in your wallet.
But do they actually work with US carriers (VoLTE)?
This Uniherz Jelly Max claims to support Verizon and T-Mobile https://www.amazon.com/Unihertz-Jelly-Max-Smallest-Smartphone/dp/B0DFM5B5CQ
I bought one as recently as the iPhone 13 mini, but Apple has also discontinued their normal sized phones :(
I know, I said as much in my post - although rereading it, it’s kinda phrased ambiguously
What, Flagship? There’s no small phones anymore.
https://lemmy.world/c/compactphones - the activity here reflects this x_x
iPhone SE is small. I have been buying them when coming out, they have been fantastic. If you want android, not sure what’s out there.
Same here. The Google Pixel, but I think they recently eliminated the small version.
Man I loved the 2016 one. Got the 2020 one when that broke and that was already too big for me. I have chronic tendonitis, stretching like that is painful.
The next one will likely be big. They also discontinued the Mini which was an awesome phone.
Yea unfortunately it could go up in size. We will see shortly
The 3rd gen SE is 4.7 inches, the new one is rumored to be 6.06 and shaped like iPhone 14. MacRumors often gets these things right, too.
That’s too bad. The old se series was great
Yeah. I’d settle for a 17 mini, but I doubt we’re getting one of those either, given that there was no 14, 15 or 16 mini :/
I have large hands and I don’t like having to make the compromise of features or size. I prefer phones around 5in or a smidge under. But to have a modern camera I have an almost 7in phone. It’s really frustrating.
I like how the Pixel devices, while not small, are putting the flagship features in both the “normal” size model and the XL/Plus.
Pixel 9 yes, but Pixel 7 didn’t have the telephoto camera that 7pro had.
I think my issue is that there has been an Overton-like window shift wrt what is considered normal sized and what is considered large.
A lot of companies are doing that these days, especially on the Android side. I love how Google promises certain gimmicks that don’t make it to the actual device even after months of release though lol.
