I will never stop yearning for iPhone Mini phone/screen sizes. But I've stopped asking for it because that would be pointless at this point.
In the review the author write:
> The iPhone Air is the perfect solution to this, its screen size sits right in the middle of the normal Pro and Pro Max sized phones
That's probably true for them, and a lot of other people, but I'd argue that it's WAY to large. The Air is larger in all dimensions, except it's 1,7mm thinner, it even weighs more than the SE. It's also larger than the iPhone 17, but lighter and thinner. I don't really get the need for the phone to be thinner, if you're just going to make it larger in all other directions.
To some extend I get the larger screen, because it's just because it's not made for me. I don't use my phone for much other than calls and a few apps, but for a ton of people it's their only computing device, so a slightly larger screen makes a difference. I just wish that Apple would also make a device for people who just needs their smartphone or the occasional parking app and mobile payments, but who doesn't care about the browser, video and to some extend the camera.
It isn't like I would be rushing to upgrade anyway but the refusal to cater is tiresome
I do. I write iOS apps.
I just recently stopped using an original SE as my low-end test (because of the OS support). I now use a Mini 12 as my low-end test.
The new iPadOS lets you resize windows into weird shapes, like tall and narrow, or short and wide (or narrow). I think VisionOS is even more flexible.
Also, I want my apps to continue working, when you flip them into landscape. A lot of apps become worthless, in that state.
I understand the new foldable will likely have challenging dimensions.
All phones need to do phone-stuff that uses power, and (for any given generation of tech) battery capacity scales with volume.
If all else is the same, then: A thinner phone has less internal volume for things like the battery than a thicker phone does. Perhaps if it had the XY dimensions of an SE at this thickness, it would have bad battery life. (We all remember phones with bad battery life, yeah? It was an awful time.)
But if it's also made wider/taller ("bigger"), then: There's more volume for a battery.
And, of course: This increases the frontal area.
But because people make fun of bezels, this means that the screen should also increase in size accordingly.
And so we have it: The iPhone Air. It's both big and skinny, it does all the usual phone stuff without giant garish bezels, and the battery life is pretty OK (instead of terrible).
The SE also have a small camera bump ~2mm, so 9.3mm max thickness, compared to the Air at 11.3mm. The Air suddenly becomes a chunky phone, especially if, like most, you put on a cover.
It's under appreciated because of the "Pro" label of the Pro, and because of battery-hell.
I'm a dyed in the wool Apple sheep, but when I saw this smallish Android phone with a BB style kb, I couldn't resist. Should be shipping next week: https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan-2-elite?srsltid=AfmB...
I would've paid twice the price if Apple made something like this.
I wonder if this is some kind of enthusiast bias where owners of these niche products love them so much they run them into the ground so the demand slumps
I prefer manual transmissions and take care of my cars so I am not out there buying a new car as often as other folk. I suspect people who find a phone they really love aren’t trading it in every couple of years like most people.
I mean, why would you stop using a device you care for, especially when the segment is shrinking. An older manual transmission is probably just better than a newer one that they don’t make as many of.
It comes down to economies of scale for manufacturers. If anything, the outliers like the Minis or 6-speeds should be priced much higher than regular offerings, but the general perception is that something named a Mini or something you have to row on your own should be less expensive. I'd love me an iPad mini Pro, I'd pay around $700-800, but how many of us are there for Apple to bother?
But the ones that do are pretty fervent admirers.
there are a lot of iphone minis and manual transmission miatas still out there.
and don't say anything about firefly.
I had a Mini 13, and traded it for a 17Pro. I thought I’d be missing the form factor -and I do, but not much. The 17 definitely feels “clunkier,” especially with its Casekoo, but I now find that comforting. I’ve dropped it, several times, and it hasn’t a scratch.
I still miss it so much. Perfect size, and touch ID is so much better than faceID.