For me, I actually never look at the size. There are two criteria: whether there’s a supported ROM and battery life. Everything else is tertiary.
Unfortunately, most of the phones with good battery life are big phones. Since mine is face down and just waiting for messages, a big screen doesn’t make that much of a difference since it’s not on most of the time. Only when traveling do big phones gobble up battery.
I lust for a phone that lasts me a week and has a ROM. It can be twice or even triple as thick as phones today and I wouldn’t give a fuck. Nokia and Sony Ericson made thicc phones and it never bothered me.
They really only think of size in terms of thin. I’ll take a thicker phone with all the hardware and a bigger battery, except with a smaller screen. But they don’t make those.
And let’s face it. Many of us have to make snap decisions on replacement. I’d still be on my previous phone if it hadn’t met with disaster.
They are still around, but maybe not what you are expecting.
I’ve always bought the biggest phone available, starting with the HTC Evo which dropped in 2010 when I was a cellphone salesman. The extra screen real estate always worked great for gaming and reading ebooks.
Since then I’ve always found that the biggest options just work best for me. I even had the Samsung Fold last year, and finally reached a point where the weight wasn’t worth the screen real estate. I’ve since stepped down to the Samsung Flip, and it works much better for my needs.
How’s the flip phone working out for you? Does it flip open to a screen big enough for you? I’ve seen reviews and reviewers are just puzzled by them it seems.
I love it. I’ve had it for a little over a month now and it works so well for my needs. It’s great to fold it open to 90 degrees when I’m on a video call so I can set it down, and likewise with YouTube videos - it does an interesting thing with the video controls that makes it easy to control media when I’m multitasking.
Size-wise the screen is perfect and I can type on it more easily than the Fold, but I have small hands so that may be a factor.
The weight is what really sold me. It feels like it weighs nothing, which has been great at the gym. The Fold in comparison was like carrying a brick and pulled down on my pocket.
I’m definitely sold on this form factor and will be sticking with it for a while. That being said, I do also have a tablet which I use for comics, ebooks, and meal planning. It came for free with my phone thru Verizon.
When I first chose a big phone it was because I was tired of looking up information on web sites that required a lot of side scrolling on a small screen. Bigger screens and higher DPI made them easier to read.
Then the sites got redesigned using newer frameworks, and now sites require even more side scrolling because of all that f*"**ing padding.
Nowadays I don’t care about the size of the phone any more, it’s all about battery life and weight.
Doesn’t increased battery life mean increased weight? Have you found anything in the sweet spot? I have a Pixel 6 Pro and I remember being shocked at how heavy it was when I got it. Definitely looking for something lighter for my next phone.
Honestly, crap like glass backs increases the weight more than a bigger battery. I have both a Pixel 4a and an 8. The 8 is barely bigger than the 4a, but 40 grams heavier.
Ugh, I hate glass backs. Slippery and can crack. Why are they a thing? I’ll have to look into the ‘a’ class of phones.
I’m the gal with a Fold. I consume a lot of media, be it ebooks, manga, or just YouTube videos. My old tablet couldn’t take it anymore, and my phone was up for a change after its honorable service.
Including my eyesight going down the drain with age, it makes up the perfect phone for me.