As a hardcore fan of small phones, the reason I didn’t get a Mini (so far) was not at all because of price, nor even because of lack of pro features. It was because
1) the Mini is still too big for me. The 5/SE1 was truly the largest size body and screen for easy secure one-handed use IMO. And
2) I’m maybe equally a hardcore fan of Touch ID, which the Mini does not have.
Therefore I decided to hold onto my SE1 until a more suitable replacement comes along, or if not, then until the SE1 becomes unusable and I’m forced to “replace” it.
It hasn’t happened yet, but once the SE1 inevitably does go kaput, as far as my current options, I’m strongly leaning toward getting the newest SE. I can’t say I've completely ruled out the Mini 13, but the SE having Touch ID is too strong of a factor. It also has a big top/bottom bezel which will give me somewhere safe to pinch it which I find I need to do with my phone from time to time. It does have a slightly wider body than the Mini which is worse for one-handed use, but has a shorter screen which is better for one-handed use, which probably makes one-handed use a wash between the two devices. But the Mini is better in every other way. Flat edges make it less prone to slip out of hand and looks better IMO, and it has larger storage and a better camera and other better tech. If the Mini had Touch ID, I would certainly get that over the SE, but Touch ID is too big a deal for me. Again, price is not a concern for me. I would gladly pay for the phone I want. And I would pay more for more pro features.
I’m know the small phone thing is pretty counter-cultural. Mainstream wants to have the biggest phone and screen possible while still being portable enough. I want to have the smallest phone and screen possible while still being functional enough. (Therefore the Watch, for example, as a standalone device is out.) This is because my ideal is to use my phone only when needed while I’m out, like a pocket Swiss Army knife. A small Swiss Army knife isn’t meant to be used constantly, just there when you need it, otherwise invisible. In an ideal world, you won’t need to use it at all. A phone to me is almost the same thing. I use it to quickly look up occasional info if I have to, then it disappears back into the pocket, only to come out again if and when it is needed. But it’s different from the Swiss knife in that I do need to use my phone daily and often, namely for messaging, audio (calls, music, navigation), and to a lesser degree taking pictures and video. But the thing is, I wouldn’t benefit significantly or at all from a larger screen for these tasks. Even navigation, though displayed bigger for me via CarPlay, is ideally and mostly done with audio cues for safety.
If I really do need a bigger screen while I’m out, eg. to do some work, I’ll almost always know ahead of time, and I’ll bring a much more suitable device than a phone (ie. iPad or laptop). On the rare occasion work is unforeseen or if I just don’t want to bring anything bigger, I’m fine making do with a smaller screen, as it still does everything a larger phone does.
Not to say I’m rigid. I do at times partake in entertainment on my phone while I’m out—the very occasional video or game or social media—but those are far from often enough or important enough to be a reason for me to have a larger phone.
When I get to work or home, however, then it’s screens all day. For work and play. And it’s because these are relatively extremely controlled environments, and the ideal intended places for these purposes.
Two common counterarguments I get are that small screens are hard for old/bad eyes, and the keyboard is too small to type accurately. My eyes aren’t good either, so I simply make text bigger. It means a little more scrolling, but again, for someone who uses their phone only as needed, that’s a tiny price to pay. For two thumb typing, a smaller keyboard is harder, but I use QuickPath one-handed, which is as fast as two thumb typing and more convenient once you get used to it, and which is better on the smaller keyboard.
The reason I want my phone to be unobtrusive is that while I’m out I want to focus on the environment and especially the people around me. I think the real world is truly more real, in that it has greater potential to make deeper impact in our lives. The virtual world, and even good ol fashioned books for that matter, are great for information and inspiration, but I don’t believe when we’re on our deathbed we will wish we were on our phones more, or even reading books more. We will wish we were more involved with our world and with people. I believe real valuable life is lived in the physical world with the people physically around us.
And the virtual world is much more contrived and manipulated. People only put out there what they want you to see. This is good for things like education, but it’s bad for living authentic life. You can’t see honest unconscious reactions. You can’t feel the energy in a room. You can’t share a look with a stranger as you both react to something funny that just happened. And the internet is siloed. In the real world, it’s one world in which anyone or thing can come into your proximity in such an unpredictable way. Which is not only potentially deeply good, but also potentially deeply bad, so there are safety reasons for always being alert to the environment. I think whenever my eyes are on my phone it blinds me to my immediate world and it also tells people, I don’t acknowledge you, I’m not here. (Headphones do the same thing.) And if we’re honest, isn’t much of the time spent on phones actually on active time-killers that purposely lead nowhere?
Wow this post got long.
