Flashback: the phones that weren’t, part 2 - letting people design a phone

14 May 2023
Who knows best what people want than the people themselves?

Sort by:

AlienKiss, 17 May 2023You should speak for yourself, not for others. Just because... moreWell actually I'm also not a type of people who changed their phone every year. I just switched to Samsung after using Vivo since 2018. I just don't like it when people just prefer "this" brand just because "that" brand doesn't receive updates for 2-3 months. Like come on, does with not receiving updates for 2-3 months make your smartphone easy to be attacked by hackers?

    • A
    • AlienKiss
    • 0Ca
    • 17 May 2023

    kevvv, 16 May 2023Speaks about support, what's the point of putting 4 OS... moreYou should speak for yourself, not for others. Just because you change your phone every year, it doesn't mean everyone else does it too. Since 2010 when Android was released until now, I've used 4 phones:
    - 2010-2013 - HTC Desire Bravo
    - 2013-2018 - Sony Xperia Z C6603
    - 2018-2023 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
    - 2023 - Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (for the SD card slot mainly)
    I change my phone every 3-5 years. I just don't see the point in changing them every year. I've only changed my last phone because the display broke beyond repair.
    Jumping from Android 9 to 13 was a blast ! 😁

      Anonymous, 14 May 2023But it is the reality. Who offers great support like Samsun... moreSpeaks about support, what's the point of putting 4 OS Upgrades or more on a flagship if people will just change their phone every 1-2 years? Also too bad some people don't even want to update their phone, just because their phone "still works fine".
      Companies need to put longer support on midranges, since people who bought midranges tend to hold their phone longer than the one that bought flagships.

        Anonymous, 16 May 2023You lie yourself bro. Xiaomi never gives 4 android updates ... moreACTUALLY, I said "you'll be getting atleast 3 years" or do you not read? (literally take 1 second and scroll down and properly read) They give a mimimum of 3 years of updates and 4 years of security updates and their software runs incredibly well with many useful features.



          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • Ids
          • 16 May 2023

          Super Android 22, 15 May 2023No it doesnt, just because you think they have just shows i... moreYou lie yourself bro. Xiaomi never gives 4 android updates like Samsung.

            Anonymous, 15 May 2023You signed under my comment then. Like I said Samsung has l... moreNo it doesnt, just because you think they have just shows ignorance.

            Ive used xiaomi phones before (even low end £200 phones) and it was an enjoyable software experience that worked pretty flawlessly. Xiaomi has its own desktop experience, always better hardware. You'll be getting atleast 3 years of updates (you keep your phone for longer do you?) and even samsung on the low end arent great with software support (a study was done in india i believe and it showed people buying phones under £200 equivalent usually replace them every 6 months or so including samsung and its oneui core version phones (not full blown android experience).

            Ignorance is ignorance at the end of the day my friend.

              The thing is, someone like me can design a phone better than the OEMs. It's not impossible, actually super easy, barely an inconvenience. But what I want as a consumer is at direct odds as what a company or shareholder wants.

              Here's some examples:
              Standard Aspect Ratio vs Awkward Aspect Ratio
              Flat Display vs Curved Display
              Long-term screen vs Burn-in pixels
              Flat sides vs Curved sides
              Matte texture vs Slippery/Glossy texture
              Medium weight vs Heavy weight
              Shock Resilient vs Shattering Construction
              Average Thickness vs Ultra Thin/Fragile
              Large Battery vs Small Battery
              Healthy Lithium vs Extra Limited Lifespan
              Regular Charging vs Proprietary charging
              User Removable Battery vs Sealed in Battery
              Easy to Replace Screen vs Strong glued screen
              Modular compartments vs Soldered on compartments
              Standard components vs Proprietary components
              Necessary Ports vs Absent ports
              Unlockable Firmware vs Locked Firmware
              Stock Software vs Customised Software
              Long-term support vs No support/limited/short-term
              Single/Few variants vs Many SKUs per demographics
              International Availability vs Limited Markets
              High volume vs Artificial Scarcity
              Affordable Price vs Fat profit margin
              Fair/Realistic Advertisement vs Questionable/Illegal Marketing Tactics
              etc etc

              ...I'm sure there are more, but can't quite think of them. If you know anything I've missed, reply/add it to the list, for comparing "Consumer-friendly product" versus "Corporate Profit product". You can see the gradual shift, example Samsung S10+ vs S20+ vs S22+.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • v%a
                • 15 May 2023

                SuperSpruce, 15 May 2023I just want a flagship phone the thickness of the full came... moreits not an insane idea
                its just that not enough people care about that anymore

                when storage was 4gb -16gb micro sd slot was important
                now with 128/256 not enough people care

                3.5mm jack = bluetooth popularity killed it

                battery = fast charging killed any need for 6000mah+

                even the "demand" for small phones has been highly inflated; asus zenphone 8/9 while wildly "popular" hasnt been popular enough and now asus is killing it for zen10.

                  I just want a flagship phone the thickness of the full camera bump so they can fit a headphone jack, a MicroSD slot, and a 6500mAh battery.

                  Or an Android tablet with 2 or more USB 4 ports. Why is this such an insane idea in today's world?

                    • F
                    • Firefox
                    • xjH
                    • 15 May 2023

                    When people vote for something on online, they use their emotion & imagination. Because voting do not cost a penny. But when people want to buy a smartphone with their hard earned cash, they use their brain & logic. That's why online polls can not predict real market demand accurately.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • Ids
                      • 15 May 2023

                      Super Android 22, 15 May 2023Oppo, xiaomi (a lie they dont), huawei did (probably still ... moreYou signed under my comment then. Like I said Samsung has long support. Xiaomi? What a joke it has horrible support.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • YUU
                        • 15 May 2023

                        If I can tell the phone manufacturer what phone I want? I'll just tell them that I need latest SD 7 or SD 6 series, 4,500mAh battery, just a single high resolution camera at the back, same goes for the front camera, side or back fingerprint sensor, LED or OLED with screen size between 5.8 (minimum) to 6.1 (maximum) inches with 1080p, USB-C, single or dual (stereo) speakers, with or without 3.5mm headphones jack and minimum water resistant enough to survive the rain. Most of all, the price is not more than 400 USD 🤭🤭🤭

                          They also forgot to mention Huawei had hand tracking atleast with gestures and it was actually useful, i used the gestures every single day and it made using the phone effortless and enjoyable (specially when relaxing or having to do an activity like cooking or fixing something and not needing to touch the device).

                          I wish other companies would add IR TOF 3d sensor with gesture based features, dont know why samsung got rid of their iris scanner with actual secure unlock too but this is modern samsung so not surprising really.

                          Im sure LG probably did something with it, LG were the most adventurous company i think we'll ever see (never see a company like that, just gimmick rubbish like nothing and rave lights on your phone).

                            kevvv, 14 May 2023They use their phone for playing heavy games or watching Ti... moreYeah its why i say my find x5 does well (snapdragon 888 btw).

                            Ive had 4 hours SoT from about 80% charge (8 hours total usage), almost the whole time the screens been constantly on (between 40%-100% brightness) with youtube, tidal, maps, multiple messaging apps, whatsapp call, web browsing with currently 60 tabs in the background, google news feed. Still sitting at 35% (also got a vpn constantly running too). People dont understand actual endurance and unfortunately GSMarena battery tests dont paint a true picture (no one is getting 4 days or more use out of a device like they say).

                              • P
                              • Popop971
                              • Ldh
                              • 15 May 2023

                              OldOwl, 14 May 2023The problem with anything like this is that what people thi... moreIt's more like a vocal minority doesn't equal the needs of a majority. The people who are claiming online that they want a small phone could totally be the exact same one who would buy one. But, if it's let's say, 100k people, and it's only them who wants that ... well ... Online trend is basically a bet for companies. Following the trend doesn't mean they'll get huge sales.

                                Anonymous, 14 May 2023But it is the reality. Who offers great support like Samsun... moreOppo, xiaomi (a lie they dont), huawei did (probably still do in their own homeland market), asus, i believe a lot of people enjoy Moto now just to name a few. Some have 4 years of updates like samsung and are just as quick/quicker offering updates.

                                I mean ive seen iphones messing up with software or have very strange choices with settings or shortcuts etc and i just dont rate oneui except samsung offering 4 years of updates, thats just personal though im sure oneui is decent in reality.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • n69
                                  • 14 May 2023

                                  To quote coldplay:
                                  "when you try your best but you don't succeeed...
                                  when you get what you want, but not what you need..."

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • Ids
                                    • 14 May 2023

                                    kevvv, 14 May 2023Android is not always everything about performance. It'... moreBut it is the reality. Who offers great support like Samsung and Apple? Others give only good hardware but horrible software.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 0p}
                                      • 14 May 2023

                                      kevvv, 14 May 2023They use their phone for playing heavy games or watching Ti... moreExactly

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • tZ4
                                        • 14 May 2023

                                        Anonymous, 14 May 2023I wish companies would concentrate on battery life rather t... morePhone makers can do that but then you will complain about other stuffs. Long battery life is currently only possible with a less powerful chipset, so you will complain about 1) the weak performance and 2) the worse camera because lower chipsets have worse ISP.

                                          1 of 3