And yet they continue to sell it.
Of course it's a normal-sized phone. Hands haven't gotten any bigger. The mere fact that people are asking for controls to be moved to the bottom of the screen is proof that phablets are bad for actual usability; they're meant only for watching videos on the couch, not for actual mobile use.
Historically the Mac mini got updated much, much less frequently than the MacBook Air.
It’s no longer 2018. In 2025 a 5.4” phone is considered very small. That is the size of some el cheapo garbage Android phones, but even the vast majority of those available at the larger carriers here these days are 6.0” or larger.
“Normal” sized is a constantly evolving thing. What is normal now is not the same normal as 15 years ago. If the iPhone mini had sold well it would have stayed around. I know 1 person with an iPhone mini, whereas the majority of my friends have Plus or Max iPhones 🤷🏼♀️I appreciate your response, but this doesn’t sound like the Steve’s Apple way of doing things. That sounds more like HTC or Samsung or Nokia’s Lumia mentality and reasoning - accepting limitations today’s tech in phones and thus making bulky uncomfortable and heavy devices? Looking at what can’t be done rather than bruteforcing innovation?
Apple can have all the gimmicks in a Pro device, but a regular iPhone should be compact easy to use with one hand and pack a punch, just like the 12 Mini and 13 Mini. They could literally improve these two with today’s tech. If they can make a phone as thin as the rumored 17 Air, I’m pretty sure they can make a new “Mini”. How much of a camera do you really need for everyday tasks as a non-Pro iPhone user? How many hours do you intend to spend on doomscrolling scrolling ticktock and watching Youtube that you need a phablet sized iPhone? I use an iPhone for quick emails, calls, music, a few messages here and there, slither.io on the loo and a few photos, carplay, apple pay, basic things. I don’t need a phablet to consume media all day long, I don’t need 3 gigantic cameras since I’m not a photographer, I only bought the Pro so that it lasts a few years of hardware demands by the upcoming iOS versions, but I hate this form factor. I do love the build quality, pro motion, taptic engine and the island, these are all fantastic features and if this was in the same form factor as 13 Mini, I would not say a word. I’m pretty sure Apple with it’s resources is fully capable of making an actual iPhone that isn’t a phablet, but their brain goes where the money is, and that’s because the company is run by accountants and not visionaries and it shows - just look at the Vision Pro fiasco, what the hell is even that?!They lost so much money on this thing and continue to lose money on it, while they kill off the “Mini” models of iPhone (which shouldn’t even be called a Mini, it’s just s regular iPhone) because it sold less than a phablet, but so did the Max models. A visionary isn’t tied to today’s tech, if Jobs was still at Apple, he would definitely have the balls to tell you to go and buy a phablet elsewhere, we’re making an iPhone and an iPhone should never be a phablet. Today’s iPhone lineup doesn’t represent iPhone’s core values, and Max models are a total abomination good for nothing else but doomscrolling, and since doomscrolling is what majority of people do these days, we’ll continue to get phablets instead of phones since that’s where the money is and that’s all Apple’s accountant of a CEO and the rest of them care about.
I want a normal sized iPhone, stop treating me like I’m asking for a flying car.
It's my bias, but I think in 2025 the XR's size is peak iPhone sizing for the mainstream, and it's what I bought for my wife in 2018 to replace her 6s. Interestingly, it's the same 6.1" size as the 16e, which I just bought for my kid.
Stop being rude, and stop making assumptions. Like I said, you may prefer smaller phones, but most people prefer bigger phones these days. And, no, spending too much time on the phone isn't really a reason people go with larger phones. They may go with larger phones because of the additional screen real estate, the easier ability to type, the fact that larger screens put less strain on one's eyes and the fact that you don't have to have your phone as close to your face, or just because they want a bigger phone.
Many people use their phones for things other than just doomscrolling Instagram or other apps. Games exist, as does content consumption, reading, texting friends, video calling, etc. Please stop criticizing people for getting larger phones and then proceeding to pretend to understand that you know what people use these devices for even though you don't. Because many usecases exist for larger phones, you just don't want to acknowledge that they exist.
Mmmmm, I can’t speak for them, but they use them for a lot of things, they’re very social. A lot of group chats on Whatsapp and Instagram, Partiful, texting, Discord, Youtube, etc. I don’t really notice them using their phones a lot while socializing though, except to take pictures or look something up. This is a SoCal perspective though, people do get out of the house quite a lot here.
If your mental health is being impacted by watching current event stuff, I'd suggest you stop and watch something else. The news is constantly depressing and saddening; it's why I rarely read the news. I use YouTube to watch videos about tech, gaming, cities, major construction projects, niche products, etc though, and thats a lot more fun and interesting.
Well, some of the policies the current administration is pushing through may negatively impact me, I’m kind of in one of the groups they seem to be targeting for whatever reason, so I try to stay abreast of what’s going on. I watch plenty of other stuff on youtube too that’s tech/gaming/music related. Maybe I should try to cut back though since it’s stressing me out so much. Thanks :3
the 12 and 13 minis were already apple's attempt at smaller phones, and they did not sell well at all, hence why they stopped making minis. clearly there's not enough people who care about having a smaller phone to justify it.