Just finished watching MKBHD’s video “Small Phones are Dead and We Killed Them” yt indivio

I’m wondering, why is it that people buy big phones. Is it a conscious decision? Something that just unconsciously happened while selecting a phone? A lack of choice? What?

18 points
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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.

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1 point

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.

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4 points

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.

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1 point

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.

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Old infographic, but still relevant…

Also, as others pointed out, bigger phones almost always have better specs overall. I used to have top notch Samsung phones specifically for the camera and battery life, bc I used my phone for site surveys.

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0 points

Porn is the main driver of evolution. Fact.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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14 points

I miss smaller phones (<5.5") so much. Went for the smallest one with a decent price, and privacy centric aosp support, I could find.

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11 points

Bigger screen and longer battery life are the main reasons for me.

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8 points

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.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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