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hackrmn 10 hours ago

Why do they keep making them BIGGER and BIGGER? Our hands don't grow that fast, most adult males have been struggling using their phone with one hand. Only the vocal minority prefers to oversized phone-computer, most of us just want to use it briefly on the go before tucking it back into the pocket, without it tearing a hole in it (which my last two phones have done).

If anyone is listening -- can you put a cap on the dimensions? 5.5" screen is plenty, if I want the cinema experience I will either a) go to cinema or b) use some VR/AR device, for the rest of use cases, like watching a movie on a bus/plane/train, it doesn't weigh up against carrying a brick with you.

marcos100 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

And can you give a number on the "vocal minority"? Because companies usually sell what customers want and if the majority of the phones on the market is big, then that's what people want.

numpad0 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The problem isn't that this hypothetical vocal minority is completely imaginary, but that consumers will repeatably gravitate toward the biggest and most glitterliest product. Only few realizes it's not what they want.

vitro 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Hmm, or they fabricate the demand so they can fulfill it. SUVs anyone?

GCUMstlyHarmls 10 hours ago | parent [-]

As an outsider, how do they do that?

I am guessing

- put best specs in largest devices (fomo-ish, status symbol) - put highest cost on largest devices (status symbol) - um? not even create smaller devices would also do it I guess?

FridgeSeal 9 hours ago | parent [-]

I mean, the suv case is easy:

- market SUV’s.

- stock dealerships with mostly SUV’s

- complain that nobody is buying non-SUV’s (they can’t, it’s only suv stock),

- stop selling non-SUV models.

- complete transformation into indeterminate, indistinguishable car brand no.3564.

LorenDB 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I like large screens because I value having plenty of context visible, e.g. in a webpage or a conversation.

Also, don't forget the bigger batteries that large phones enable.

Filligree 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Do smaller phones still exist?

Genuinely asking. I’m on iPhone, which hasn’t changed form factor in quite a while.

daemonologist 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yes, but no "flagship" devices from mainstream brands, only specialty/novelty stuff. The last <6" flagship I'm aware of was the Asus Zenphone 10 in 2023.

tryauuum 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

yes. I use this one https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-star

jsheard 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

They did try bringing back smaller ~5.5" phones, and hardly anybody bought them.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/iphone-12-mini-sales-a-disast...

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula...

I think the vocal minority is the other way around.

pitched 10 hours ago | parent [-]

As the article points out, the iPhone 13 mini sold half as much as the other iPhone 13 models, while competing with the iPhone SE which was the same size at half the price. That isn’t exactly terrible.

zamadatix an hour ago | parent [-]

The lowest alternative, 13 Pro Max had double the sale volume (at 1.5x the cost), while the VAST majority chose the 6.1" models instead, how does that support the argument the desire for a >5.5" phone is from a vocal minority? The articles themselves directly state the sales of small models are poor, it's not the other way around no matter how you spin the charts.

The relative preference for the larger unit has increased over time as well, e.g.: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/28/iphone-16-q1-2025-best-...

chpatrick 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Poorly optimized apps need big batteries.

pessimizer 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

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