Technology

Didn’t Apple just come out with one or am I mistaken?

I have an iPhone 15 Pro and a recent Pixel (just because I’m a dev and want to know both ecosystems). I use the iPhone as my daily driver, though, not because it’s necessarily better but because I cannot help myself when it comes to tinkering with Android devices. I have semi-bricked several over the years and then had to install Windows in a VM to run some sketchy-looking factory reset program.

Basically, it’s not an Android problem. It’s a me problem. I’m the one who needs a walled garden so I don’t do science experiments.

Why can't we go back to small phones?

They suck and also the higher capacity batteries take up too much space now.

Phones became more frequently used for apps and posting which is a pain on a tiny screen. I built a pi zero powered retro console but actually using the tiny screen of about 3" makes it near impossible to read anything.

I would like to see things return to having replaceable batteries, headphones jacks and maybe slide out keys, but if I have to type and read on the same screen it's awful nice to have some room to work with.

Here's what I want, roughly in order of priority:

1. long term OS support
2. repairable
3. privacy friendly
4. small

I currently have a Pixel 8:

1. 7 years software support, maybe more
2. 6/10 on ifixit score; not great, but better than many
3. supports GrapheneOS
4. on the smaller end of "normal" today

A community-supported Linux phone would be awesome, since I'd get 1 and 3 by default and 2 by convention, but they don't meet my minimum needs from a phone: reliable basic feature support. Hopefully we get there by the time my Pixel dies.

Making a small phone is harder than making a big phone.

I want a repairable phone. A phone where I can replace the battery

IDK, i have Big hands, so using those was a pain for me lmao.

Why can't we have both? I want a bigger phone. Bigger than what I have now, and many people would consider this to be a fairly large phone.

But I don't want to stop people who want smaller phones from having those, too.

Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I can't go back because they don't sell any small phones.

Because most people don't buy them?

It's like asking "Man, why don't they make slider phones anymore?" (and I loved my slider phone).