It should not be this hard to buy a phone in 2021

[danlightbulb]

This Pixel 4a Ive just bought is the perfect size for me. Its 5.75" long and 2.75" wide in its leather wallet case that I just put it in. The Pixel 5 is similar in size I believe.

So why not make this size 'the' size (give or take 0.25") and just make different specs.

Pixel 4a as it is is good value at £280 which is what I paid.
So next model up should clearly be around £400 and have a better SOC and camera.
Then next model up should be £600 and have nearly top end SOC and camera.
And finally make a model for £900+ or whatever and made it 10" long and out of shiny stainless steel and glass with 10 camera lenses if you want to.

3 models in the normal person price range, solid specs in all but incrementally better cameras and performance, but otherwise basically the same.

 

[Squink]

Everyone gets hung up about 'needing' the latest snapdragon, when they probably don't actually need it.

In GSM Arena's long term Pixel 5 review they did mention that the Pixel 5 drops frames. A lot of frames. So either stock Android isn't the amazingly perfect experience people proclaim, or the Pixel 5 SoC isn't fast enough. Also, I imagine it could be frustrating waiting a few seconds after each photo for processing to happen.

 

[DeliciousStorage]

This is crazy.

I just want a good quality, mid to high end phone that will last a few years.

I dont want a premium top of the range monster. But i want a decent camera that takes good low light shots. I want decent non bloated software. I want good battery life for when Im out walking for full days on the mountains.

95% of phones are just far too big. Why would people want phones this big. They are idiots.

The 5% normal person sized phones that are left are not 'mid to high end' and have too many flaws, either cameras battery life or software.

So it basically leaves the iphone 12 or the pixel 5. Both soon to be replaced with larger models no doubt.

The iphone 12 is expensive and I prefer the cheaper build of the pixel 5. But the cameras are better on the 12 and its a more powerful hardware where the 5 has been skimped a bit there.

I wont be able to benefit from wireless charging because I always buy a leather style wallet case for my phones and I don't have a 5G tariff either.

Why cant they just make a good quality mid to high end phone that isn't the size of my shoes???

Don't see why it's crazy, the vast majority prefer bigger phones. It's completely normal for there to be limited choice in a niche market as it wouldn't be profitable to release a bunch of different models that don't sell. These days they tend to have much thinner bezels and a wider aspect ratio, so if you compare them to older phones the difference in actual size isn't as much as it appears.

 

[Begbie]

I feel the OPs pain, but it does sound like the pixel 5 would be ideal (ok, yeah it's been discontinued but still a great phone).

Everyone gets hung up about 'needing' the latest snapdragon, when they probably don't actually need it.

It would be good if google made a smaller pixel though, the size of the 3 was great. Why can't they make a small pixel 6, and a bigger pixel 6 pro? hell, even just a pixel 6 mini

Don't sell enough, so therefore isn't as profitable as other models. These companies stop making stuff because the want doesn't exist. Why make a 6 mini, if they don't sell enough.

 

[danlightbulb]

Don't see why it's crazy, the vast majority prefer bigger phones. It's completely normal for there to be limited choice in a niche market as it wouldn't be profitable to release a bunch of different models that don't sell. These days they tend to have much thinner bezels and a wider aspect ratio, so if you compare them to older phones the difference in actual size isn't as much as it appears.

Do they though, really? Or is it that that is what is available and people need phones so have to buy them? Companies make people think phone X is better than phone Y because it has a 0.1" bigger screen and it's snowballed upwards.

I get what you're saying about size, agree that screens now take up nearly the whole front which is good and efficient. I dont measure screen size, I measure device size and as I said, something bigger than 6" vertically would really struggle to fit into jeans pockets.

 

[Squink]

Do they though, really? Or is it that that is what is available and people need phones so have to buy them?

Then why are so few people buying the iPhone 12 Mini that Apple have discontinued it? This is Apple we're talking about. People want Apple phones. People who want small phones and Apple phones should therefore buy the iPhone Mini. But they have not been buying the iPhone 12 Mini because not enough people want small phones.

What you want, however reasonably you try to argue it, clearly isn't what the majority of buyers want.

 

[glenimp617]

In GSM Arena's long term Pixel 5 review they did mention that the Pixel 5 drops frames. A lot of frames. So either stock Android isn't the amazingly perfect experience people proclaim, or the Pixel 5 SoC isn't fast enough. Also, I imagine it could be frustrating waiting a few seconds after each photo for processing to happen.

That's shocking. You'd like to think the SOC google chose for their 2020 flagship could do everything (bar gaming you could argue) without breaking a sweat.

Maybe that's why they are making their own chips now.

Customers shouldn't have to buy 865 tier processors just to get a fluid and snappy experience.

 

[danlightbulb]

i dont think the iphone mini/12 is the issue. The 12 standard is a nice size. Its the huge number of phones larger than this that's the issue. It is hard to get a well specced new entrant phone (realme, oneplus etc) in a <6" size. im not talking 5" phones.

 

[Squink]

That's shocking. You'd like to think the SOC google chose for their 2020 flagship could do everything (bar gaming you could argue) without breaking a sweat.

The Pixel 5 is overpriced at £599 for the hardware it offers, especially compared to the competition. Google cheaped out - they could have included a faster SoC and taken a knock on their profit margins in order to maintain their reputation in what was clearly a stepping stone year to the Pixel 6. Instead, they fitted a slow SoC and actually downclocked it as well.

Had they fitted a faster SoC, I'd have likely bought a Pixel 5 as the phone is otherwise solid. As it was, I bought an iPhone 12.

 

[danlightbulb]

The Pixel 5 is overpriced at £599 for the hardware it offers, especially compared to the competition. Google cheaped out - they could have included a faster SoC and taken a knock on their profit margins in order to maintain their reputation in what was clearly a stepping stone year to the Pixel 6. Instead, they fitted a slow SoC and actually downclocked it as well.

Had they fitted a faster SoC, I'd have likely bought a Pixel 5 as the phone is otherwise solid. As it was, I bought an iPhone 12.

Absolutely how I analysed it too. The Pixel 4a at £280 and the Pixel 5 at £599 - far too big a price jump given the hardware spec increase. Not sure whether that is because the 4a is underpriced or the 5 is overpriced. I'd have bought a Pixel 5 at £600 if it had faster hardware, or I'd have bought it at £450 in its current spec form.

 

[Eeekster]

Still have my Samsung S7 - size wise, wouldn't want anything bigger, unfortunately the battery is degrading to the point it hardly lasts a day, but still does just about everything I need it to do.

Looks like the pixel 4a might be my next phone

 

[mattyfez]

I've had a 4a for about a year.. Can't fault it.
I'm not going to upgrade until the battery is kaput or I break it.

 

[danlightbulb]

I've had a 4a for about a year.. Can't fault it.
I'm not going to upgrade until the battery is kaput or I break it.

Yeah I've had mine for just over a week now and it's great. it's fast enough, battery lasts well and it takes a nice photo. It's easy to get hung up on the premium features but reality is I don't need them.