1d ago

How Phones Got so Big - Android Police - 8 minutes

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Companies started making bigger phones
People bought the bigger phones
Companies stopped making smaller phones
- why did 3 happen because I never stopped buying them. I had a Pixel 4a that I used until it almost exploded. I'm on a 6a now and this thing is uncomfortable. I miss typing with one hand.
  
  You're not "most people". "Most people" want to watch movies and TV and other sorts of media consumption on their phones, and having a larger screen allows one to do that with ease.
  
  Why do people buy TVs? I feel like people forgot we used to have deligated tools. I can open a can with my pocket knife, but it's not the ideal way to do it... ugh
  
  Do you carry your TV with you to Dr appts? To work? To the bedroom or kitchen?
  Didn't think so.
  
  Jackass I'm not watching movies and TV at Dr appts and at work. I make food in the kitchen and I have a TV in my bedroom like an adult.
  Good lord it reminds me of the "this movie boring aah" where the dude is watching fucking family guy om his phone in the movie theater.
  Edit: this is what you sound like.
  
  Just a friendly reminder to please keep it civil.
  
  Jackass I’m not watching movies and TV at Dr appts and at work. I make food in the kitchen and I have a TV in my bedroom like an adult.
  My wife and I also make food in our kitchen and have a TV on each floor of our house, including our bedroom. However, the TV in our living room (which is on the same floor as our kitchen in an open floorplan) does not - and cannot - face the kitchen at all, so when we are making meals or whatever in the kitchen and want to watch a show, we use our phones. And when I have a dr appt (or I'm on my lunch break), I'll watch stuff on my phone while I'm waiting.
  Is there anything else you want justified, or are you just gonna move the goalposts again?
  
  i'm not moving the goalpost, I'm standing by what I'm saying. I dont need my brain to be constantly stimulated by media to function in day to day life.
  
  i’m not moving the goalpost, I’m standing by what I’m saying.
  Great, then you should understand that this is entirely subjective, meaning that there is no "right" or "wrong" way for one to enjoy their media (as long as they use headphones in public spaces - fuck those who don't).
  Remember, this isn't team sports. You're absolutely allowed to enjoy your media the way you desire, and if that means you prefer it on your TV at home, that's OK! However, that doesn't invalidate others' preference to enjoy it on their mobile devices. For me specifically, having a smaller device that can be placed anywhere convenient is preferred over a TV in a static location. Like I said, my living room TV cannot be seen from the kitchen, and I have zero desire to wall-mount it because it weighs over 70lbs (it's nearly 20 years old, but still crystal clear).
  I dont need my brain to be constantly stimulated by media to function in day to day life.
  Good for you (seriously). Personally, I like having the capability to do so. I don't do it all the time, but when I do, it's nice to have. And that's OK, too.
  
  I didn't mean to try and invalidate how people consume their media, I'm just frustrated with the fact that there is no longer an option to even buy a smaller phone. When you I had originally responded to you with the TV comment, it wasn't about invalidating people who do watch tv on a phone. It was about the fact the ideal way to do it is on a tv, with the assumption that it was implied you could also watch stuff on a smaller phone. IMHO, a 6.5" screen for viewing is not that much different from a 5" screen, but it makes a world of difference for holding and using it. I can't type on my phone without using two hands currently, its constantly pulling on my pants, and if I'm not wearing a belt (say, sweatpants or shorts) I'm constantly pulling my pants back up, and I have a few pairs of pants where the thing falls out of my pocket and in between the car door while im closing it because of how big it is. I hate it and I want a smaller one. I apologize for any of it being a personal attack, but I still feel like every single phone being 6"+er is frustrating for people like me, and I know for a fact I'm not the only person with these problems.
  
  I hear you, man. My dad (gen X) is like that, even today he still prefers the size of the iPhone 4. He's got a 14 now, but laments the larger size quite often 😅
  My personal daily is the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and my work phone is a bog-standard iPhone 12. I will absolutely concede the fact that the larger Pixel can be difficult to use with one hand, but IMO - with the keyboard's one-handed mode and Quick Cursor installed - the benefits of the larger display far outweigh the difficulty of one-handed usage. Although with my work phone, I can whip it out with one hand and shoot a message or email to my coworkers far quicker than similar work on my Pixel... Though there are other difficulties with iOS in general that I can't justify (such as the complete inability to scale things down to fit more content)... But that aside, the physical size of my iPhone 12 is quite nice for its intended purpose.
  There is something to be said for the physical battery size in a smaller device, especially where battery life is a huge selling point these days. Having two flagships where size is the only difference, the smaller one is going to suffer in battery life. The iPhone 13 mini has the exact same specs as its larger non-Pro sibling (except a slightly lesser resolution, but retaining a slightly higher ppi), and its battery life just doesn't hold up as well. That may not matter to some people though, and these things do charge pretty quickly, so I guess that's subjective.
  All that said - Unfortunately, we're stuck in a world where profits reign king, and small phones (even with top-tier specs like the iPhone 13 mini or Zenfone 8) just don't sell very well because companies have convinced people that bigger = better.
  
  They might watch less TV than you. They just do it more conveniently.

26 comments