Blog rant: "I Hate Todays Smartphones."

[lothar]

They are all too damn big. Bigger, bigger, bigger. Bigger is better. Bigger means more value. Bigger means more will buy them. Bigger. BIGGER.

BIGGER.
I can’t stand it. Outside of Motorola and Apple, no one wants to make a phone you can actually use anymore. Well, use with one hand efficiently that is. It’s one giant race to see who can do it bigger, with more pixels and megapixels and inches and batteries. Why? Stop it already, Samsung, LG, Sony, Oppo, and the rest of you. I don’t want to use two hands just to control my smartphone.

People wondered why we showed so much praise to the Moto X last year? This is why. Because you can handle the phone in one hand without fuss. You don’t have to adjust your grip to get to the notification bar and then again to get back down to your navigation buttons. You don’t need two hands to take a picture. You don’t need a separate bag to carry it in or JNCO jeans; it actually fits in your pocket, along with a car key, and maybe even some gum.

Samsung had it right last year with the Galaxy S4, but they completely screwed up this year on size with the Galaxy S5. Just look at that picture. The display on the S5 is 0.1″ bigger, yet the phone is substantially taller, wider and more squared off. Why? You can’t tell me the heart rate monitor and barely-there-waterproofing required the extra girth? Holding the S4 is a dream with its subtle rounded corners and edge-to-edge display, while the S5 just feels like another squared-off, mega-phone. I thought the Note series was supposed to be the “phablet?”

As for the HTC One (M8), well, do we even need to talk about it? I don’t think HTC could have made a taller, more awkward-to-use phone, even if it is pretty to look at. Thanks for the BoomSound, HTC; no thanks, for the Manute Bol height.

I just want someone to make a “mini” phone that isn’t a low-end knock-off of the flagship. Sony tried withe Xperia Z1 Compact, but since Sony can’t figure out how to distribute outside of the UK or put a decent display in a phone, who cares. The One (M8) Mini is already rumored to be a garbage entry-level device, just like the S5 Mini will be. The LG G3 Mini could be something, but it’s too early in the rumor cycle to tell.

And look, I get that there are millions out there who want a massive phone with an S Pen and dual-window multi-tasking business, that’s just not me. I want a phone that’s still a phone, not one that’s on the verge of becoming a tablet or that will dwarf my head if I take a call. I want to pull it out of my pocket and use it with the same hand. Now that I’m a dad, I rarely have two hands free, so you can see why I am even more desperate for something manageable.

When this year’s first flagships started rolling out from Samsung and HTC, I was pretty excited to see which would win me over. But now, I’m stuck deciding if this massive phone that’s a pain in the ass to use is better than that massive phone that’s an even bigger pain in the ass to use. In the end, I think I’ll just pass on them all for now and stick to my Nexus 5 and Moto X, two phones that were built for the average person’s hand. And then when I finally get sick of them, maybe Motorola will be ready to release their next.

http://www.droid-life.com/2014/04/22/i-hate-todays-smartphones/

I fully agree with his rant. Especially the underlined part.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm all for choice but I agree with the underlined portion as well.

 

[WelshBloke]

I could do a rant at this point about people wanting every phone to be perfectly suited to want I want rather than the manufacturers having the freedom to target which ever part of the market they want and thus having a healthy choice of phone sizes to chose from.

 

[Red Storm]

I fully disagree. These aren't just phones anymore, the larger screens are very much appreciated.

I don't really understand the rant though. There are phones like the Moto X, and Sony and HTC offer mini versions of their phones too. Is he upset that the flagship phones are not to his liking? If so he should take it up with the millions of people who are happily buying them.

 

[darkewaffle]

What a clickbait title lol. More like "Why can't we get quality small smartphones?"

Personally I do not give a crap. Markets are driven by demand, people demand big, so the suppliers sell big and they don't think enough people will buy expensive niche devices. Which I can't really blame them for.

 

[Yuriman]

I'm extremely happy with the size and shape of my Moto X. It's the same size as my old 4.3" Galaxy S2, just with a much larger percent of screen on the face. Any larger and I couldn't comfortable reach all parts of the screen with one hand.

 

[lothar]

I fully disagree. These aren't just phones anymore, the larger screens are very much appreciated.

I don't really understand the rant though. There are phones like the Moto X, and Sony and HTC offer mini versions of their phones too. Is he upset that the flagship phones are not to his liking? If so he should take it up with the millions of people who are happily buying them.

The point of his rant is that he wants a phone with top flagship specs the size of a Moto X or Nexus 5; and no bigger.

 

[ponyo]

I have not seen S5 and M8 in person, only pictures next to the Note 3. Both did look kind of big. My only criteria is pocket-ability. I don't care about one hand usage and my thumb not being able to reach all of the screen. If I can't comfortably carry the phone in my shorts pocket and move around freely, it's a burden. Note 3 is in that category. S5 and M8 looks borderline. I would need to test it. We might be approaching the other end of the spectrum where the large size is hindrance.

 

[SymphonyX7]

I had a Sony Xperia Mini ST18i back in late 2011. Awesome little pocket rocket that had a Qualcomm Scorpion CPU with a 3.0" HVGA screen. But it ran pretty hot, moreso than most devices my friends had at the time. Keeping thermals down with the unending demand for higher performance is a losing fight. So they just make the device bigger for more thermal overhead.

Besides, after I upgraded, I realized that the tiny screen was merely novelty. I had the oddest of looks when I played games like Modern Combat 3 and Real Racing 2 on it. It was pretty awesome having a tiny, but very capable device like that, but things were just easier on a bigger screen. I was also getting more productive as my device grew in size.

 

[lothar]

I have not seen S5 and M8 in person, only pictures next to the Note 3. Both did look kind of big. My only criteria is pocket-ability. I don't care about one hand usage and my thumb not being able to reach all of the screen. If I can't comfortably carry the phone in my shorts pocket and move around freely, it's a burden. Note 3 is in that category. S5 and M8 looks borderline. I would need to test it. We might be approaching the other end of the spectrum where the large size is hindrance.

He did mention that part. I just didn't bold it.

"You don’t have to adjust your grip to get to the notification bar and then again to get back down to your navigation buttons. You don’t need two hands to take a picture. You don’t need a separate bag to carry it in or JNCO jeans; it actually fits in your pocket, along with a car key, and maybe even some gum."

Test both the S5 and M8 at a carrier store in person and let us know what you think.

 

[WelshBloke]

The point of his rant is that he wants a phone with top flagship specs the size of a Moto X or Nexus 5; and no bigger.

Why? Is the Moto X noticeably slow?

 

[openwheel]

Disagree. So what does the author want? Every phone should be sized like iPhone and Moto X?

We use our phones as a mini computer these days. If people want small phones for their small hands, they should just go back to a Motorola Razr flip phone.

 

[mnewsham]

disagree. I have large hands and use my LG G2 one handed just fine. I personally would be okay with a 6" device even, I MIGHT need 2 hands then, but even so, I LIKE larger screens, I LIKE more powerful hardware, and I LIKE larger batteries. So no, I don't think we should make smaller phones again, nor do I think phone sizes are getting out of hand.

Make a niche device that is 3.5-4" with high powered specs like todays flagships and you end up with a device that overheats like crazy and shitty battery life. Or you end up with a brick. and neither device will likely sell more than the larger flagships.

 

[dawheat]

Is there really a market for a flagship 4.5-4.7" Android device, as in millions of consumers ready to buy?

Motorola in all of Q1, across all their models, sold 6.5 million phones. I also recall some pretty quick price drops for the Moto X. So while there might be a market for a upper-range smaller Android phone, it's still only sellable with a mid-range price.

So while some people here claim they're willing to pay flagship prices for a mid-size flagship device, my feeling is there isn't broad demand for it, at least with Android.

If anyone has info on the distribution of sales between the Z1 and Z1 Compact - that would probably be the most useful data point.

 

[Red Storm]

Why? Is the Moto X noticeably slow?

No it is not, it's my current phone and a very nice one at that, though I personally do prefer larger phones, waiting to get a OnePlus One.

 

[lothar]

Why? Is the Moto X noticeably slow?

Don't think so, but you'd have to ask him that.

disagree. I have large hands and use my LG G2 one handed just fine. I personally would be okay with a 6" device even, I MIGHT need 2 hands then, but even so, I LIKE larger screens, I LIKE more powerful hardware, and I LIKE larger batteries. So no, I don't think we should make smaller phones again, nor do I think phone sizes are getting out of hand.

Make a niche device that is 3.5-4" with high powered specs like todays flagships and you end up with a device that overheats like crazy and shitty battery life. Or you end up with a brick. and neither device will likely sell more than the larger flagships.

Neither of those are mutually exclusive...

I don't think the author of that blog is arguing about making a 3.5-4" device with high powered specs. If he was, he'd be using an Apple product.
The author of that blog cited the Moto X(which is a 4.7" device) as being the "perfect" size for him.
There's no need to try to prove your point by going to the extreme end of the spectrum and start quibbling about 3.5" phones with high end specs.

I think the author of that blog is arguing more about "phone" size with high end specs than "screen" size.
Or at least I would hope so because there are many phones out there with tiny screens, large bezels, and tall height.

 

[Red Storm]

I think his argument is moot because the Moto X exists, and there are other smaller phones out there (Sony's compact versions use the same specs AFAIK). What I get from it is that he wants the popular flagships to be smaller, and that's just not going to happen.

 

[ponyo]

Is there really a market for a flagship 4.5-4.7" Android device, as in millions of consumers ready to buy?

Motorola in all of Q1, across all their models, sold 6.5 million phones. I also recall some pretty quick price drops for the Moto X. So while there might be a market for a upper-range smaller Android phone, it's still only sellable with a mid-range price.

So while some people here claim they're willing to pay flagship prices for a mid-size flagship device, my feeling is there isn't broad demand for it, at least with Android.

If anyone has info on the distribution of sales between the Z1 and Z1 Compact - that would probably be the most useful data point.

I agree that there's no large market for new 4.5-4.7" high end Android phones. That's why midrange exist. Most of the new growth will be in the mid to low range market so these people shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[s44]

What I get from it is that he wants the popular flagships to be smaller, and that's just not going to happen.

He doesn't want them to get smaller, he wants them to stay at last year's size.

I agree. This year brought tiny screen increases but crossed a certain bulk threshold. Waterproofing is useless.

 

[Red Storm]

He doesn't want them to get smaller, he wants them to stay at last year's size.

I agree. This year brought tiny screen increases but crossed a certain bulk threshold. Waterproofing is useless.

In other words, he wants this year's phones to get smaller.

I disagree with him entirely. I am happy that phones have gotten larger. Bigger screens, bigger batteries, all good stuff to me. My Moto X feels too small, I miss the Note 3.

 

[lothar]

I think his argument is moot because the Moto X exists, and there are other smaller phones out there (Sony's compact versions use the same specs AFAIK). What I get from it is that he wants the popular flagships to be smaller, and that's just not going to happen.

Not if you live in the US. The Z1 Compact is not available on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile.
Sony has virtually given up on the US market that they didn't seem to even bother releasing most of their phones here.

 

[WelshBloke]

No it is not, it's my current phone and a very nice one at that, though I personally do prefer larger phones, waiting to get a OnePlus One.

Don't think so, but you'd have to ask him that.

So what would be the upside to putting more powerful hardware in smaller phones when they are driving smaller, lower res screens and they already feel fast?

 

[poofyhairguy]

I agree this year's flagships are too big. I can use my S4 one-handed and I can't use a S5 one-handed for example.

With that said, the 4 inch iPhone is WAY too small. Heck a Moto X is too small for me.

So it comes down to your body size, which makes it hard to target for a mainstream device.

I think the real victory in 2014 for those that want a smaller phone is now the midrange specs are good enough.

 

[dguy6789]

So what would be the upside to putting more powerful hardware in smaller phones when they are driving smaller, lower res screens and they already feel fast?

Flagship phones have waaaaaaaaay better cameras and battery life than phones like the Moto X

 

[Red Storm]

Flagship phones have waaaaaaaaay better cameras and battery life than phones like the Moto X

The Moto X has very good battery life, better than the S4 and last year's HTC One. On the cameras I do agree though, it's just not very good on the Moto X.