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0 pointsroenxi6y ago0 comments

A solid summary, and here is one other point that helps explain the passion:

2006: Smartphones were boring.

2007-2010: Smartphones become magical. The pinnacle, or close to, of the 3.5 inch phone is developed in the iPhone 4.

2010+: Phones smaller than 4.5 inches disappear; by the same magic that they used to appear.

For the people who want a 3.5 to 4 inch phone, such as myself, paradise was basically snatched away. I know they can make them, I know they run every app I care about, and they are no longer available for purchase. I want an iPhone 4. I'd settle for an iPhone 5 or similar form factor. Instead they've disappeared and best-case is maybe there is some Android phone that has the right dimensions and is probably poorly fabricated because it is targeting people on a budget.

The issue isn't even entitlement, it that the form factor situation is backsliding from where it was when I was happiest. It is infuriating.

0 comments

dirktheman6y ago

Yes! To me, the iPhone 4 was the pinnacle of phone design and useability. I'd love to have a modern phone with a decent camera in this form factor. AR, NFC, wireless charging are cool, but I don't really NEED them. A decent camera, a small form factor so it fits in my front pocket and battery life are much more important to me.

I own a iPhone 8 plus now, thinking I could get used to the size. I can't, even after almost 2 years it's still annoying. I love the screen, I love the screen size for viewing videos and playing games, but I loathe the size of the thing itself. I wouldn't mind giving up screen real estate for a smaller form factor phone.

rekoil6y ago

100% agree. I had hopes for the 5.4" iPhone 12 changing this trend by being a high end device with a close to OG iPhone SE size. But it now looks like it will not be given the "Pro" title after all, and will instead be the budget option. I hate that "small" has become synonymous with "budget" in the eyes of the manufacturers.

mikestew6y ago

Ah, for a return to the (early?) 90s when the smallest phones were the "pro" models, and priced accordingly. And people would be amazed: "it's so tiny! Don't want to ask what it must have cost, though."

zmix6y ago

This is why I still use my Sony Experia Z3 Compact. It has a 4.7" screen, which is the maximum I am willing to take. I feel like you.

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