Why can't we go back to small phones?
Why can't we go back to small phones?
The iPhone SE is dead, and with it, the compact smartphone as a mainstream product. What happened?
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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).
There is no option to buy them. That's the point.
It used to be the only thing you could buy. Then they started making bigger phones. Now everyone buys those instead. They stopped making them because people stopped buying them, not the other way around.
obviously they did exist. why do you think phone manufacturers would stop making them if they were as profitable as the other sizes?
Zenfone 8 and 9 are valid options, I'm using one rn
Would you pay $1000 for one? Economy of scales matters...
Plus everyone who did look at them would say it is smaller it should cost less! Even though a smaller phone would be more technically challenging to build. Next you have compromises. No matter what you take out to make it work. People would bitch, I need that! I don't need this other thing! Next battery life, people complain about current battery life, you think they want less?
I could go on, but I can easily see why manufacturers don't want to deal...
I'm probably gonna annoy people with this but I will shout it from the rooftops
Unihertz makes one.
That's right. The market has spoken, and unfortunately it has said it doesn't want small phones. Personally, I still do though.
I don't think it's the consumer market. It's more expensive to manufacture with physical controls, keyboards, and moving parts. It wasn't lack of consumer demand that killed the phono jack.
you could get a Unihertz Jelly Star like me
As a lover of small phones, unfortunately that's the truth. Apple tried a couple years ago with their iPhone mini and sold very few. Still, there should be enough of us that maybe some smaller phone manufacturers could fill this niche.
And maybr make it fully unlocked and repairable, replaceable battery, etc. while they're at it.
Did I overlook the sales numbers? Do they exist?
You're right, I thought I remembered that article giving actual figures but instead it just handwavily says they didn't sell many.
So, here is one that actually quotes a number, 3% of the whole iPhone lineup: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopular-march-quarter/
And another: https://www.cultofmac.com/news/iphone-13-mini-makes-up-a-tiny-percentage-of-apple-sales
And another, this one says 5% for some reason: https://www.notebookcheck.net/iPhone-13-Mini-sales-continue-to-disappoint-as-rumors-claim-the-iPhone-14-Mini-may-be-axed.593194.0.html
Either way 3% - 5% is a small number for Apple (or Samsung, or...) which might not justify making a small phone, but in absolute numbers, thats actually a lot of people! A smaller manufacturer should definitely be able to profitably fill this niche...
Why does it need to the most people buying them. Why can’t it be a minority?
Because cell phones are a business. If not enough people buy a format, it dies out.
See: Rotary phones.