Blog rant: "I Hate Todays Smartphones."

[Raduque]

Ugh, you and that blog writer can just take your tiny little girl hands and go buy an iPhone 5.

 

[lothar]

I'm really not looking forward to the iPhone 6 release...

The strong rumor is that we're getting a 4.7" screen. I just thing that's too big. I used to think 4.7" was doable, but am changing my mind since getting the Lumia 925.

Had a Lumia 920 and thought it was a little awkward, but figured it was because of the weird body shape. Now that I have the 925 and am running WP8.1 on it, I still feel the same way. And it's only a 4.5" screen. It's just as tall as the iPhone 5S and only a bit wider, but just feels wrong while using it.

Unfortunately, size comes after specs for me. So if Apple releases a iPhone 6 with a 4.7" display with a faster processor, better camera, etc, I'll pick it over a smaller device that would be easier to use but have inferior hardware.

And that's basically where Android is at right now. The MotoX is a great phone, but it's no HTC One, LG G2 or SGS4, power-wise. You could argue that we don't really need that level of horsepower for the vast majority of things, but there is a definite vacuum of high-end < 4.5" Android devices.

EDIT: Anyone else remember that the trend before the iPhone was smaller? Before 2005, 3.5" screens were kind of normal. Then, HTC decided that 2.8" and 2.2" screens made for more attractive devices. It's funny reading original reviews of the iPhone and hearing things like "enormous 3.5" display" with today's context.

Have you held/used a Moto X in person? It has a 4.7" display. What do you think of it?
I'd argue that if Motorola is able to do it with the Moto X, then so should someone like Apple.

I think that goes for many of us here, including the author of that blog.
We don't want a Galaxy S5 Mini or an HTC One Mini with crap rubbish specs. I don't think I've ever met anyone that would go for a Galaxy S4 Mini over the regular Galaxy S4. Ditto for the HTC One Mini vs HTC One.

 

[lothar]

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.

Then why did you vote that you disagreed with his rant?

The issue with the Moto X was that for the longest time it was the only phone with high-end hardware and clean software in a one-hand friendly form factor. HTC One mini? Gimped on memory and battery. Galaxy S4 mini? Slightly less gimped on memory and battery, but runs touchwiz. Nexus 4? Didn't support LTE, wasn't one hand friendly (for me) and that glass back was a stupid idea.

When it comes time to upgrade my Moto X, I'm hoping there will be more alternatives. I'd be happy with the same form factor, possibly slightly thicker if the battery can last a weekend without recharging.

Then why did you vote that the Moto X is too big?
What is your ideal size exactly? Example of a current phone that meets that(or the closest to such)?

 

[Trombe]

This is to me a body size (specifically width) issue more than a screen size issue. I love my Moto X for its feature set over other phones but I sure wish it had the same screen and body size of the G2. That being said I could handle the Optimus G Pro when I used it as my primary device one handed without having to shift the phone to reach the notification bar with my thumb.

I'm sure I'm in the minority opinion for this but I think the Note 3 is a terrible size because the extra body width and back button being on the right side kills one handed use for me. I'd rather just go straight into tablet territory if I can't one-hand a phone since I can fit an iPad Mini into the front pocket of most of my jeans and all of my slacks/dress pants (and I'm not exactly big either at 5'7" 130 lbs, 30" waist or so).

 

[lothar]

Samsung confuses me... They have the Galaxy Note 3 for huge screen buyers. They have the Galaxy Active for people that want an extra durable phone with water proofing (I assume there will be an S5 Active).

So why did Samsung make the S5 with a slightly larger screen and some water resistance. They already have other product lines to cover those two needs.

I look at the S4 and S5 and the S4 looks like the newer model with the slimmer bezels.

I agree, it's a shame smaller phones now means smaller specs. But I think it does probably cost them more to make smaller phones with high end specs, than bigger phones with high end specs. So I think the phone manufactures are plenty happy to build over sized phones that probably cost a little less to design, if people want that.

Sony did this with the Z1 Compact. The only major difference between it and Z1 is screen size and resolution. And it cost less too.

 

[Eug]

Hated the size of my 4.7" Android phone. Now back on a 4" iPhone.

 

[bearxor]

Have you held/used a Moto X in person? It has a 4.7" display. What do you think of it?
I'd argue that if Motorola is able to do it with the Moto X, then so should someone like Apple.

I think that goes for many of us here, including the author of that blog.
We don't want a Galaxy S5 Mini or an HTC One Mini with crap rubbish specs. I don't think I've ever met anyone that would go for a Galaxy S4 Mini over the regular Galaxy S4. Ditto for the HTC One Mini vs HTC One.

I've used a MotoX. I felt like it was a little too large, but I tend to not judge things I haven't used as a daily driver. I don't believe I can get the "feel" of the device by playing with it for a couple of hours and moving on. I need at least a couple of weeks of usage. The last phones I've used recently for that length of time were the Lumina 920, LG G2 and RAZR HD, the latter which is fairly close to the overall size of the MotoX with the same screen size and resolution.

I'm not dismissing the concept of a larger phone outright with no prior experience. I'm not really dismissing it at all. But I still think 4.3" is probably the best size for me. We're going to go from not having the choice to pick a larger screen to not having a choice to pick a smaller screen to get a "flagship" device, much like the Android users.

 

[Deeko]

I absolutely agree with him. I paid to have the Z1 Comact imported and it's a great size, with flagship specs. More "mini" phones need to do this. The one mini, S4 mini, they all need the same specs has their high end model. Sony proved that it can be done - the others need to stop being lazy and follow suit.

The HTC 8x was a damn near perfect build. 4.3" screen, curved, soft touch back that's easy to hold. Sure, the One is prettier, but what it comes down to is I'd rather USE the 8x day in and day out. People say the Moto X is counter to this argument, but I wholeheartedly disagree. First off - it's not a flagship. Have you used the camera in that thing? It's pathetic. And no, the fact that you can swipe around the home screen without stuttering does not mean it's ok to not have a flagship SoC. Secondly, yea, they make efficient use of the size with small bezels, but I find that makes it just as hard to hold. I like a little bezel at the bottom, like the Z1 Compact or the Lumia 920, to give you something to grip.

The good news is, while the signature device is continuing to get bigger and bigger, it does appear that manufacturers are slowly getting the hint. Until last year, they weren't making "mini" versions - now they are. Sure, they're crippled, but it's a step in the right direction. Sony did it right, hopefully others follow suit.

The problem with you people is you think everyone wants the same thing you do - isn't the beauty of Android supposed to be choice? Maybe you want a big phone. That's wonderful; I'm not here to tell you what you prefer. But it's pathetic if you think you can tell me what size phone I want, or that if I say I don't like the build of a certain phone that I'm wrong.

 

[Deeko]

Ugh, you and that blog writer can just take your tiny little girl hands and go buy an iPhone 5.

Grow up kid.

 

[WelshBloke]

But it's pathetic if you think you can tell me what size phone I want, or that if I say I don't like the build of a certain phone that I'm wrong.

It's not us telling you what you can buy, it's the manufacturers.
You seem to want to tell them what size devices and what specs they need to have. I'm pretty sure they aren't doing it just to spite you, I think they have probably looked into what the market will go for.

 

[Deeko]

It's not us telling you what you can buy, it's the manufacturers.
You seem to want to tell them what size devices and what specs they need to have. I'm pretty sure they aren't doing it just to spite you, I think they have probably looked into what the market will go for.

I'm referring to the fact that every time this debate comes up in these forums, the big screen people say "omgz you just don't know how to hold your phone" or "lol you have tiny girl hands" or "duhhh stop wearing skinny jeans". These are the people to which I am referring as pathetic.

 

[Raduque]

I'm referring to the fact that every time this debate comes up in these forums, the big screen people say "omgz you just don't know how to hold your phone" or "lol you have tiny girl hands" or "duhhh stop wearing skinny jeans". These are the people to which I am referring as pathetic.

By now, it's mostly a joke. Simply poking fun at people who prefer things smaller... :sneaky:

In all seriousness it appears there's a massive market for smaller phones with higher-end hardware. I don't understand why no manufacturer wants to try to take it.

I personally prefer a large screen phone because my eyes are terrible. A 5.5"+ at 1080p is far easier for me to read than a 4" at 1080.

 

[mnewsham]

In all seriousness it appears there's a massive market for smaller phones with higher-end hardware. I don't understand why no manufacturer wants to try to take it.

look at the Z1 compact, it's selling like shit because most people in the market for a new phone are going to go with the S5 or HTC M8, and if they ARE going to look at sony, they will get the Z2 or the Z1, not the compact. It just doesn't sell well.


You say there is a large market out there, but then why aren't they buying these phones?

 

[Rdmkr]

the 4.3 inch Z1 compact is the same size as the 4.7 inch moto X... it sucks at the one aspect that's marketed as being its strength to the point of being mentioned in its name.

(add to this that it has on-screen buttons, and the moto X, while respectable, doesn't have an unusually high screen-to-body area ratio)

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm referring to the fact that every time this debate comes up in these forums, the big screen people say "omgz you just don't know how to hold your phone" or "lol you have tiny girl hands" or "duhhh stop wearing skinny jeans". These are the people to which I am referring as pathetic.

Does it really matter what they say?

What you buy comes down to what you choose and the choices that are available. None of which are under the control of other forum posters here.

It works both ways, this thread started out as a complaint about phones being too big, and there's plenty of people offering up the "fact" that phones are too big.

 

[Deeko]

look at the Z1 compact, it's selling like shit because most people in the market for a new phone are going to go with the S5 or HTC M8, and if they ARE going to look at sony, they will get the Z2 or the Z1, not the compact. It just doesn't sell well.


You say there is a large market out there, but then why aren't they buying these phones?

Is it "selling like shit" because people want those other phones, or is it because no one knows it exists and its only sold in a few, small markets? You can't even buy it from a Sony store here in the US, let alone a carrier, you have to get it imported from the UK. Certainly doesn't have TV commercials.

Plus, the mini phones aren't marketed. Do you know why the Galaxy S sells so much better than the HTC One or the Sony Z1/Z2? It's not because it's so far superior of a device. It's because Samsung markets much more, and more more effectively, than those companies do. And even with all of their marketing, how many commercials and billboards did you see for the S4 Mini in the last year?

Is the market for bigger phones, well, bigger? Sure - but you're kidding yourself if you don't think the market for smaller phones exists too.

 

[bearxor]

People say the Moto X is counter to this argument, but I wholeheartedly disagree. First off - it's not a flagship. Have you used the camera in that thing? It's pathetic. And no, the fact that you can swipe around the home screen without stuttering does not mean it's ok to not have a flagship SoC. Secondly, yea, they make efficient use of the size with small bezels, but I find that makes it just as hard to hold. I like a little bezel at the bottom, like the Z1 Compact or the Lumia 920, to give you something to grip.

Good god I wish people would shut up about the MotoX being a high-end device. It's a 2012 phone released in 2013 at 2013 prices.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great phone and it works well. It's probably "good enough" for the vast majority of people. And they've fixed the pricing on it. $349 is a great price for the phone.

But let's not fool ourselves in to thinking it's the equivalent of a SGS4 or a LG G2.

look at the Z1 compact, it's selling like shit because most people in the market for a new phone are going to go with the S5 or HTC M8, and if they ARE going to look at sony, they will get the Z2 or the Z1, not the compact. It just doesn't sell well.


You say there is a large market out there, but then why aren't they buying these phones?

The Z1 Compact is only available in Japan, Asia, UK, Sweden and France. It's probably not fair to compare it to devices that have world-wide releases.

 

[bearxor]

the 4.3 inch Z1 compact is the same size as the 4.7 inch moto X... it sucks at the one aspect that's marketed as being its strength to the point of being mentioned in its name.

(add to this that it has on-screen buttons, and the moto X, while respectable, doesn't have an unusually high screen-to-body area ratio)

It's not so much the size of the MotoX that was the issue, it was the specs.

Look at the specs on the Z1c. It's water resistant, has a 2.2ghz quad core Krait 400, Adreno 330 GPU, 2300mah battery and a 20MP camera. I think the main complaint a lot of the Android users who want smaller devices is why can't smaller devices be just as powerful as the larger devices?

Why should we settle for the S4 Mini with it's 540x960 screen, dual-core krait 300 cpu with Adreno 305 and 1900mah battery?

 

[mnewsham]

but you're kidding yourself if you don't think the market for smaller phones exists too.

So you think these companies just dont like money? Bullshit, if it were profitable they'd be filling the void in the market, they obviously dont think it is. I have no problems with smaller devices with high end specs, but they just aren't out there right now, and if there were a large enough market to make it profitable, then they would make a product for that market.

 

[Deeko]

So you think these companies just dont like money? Bullshit, if it were profitable they'd be filling the void in the market, they obviously dont think it is. I have no problems with smaller devices with high end specs, but they just aren't out there right now, and if there were a large enough market to make it profitable, then they would make a product for that market.

Yea because no smartphone company has ever misread the market

 

[Raduque]

look at the Z1 compact, it's selling like shit because most people in the market for a new phone are going to go with the S5 or HTC M8, and if they ARE going to look at sony, they will get the Z2 or the Z1, not the compact. It just doesn't sell well.


You say there is a large market out there, but then why aren't they buying these phones?

I'm basing it off the fact that there appears to be tons of folk whining about large phones on the internet.

 

[mnewsham]

smaller devices is why can't smaller devices be just as powerful as the larger devices?

Because of heat, power requirements, component cost, size of the device, etc.

If an LG G2 at 5.2" has 1920x1080 IPS, 2.2Ghz quad core Adreno 330 and 3,200mAh battery, how do you expect to fit ANYTHING similar specswise into a phone that is ~4.5"

It would be more likely to over heat, it would have a smaller battery unless it was super thick, it would have a lower res. screen unless they pay more for better screen quality causing the price of the device to increase. I mean, it just wouldn't work.


So you're looking at a "high end" small footprint device that costs $800+ unsubsidized, most carriers likely wont carry it because it's a niche device so subsidies will be small. The device will likely run hot and have poorer battery life than it's full sized counterparts, unless it's a super chunky phone

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm basing it off the fact that there appears to be tons of folk whining about large phones on the internet.

The quickest way to go out of business is to take whiners on the internet too seriously.

 

[mnewsham]

I'm basing it off the fact that there appears to be tons of folk whining about large phones on the internet.

where are these "ton of people" I see some people making these complaints, and here on a tech site where this sort of thing is expected to be discussed anyway, only about 40-50% of people say smaller phones are better. In the general public it's probably down to 20-30% of people, and of those people only 30% will be getting a new phone in the next year, and of those people maybe 10-20% will want a full high end flagship device.

You are talking about a niche market no matter what way you slice it.

and honestly, most people will just stick with their iphone or whatever is free when they upgrade.

 

[Deeko]

Because of heat, power requirements, component cost, size of the device, etc.

If an LG G2 at 5.2" has 1920x1080 IPS, 2.2Ghz quad core Adreno 330 and 3,200mAh battery, how do you expect to fit ANYTHING similar specswise into a phone that is ~4.5"

It would be more likely to over heat, it would have a smaller battery unless it was super thick, it would have a lower res. screen unless they pay more for better screen quality causing the price of the device to increase. I mean, it just wouldn't work.


So you're looking at a "high end" small footprint device that costs $800+ unsubsidized, most carriers likely wont carry it because it's a niche device so subsidies will be small. The device will likely run hot and have poorer battery life than it's full sized counterparts, unless it's a super chunky phone

Z1 Compact has a 2.2 Ghz Snapdragon 800, the same large camera sensor as the Z1, 2 GB RAM....other than the screen (720p) and smaller battery (2300 mAh), it's spec for spec the same device. However, due to the smaller screen size, both of those limitations are ok. The screen looks sharp enough on 4.3", and many reviewers say it's actually a higher quality panel than the Z1s, so despite being less pixel dense it's actually better looking, and with the smaller size / lower res the battery life is actually quite good.

People forget that the Snapdragon 800 is actually quite battery efficient compared to the last generation, so in addition to getting more power, you're getting a more efficient system, which helps with the battery life. I've never had a Z1 for direct comparison, but my Z1 Compact get WAAY better battery life than my HTC One did last year.

It most certainly can be done. The iPhone does it as well, in an even smaller package. Manufacturers are just choosing not to, it's not a technical issue.