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Is the iPhone SE the 'Best Minimalist Phone' Right Now? (theverge.com)
With Apple offering a clearance sale on the iPhone SE earlier this week, The Verge's Nick Statt decided that it was "the appropriate moment to hop on the backup phone bandwagon" and pick one up. He writes: I've always appreciated the classic 5S design, with its overtly rounded corners and its sturdy, not-so-delicate dimensions. It never felt like it really required a case, and its smaller screen and more comfortable, one-handed use is something I've thought far too much about as I've ferried around an iPhone X and now an XS over the past year and a half. Plus, it's got a headphone jack. Would you agree that the iPhone SE is "the best minimalist phone right now," or do you think that title belongs to a different device? Why or why not?
Or any sturdy mid range Android phone.
Depends what your definition of minimalist is..For me it is Nokia 1280.
For other definitions of 'minimalist'.
https://www.kyoceramobile.com/...
If you absolutely need it there's even a Opera browser.
Charge it about twice a month. Used it to crack open pistachios that weren't precracked enough. Still available used and for use on the Sprint network (or Ting). Costs about ~$15-20/month.
Has some nice headset options as well, plus bluetooth.
In Europe I know they get a lot of other fancy feature phones. You can get the Nokia 3310, but not sure about the frequencies compared with the US.
https://www.nokia.com/phones/e...
How's that wall coming along?
Minimal choice? Minimal features? Minimal specs?
Very minimal. Except the price, you can still get more phone for less money elsewhere, but that's Apple for you.
You can argue about whether it is minimalist however being vendor locked has nothing to do with the word "minimalist".
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
And take it from me, I am an Apple fanboi which qualifies me as an expert in all things phone. May I take your order? Oh, sorry. Old habit.
Define "program". Like all smartphones you can develop for it if you choose. You'll need a Mac whereas with an Android you'll need a Mac or PC
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
The best “backup phone” is the one you shoved into a drawer right after you purchased your current phone.
#DeleteChrome
Isn't the SE/30 supposed to be better?
rewriting history since 2109
I am an SE user, and IMO this is the last reasonable device from Apple. I certainly plan to keep using it until it either falls apart (and replacement is not available), or Apple comes out with another similar form factor device with an audio connector.
Barring that - off to Android. Although I will miss iMessage and FaceTime, audio jack and form factor override those priorities. (I could always learn to like WhatsApp).
If other people want gigantic phones, that's fine, but I don't. I work with computers all day. My phone is not my primary computing device. It's not even my secondary computing device. For a phone, I want something that is comfortable to hold and easy to use with one hand. I can easily hit every corner of my SE with my thumb without adjusting my grip. The biggest thing I'd want would be an SE-sized phone with an XR-style* edge-to-edge screen, but even that would be pushing it, in terms of ease-of-one-handed use. But I'm sure such a phone like that would "only" sell a few tens of millions of units per year so I doubt Apple will make one.
Personally, I was very surprised when Apple quit making the SE. Apple is all about keeping products around forever: the Mac mini from 2014 (just recently updated), the Mac Pro from 2013 (FINALLY scheduled to get an update in 2019!), the iPad Mini from 2015 (still for sale!), the non-retina MacBook Air from 2015 (also just recently updated). 3-plus years without an update or price drop is common now for their lesser-loved products. I figured the SE would stay around forever.
* And I specified 'XR' because I'd want it to be 2x LCD, not 3x OLED. The XR *kills* the XS phones on battery life.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
get a moto e5
yes the iphone se is going to need a case... its still crazy expensive.
the vendor lockin is too great to ever consider an apple device.
they are generally hard to use.
that said it does have a physical button for volume control... and that makes me wonder why android 9 is designed to ring in opera and theater and church...
Got one when first released as an upgrade to my "no more OS updates and out of internal storage" 4s. I'll admit to being an edge case on use pattern and such, but I get almost 72 hours use out of a full battery charge.
Got it for a 3 reasons -
Form factor. The size is right to me. I don't need/want to carry a "phablet", etc.
Supposed to be last w/ headphone jack. Weird, but this is one of my must haves, as is the ability to use it while charging without paying more money for various adapters.
OS updates. My 4s was no longer supported for updates.
As to "minimalist" ... well, I have other more minimal phones available, my favorite is hanging on the wall in the kitchen.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Apple doesnt set the bar but it does hold itself to standards
For the smartphone I might concede the point to the SE, but for truly minimalist I still am rocking my Sony W850i with two fully charged backup batteries.
I got two Moto G6 on sale for $149.99. each.
I do not care about the camera, so I don't know if it's any good or not. I don't watch shows on my phone,
Otherwise, it works great
I just want a smartphone so I can get Uber and a couple of other apps. Oh, and BTW, to talk to people.
There is zero reason for me to pay the Apple tax
That would be the Meizu Zero or maybe the Vivo Apex 2019. Apple's courage doesn't yet extend so far as to go wireless charging only (no need for a USB port), remove all all the buttons, *and* go eSIM-only so they can dump the SIM card tray! I expect Apple with be copying (and patenting) these "innovations" and making them their own soon enough though, so hardly surprising the SE's sold out so fast.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
Thanks for telling me about the sale after its over.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
Wall street already destroyed this country. What's one more?
for me, Isn't certainly a "smart" phone.
A smartphone cannot be a "minimalist" phone, as that term defines a phone that only makes phone calls. This is all Apple marketing.
Are you trying to claim that Android phones aren't equally locked into Google's ecosystem?
If so, you should share what you're smoking.
You want a minimalist phone? You can't handle minimalist phone! The truth is if you are going for a smartphone then it's not minimalist at all. Something like this is what you should be looking for: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g...
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
My cheap ass fallback feature phone beats any iphone hands down in minimalism. And battery time.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I saw the SE selling near me for $100 the other day. You can't buy a useful Android device for that. Most sub $500 Android devices are poorly made and unsupported.
The Verge's Nick Statt decided that it was "the appropriate moment to hop on the backup phone bandwagon"
Sounds like he first decided to make up said "bandwagon". Then will come the "backup to your backup phone" bandwagon. The only part I can't figure out is why the phone industry would promote such a concept... oh well, I'm sure it'll come to me if I think about it long enough.
- First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
Jesus, I looked at the website - either the phone is as big as the TV hanging on my wall or the model has dwarf hands. I don't think people in the market for the diminutive SE are going to be interested in owning a quarter acre of phone.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
It minimizes the ads, spying, and broken apps.
You can argue about whether it is minimalist however being vendor locked has nothing to do with the word "minimalist".
It's arguable that limited choice limits the minimal configurations/use cases you have access to.
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
How is Hillary becoming President coming along?
Apple will probably stop providing software updates in 2019 or 2020.
That's a pretty short shelf life.
Now, something like the 5S but with 5 years of software upgrades is worth considering.
How is it 'minimalist' being locked to a vendor's ecosystem
Well it's easier than convincing the holdouts in your family to stop using iMessage and start using a non-SMS-based app like a rational human being.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I get all the messages just fine..."
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
A quick web search shows that the iPhone SE is still being sold in India (and assembled there I guess). I suspect that Apple was just testing the US market with this "clearance sale".
BTW, I have a 3 years old iPhone SE, which I really like. I have no intention of buying a bigger phone. But an edge-to-edge iPhone SE2 for the same form factor ? Instant buy.
Plus, it's got a headphone jack.
The cognitive dissonance is strong with Apple - it's not a "plus" unless it's on an Apple phone. All other times it's "Who cares if it's on Android phones, no one uses it anyway!!!!"
I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
With the classic home button, size and all important jack. I hope Apple get's the hint, but they will probably have too much courage.
I paid less than $200 for this thing three years ago, and not only does everything still run on it, but the battery will last 2 or 3 days without needing a recharge.
-----
Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.
Uhh, can root phone following vendor documented steps. Can buy from non-google vendor. Whatâ(TM)s your more free mobile alternative?
I spent way too long picking a minimalist phone. After several hours I realized that comparing features was pointless and just grabbed one and ran. I will upgrade when I figure out what I need
Either you mean below 100$ or you're blatantly ignorant.
The i0Phone is the best model Apple iPhone. It's the best kind of smart phone too!
Spoken simply as:
i zero phone
The name also sounds perfect to people who view you as a Luddite anyway.
Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
Well it's easier than convincing the holdouts in your family to stop using iMessage and start using a non-SMS-based app like a rational human being.
I love fragmented messaging! Why should I deal with all of these different variations of AIM just so you can save $5? When I meet someone that tells me they use WhatsApp or TOKTOKTIKTOK I make sure to wave goodbye.
I'm on my fourth SE. I already have fifth in the mail, just in case. My third Amazon refurb. I also carry around an iPhone 7 for work, so I do know some of what I'm "missing" in the newer form factor.
Since the SE, Apple has not made a better phone for me.
1 - The size of the whole phone, when including the mandatory slim case one needs, is right. If Apple wants me to buy a tablet, it shouldn't force me to have a phone that competes with that purchase.
2 - The edges are squared, not rounded. This makes holding the phone easier. Aesthetically the nicest as well - a completely subjective point of view.
3 - It supports fingerprint-based login, not face recognition. This is my strong preference. I do not want face scanning for login. I would prefer to go back to PIN entry first.
4 - The SE is still fast enough. I do not notice performance issues. The network is usually what is slow. I am on Verizon on a grandfathered unlimited plan, which occasionally suffers from Verizon's punitive congestion management.
Downsides and Improvement Opportunities
1 - Apple's Support Posture. This is an EOL device. Some app developers give it little attention, resulting in rare, but potentially frustrating UI artifacts and issues.
2 - Not Water Resistant. Water issues have killed two of my SEs.
3 - Wasted Screen Space The SE could be updated to take up the rest of the available screen real estate.
4 - Needs the standard updates new phones get. Any new spectrum support. Anything for LTE/5G. Bluetooth updates. Force touch. Face recognition should be optional.
Like the Mac Mini, Apple is mismanaging the iPhone product line. Between the Mac Mini's lobotomy in 2014 and its return to usefulness in in 2018, the best Mini you could buy was *slower* than the middle tier in 2012. During that time, an Apple executive made jokes on stage at one of the big Apple reveal events about people who used a five-year-old PC, revealing that a) Apple no longer recognized its products' oft-cited longevity as part of the brand promise and b) the executive didn't understand the irony that Apple was not being a good steward of its own products.
In the iPhone's case, Apple is using the strength of its platform, its walled garden, to force current consumers into more expensive phones. While it looks good on paper, Apple is spending on an important account - its relationships with its customers.
This is an easy problem to solve. Launch the SE2 with similar form factor and the obvious improvements to baseline. Sell it for $450-600 depending on storage.
Launch new features at higher tiers with higher prices.
Name one android device, and type of device that is a POS that is under $500. You can't. Because even the Pixel and S# are garbage.
and the earliest cell phones alliwed the owner to switch to analog mode off-tower to talk with Ham radio stations and 1week of battery on standby. oh i meant to say USER not owner. iphone users dont LEGALLY own their software and hardware like us Neo OpenMoko Freerunner owners do.
Moto E4 is my backup phone, and WiFi device. It cost me $40.
âoeGenerally hard to use?â
How about âoeintuitive and consistent?â Especially given those useless interface âoeupgradesâ that so many Android manufacturers insist on.
Root your phone and then what? I can jailbreak my phone if I want. I see a Pangu jailbreak for iOS 12. I don't know that vendor documented steps really adds anything to it once it's done. I fooled around with Cydia on my iPhone 4. Haven't cared enough since to bother.
I'm not aware that Google actually sells any Android phones, and I don't have to buy iPhones at the Apple Store. Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T all sell them. For that matter I bought my wife's phone from a colleague who won it. (No idea where the the contest organizer got it from.)
My everyday phone cost 25 dollars Canadian when I bought 100 dollars of minutes at 7-11.
It has android go, 4 inch screen, decent battery life if I'm not playing on it.
If you are really looking for a backup or minimalist phone, my favourite is the MP01 Punkt phone
Uhh, can root phone following vendor documented steps. Can buy from non-google vendor.
And can you run iOS on it? You are pretty much using Android and thus Google (a mobile phone OS vendor) locked.
If you want a "backup phone", your best bet is still a cheap burner you can buy at a gas station. The main benefit is that you can have the very satisfying experience of breaking it and then throwing it into a trash can or out the car window to throw the bad guys off your scent like they do on the TV. And you are very unlikely to get any robocalls on it.
The last phone I'd ever use for a backup is an Apple phone. Also, how funny is it that the iPhone model that is being celebrated by nerds is the one that is least like their current flagship models?
You are welcome on my lawn.
I am on my first SE, having been lucky enough to grab one during the clearance sale. I had an iPhone 6, which after three and a half years was starting to show some problems with the home button. I am now re-experiencing the glory of a small phone which does what I want and fits in my hand easily.
I had been investigating which Android phone to buy, as Apple no longer provides a small phone with an audio jack. I switch between audio sources all day long, from my phone to my Macbook to my old Win7 box to the PS4 (via speakers on the monitor) and even sometimes to the radio. This is the way I choose to use my devices. Only that final clearance sale of the (presumably) last SEs has kept me in the iOS system.
In addition to the mismanagement of the product line, I think Apple nowadays truly underestimates how necessary it is for them to offer options to keep people within their overall ecosystem. Once someone finds it necessary to get a non-Apple device for whatever the reason is, the likelihood of them making future purchases of other Apple products goes down significantly.
That the SEs that were put on clearance were gone within hours should send a clear message to Apple management that there is a strong segment of the market that their current phone are not providing an acceptable option for. They're probably not listening, though.
For a "minimalist" phone? Yikes!
I have a moto g5 I brought to Nepal for mountaineering. I used it for photos too. It's a cheap phone
I bought a new 32gb iPhone 5S for my new job in mid 2014. That christmas I picked up a FLIR for it when they had it on sale as they were replacing their "camera back" design with the "radio transmitter dongle" form factor. Since it's a back not just a lightning dongle, it only works with this model of phone.
Nevermind that I've always wanted a FLIR as a bit of a toy, now that I have it I've found it's an incredibly useful tool and I turn it on at least weekly. I'd hate to lose it, and not having to deal with a fragile dongle that has to be remembered and plugged in to use instead of a durable always-available back. But if I change phones, I lose the FLIR.
So that's one of my main reasons for keeping it. That, and I'm not a fad-chaser. I want practical, and my 5S is very practical. At the time I got a good deal on it because someone had ordered the 32gb and changed their mind, and at this point nobody was interested in paying more for 32gb. Now THAT I know is going to be useful and help future-proof it so it was perfect for me.
It's small enough that I don't have to have it in my hand or in my pocket, it fits great in a small camera pouch on my belt. Really the size is perfect for a cell phone. The screen is as big as it can be while still being practical It's a bit of a compromise for some applications, but is still perfectly usable. Not something I want to be doing lots of email on, but it's very rare for me to be dealing with lots of text on it. It's perfect for text messages though.
I'll miss it when I have to give it up. I've considered getting a spare, but I know at SOME point it's just not going to be practical to keep and I'm going to have to move on. But until then, I'll continue to enjoy it. Technology will always be that way - you have to let go of even the best tech at some point, and because of how fast things advance, it affects things like cell phones a lot more than other things. There comes a point where you just have to toss it out and get what you hope will turn out to be the next thing you want to keep forever. Hopefully you can guess right the first time.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
If she's going to run again, she needs to get better at concealing her colstomy bag.
iOS isn't robust enough for there to be driver support for anything but a small subset of the hardware Apple chooses. It's the same as with Mac OS. Apple isn't very good at developing software, so they target a narrow subsection of the hardware available.
One of the leading definitions of 'fragmented messaging' is when a vendor locks their protocol behind a specific minority subset of the existing mobile hardware.
On an unrelated note, when I hear an Apple Phone ringtone, I check carefully for the usually associated flatulence. There's somebody with an 'attitude' nearby who will need to be avoided.
It also minimizes the lack of security patches. I love Android but the ecosystem is broken and fragmented. I had a Nexus 6, loved it but it already isn't being updated. I get the latest iOS releases on the mini iPad 2s that my children have. iOS 12 supports the iPhone 5s, which was released prior to my Nexus 6. I had gone from iOS to Android but the lack of support from Google, even my Nexus 7 tablet, released nearly at the same time as theiPad mini 2, isn't supported. I have an iPad Pro and iPhone 7 plus now and am happy.
Minimalist (Smart) Phone? For $250 ? You must be kidding. You get better offers for $100 less. Yes, that won't be an Apple phone, but who cares?
The iPhone SE is small, yet quite powerful. That can make it an attractive phone for those who want to carry less without compromising too much on functionality. It's an awesome compact phone.
But it's that functionality that disqualifies it as a minimalist phone in my book. The functionality comes at a cost that a typical minimalist seeks to eliminate.
I'm thinking complex configuration (by minimalist standards), worrying about charging, maintenance (app updates, etc.), relative high cost for what one really needs, etc.
I carry an iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL usually, but when I go minimalist (for a trip or day off) I resort to a cheap second hand Blackberry Q5. People can call or text me, and in case of an emergency the web, e-mail and company VPN work too.
Define "program". Like all smartphones you can develop for it if you choose. You'll need a Mac whereas with an Android you'll need a Mac or PC
I remember dreaming about a full computer that would fit in my pocket. Now, all you can get are toys/appliances that cannot be used to program themselves.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
your mom is hot garbage
I jumped the 5 and 5S, and went straight from an iPhone 4S to a 6. For me, that's still a one-hand phone. It does more than I need, and battery life isn't atrocious, though it's not great.
I don't see myself wanting anything larger, though.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
From a security standpoint, you definitely DO NOT WANT a phone reprogramming itself. That barrier where a PC has to be used is stopping one vector for viruses and rootkits.
iOS isn't robust enough for there to be driver support for anything but a small subset of the hardware Apple chooses. It's the same as with Mac OS. Apple isn't very good at developing software, so they target a narrow subsection of the hardware available.
I call that being smart, not "isn't very good at developing software". You see in life you've got to choose your battles wisely. Why support all the hardware they don't sell? This makes no sense from a technological standpoint nor from an economical one.
Write boring code, not shiny code!
at any price point.
Just because they are having a fire sale on phones they cant sell in Indian doesn't make them any good.
I would suggest an easily unlocked mid-range android phone would be a far better choice for a minimalist.
Installing a basic rom without any google (or carrier) apps would make it minimal indeed and massively extend the battery life.
That you could also easily block any kind of ads certainly wouldn't hurt the minimalism.
"Is the iPhone SE the 'Best Minimalist Phone' Right Now?"
No, that award would likely go to any basic Android phone costing between $200 and $300 or so.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
He sees you. He tracks you. And he's coming for you.
He'd better hope he doesn't find me. I have little patience for ignorant, draft-dodging cowards like him.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Name one android device, and type of device that is a POS that is under $500. You can't.
I can.
Look at the Galaxy S5 or S5 Active. It's around $200 and does 99% of what the vast majority of users need to do.
Replaceable battery, headphone jack IR output, micro SD slot, IP68 rated, happily charges off of any micro-usb cable, nice display...etc etc.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
My bad, they're only ~$140 or so.
Ummm, you were saying...?
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
They are 'good enough' ( but over priced ) in many cases, suck in many others. but never 'best'.
Moto g6 play
$225 CAD
Another way of looking at it is that I don't have to program the phone. I've been a programer for 30 years, and the last thing I want to do after work is have to program my fucking phone.
Again none of that really has to do with vendor lock. What you are describing is "highly configurable".
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Some people bought cases with handles for their SE/30s and actually carried them through airports and called them portable, but seriously, who in their right mind thinks an SE/30 makes for a decent portable anything? The battery can barely keep the time! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
I don't remember you ranting against Bill Clinton or Joe Biden...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
I used to have an S5 til just a few months ago, and it was a good phone. However, I upgraded to an LG V20 for under $200 bucks and it's a better phone. USB C charging and a better battery help, and it still has a removable battery, sd card slot, and IR blaster like the S5 did.
Samsung J3 3rd edition is free from Verizon Wireless... That's pretty useful, does pretty much everything the SE would do...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Who wants iOS when you can install Linux on the phone? Can't quite get that functionality on an Apple phone, can you...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
While there is less lock-in with Android, they are sneaky ways that Android and phone makers will lock you into their platform.
At work I have to support a mobile app that has IOS and Android ports.
The iOS version is easier to manage even when people upgrade their phones. Android has issues when people switch their phones. Say from Samsung to Pixel.
OS version are different, phone features may be incompatible with the App, and screen size differences may make the usability pure garbage.
The issue isn’t really with Android but the phone makers. Who seem to want to be the next Apple.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Two years 128GB
Best decision ever!
It is the natural evolution of SteveJobs 4S perfect phone. Which Iâ(TM)d buy if updated in speed, batt life and storage with exact form factor - in a heart beat
OTOH, back then, when we just dreamed of it, we would have been pretty happy with what an iPhone and apple's shortcuts - app can do.
Or, just buy a feature phone and glue a raspberry pi to it
Name one android device, and type of device that is a POS that is under $500.
Any $200 Android tablet with a $50 Square credit card reader can be used to take payment at a point of sale.
I love fragmented messaging! Why should I deal with all of these different variations of AIM just so you can save $5?
So that you don't have to install Square Cash and cover the $5.
Haha, yeah. America's totally fucked. BUT SOME LADY...
Yeah, well, maybe it's because they have like.. at least a single day's experience at governing anything at all, ever.
About 6 onths ago I "downgraded" from my third iPhone 6 Plus that froze and had serious digitizer issues. The way I got my iPhone SE was by buying it from Best Buy as an AT&T GoPhone device, $149.95 plus tax out the door. I worked with AT&T to move this device to my account, and I haven't looked back.
For the first 4-6 weeks, my brain kept noticing how small the phone was, but as I got used to having it fit so well in my pocket I stopped noticing it.
When I put my phone on the table at restaurants, friends do comment on how small my phone is...
As for function, it suits my basic needs, I just wish it had more storage - I keep a lot of pictures, PDFs on my phone.
Ken
To answer this question to the satisfaction of all (or at least most), we need to pin down what exactly minimalism entails. The author focuses on one-hand use (smaller dimensions than most current phones) and perceived sturdiness (which is highly debatable), as well as cost. While the iPhone SE fits this narrow definition, I don't think a phone needs to be so outdated to be considered "minimalist," relatively speaking. The article calls the SE "nearly" three years old, but it must be noted that the design is based on the 5s, which came out five and a half years ago, and is similar internally and in terms of performance to the 6s, no? So the internals are closer three and a half years old, while the "comfortable" screen is weak and unnecessarily small.
I don't have an ultimate answer, but I feel something with a screen closer to 5" is more acceptable - the 4.7" of the 6s is still small enough for one-handed use, not to mention much easier on the eyes. And just because the SE feels like a slab of rock doesn't actually mean it is durable or doesn't need a case to prevent a cracked screen. There are quite a few recent Android phones that fit the bill. The ZTE Axon 7 Mini works for me - cheap now but the 5.2" screen is right at the limit of one-handed use for my hands. Samsung has sold a ton of phones that are cheaper and smaller than their top-end Galaxy S phones. My elderly mom's lower-end 5" LG works great. There are some other good options in the thread already, but what else is out there? The iPhone SE is minimal, I suppose, but can't we do better than that pathetic 4" screen? How small and cheap can you go, and what functionality is essential?
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
Agreed. I bought it for $99; pretty good for the price
Ive never used an iphone device. But poster only mentions iphone devices... has poster ever used anything aside from an iphone? Or is this just an unclever advertisment?
iMessage uses SMS if the recipient doesnâ(TM)t have an iPhone. The other apps that do something similar read my message first.
No, the Samsung J7 is. It has 8 cores, insane battery life, great graphics rendering, and it's like $240.
I installed a version of Android 7.1.x without Google Play and I'm "locked" pretty much to what is in F-Droid. It's not so "highly configurable". There's only one port of Doom and it doesn't work. I did not find icon themes, GUI themes etc. as options, but I eventually changed the default wallpaper..
I have two terminals (android and termux) but without physical keyboard and on my screen they're not worth using.
It has the best form factor. I sincerely dislike those phablet style crap that doesn't know if it wants to grow up and become a tablet or not. My phone's most important attribute is portability. I want to be able to put it into a pocket and not feel that it's there. The SE achieves that, the 6 and its cousins of the same size don't. I know, because I have both (private phone SE, work phone 6).
Other people want other things, that's fine with me. If I were a women and put my phone into a purse, I'd probably not care if it's a few cm larger. I might even like that. But I'm not, I put my phone into my pocket. I care about size.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Probably upto iPhone 6 is tolerable in terms of size and weight. Anything above 130gm and 140mm by 70mm is not what you would call compact.
You'd rarely find an Android phone in that size. Google pixel 2 was decent size, but expensive.
So, no!
Nope.
From a security standpoint, trusting in $BIG_CORPORATION means you have no security.
Could you keep fake stories like this that are actually ADVERTS off of here please....
Power of a 6 in a form factor easily held in the hand or shoved in a pocket ... and 3.5 mm audio socket.
"Consensus" in science is _always_ a political construct.
You mean the Clinton Foundation?
"Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
How is it 'minimalist' being locked to a vendor's ecosystem
What locked? From Apple page, it is clearly said 'unlocked' phone.
Pretty much anything by Xiaomi is better in this space and will last you a lot longer thanks to OS updates and LineageOS as well
Here's the nuance you're missing: You chose to install that particular version of Android OS that does not have as many options that you like; however, the phone is highly configurable in that you could install other OS versions that may give you more options. The phone is more configurable than the OS.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I don't remember you ranting against Bill Clinton or Joe Biden...
You should probably get your hearing checked.
I ragged on Clinton for all sorts of things, but on his worst day he was still head and shoulders above President Temper Tantrum. At least he knew how the government worked and had held elected office before becoming president.
Comparing Donald Trump to Bill Clinton- is that really the hill you want to die on?
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
I used to have an S5 til just a few months ago, and it was a good phone. However, I upgraded to an LG V20 for under $200 bucks and it's a better phone. USB C charging and a better battery help, and it still has a removable battery, sd card slot, and IR blaster like the S5 did.
Thanks for the suggestion- it sounds like a good phone and it'll probably be what I get after my S5 dies.
I really like having an IR blaster- turning off obnoxious TVs in bars and restaurants is a hobby of mine. :)
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
I remember dreaming about a full computer that would fit in my pocket. Now, all you can get are toys/appliances that cannot be used to program themselves.
How would a computer that fits in your pocket have the UI for you to program it? I don't know about you but when I program something, I need a keyboard, mouse, and a full screen monitor. Also I tend not to program on the computer itself. I am generally writing programs for another system: server code, SQL code, web code, etc. that doesn't run on the machine itself.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
How would a computer that fits in your pocket have the UI for you to program it? I don't know about you but when I program something, I need a keyboard, mouse, and a full screen monitor. Also I tend not to program on the computer itself. I am generally writing programs for another system: server code, SQL code, web code, etc. that doesn't run on the machine itself.
My Nokia N900 has a real, physical keyboard. It also comes with Xterm and Python. I've used it as an SSH terminal in various emergency situations. It's not much and I wouldn't want to work with it extensively, but it's been very handy on those few occasions. Moreover, it's a nice idea that when you've paid money for real computer hardware, you're allowed to use it like a real computer, instead of putting up artificial barriers.
It's also interesting that you mention server code etc. -- it's almost like using a terminal to access a stronger machine. Phones are logically closer to terminals than servers, yet they lack a lot of the necessary UI, as you pointed out yourself. (Pet peeve: the more people started to use phones for written messages, the fewer phones came out with real keyboards.)
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
Samsung J3 3rd edition is free from Verizon Wireless...
Shilling for Verizon now, Lyingshrubcock?
That's a 10 year old phone with a dinky keyboard. If you want to program on that go ahead. As for programming as a thin client to a stronger machine, that's often necessary. Server code wouldn't work on my desktop despite having 4 or more cores.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
3 - It supports fingerprint-based login, not face recognition. This is my strong preference. I do not want face scanning for login. I would prefer to go back to PIN entry first.
Yup, forgot this. FaceID is an anti-feature for me - this, along with the lack of a small form factor phone (and the execrable iTunes as the only viable backup and storage management tool), are the reasons I can't see myself ever buying another Apple phone. The problem is that Google is enough more evil that I just won't buy an Android/Fuschia phone, so my next phone will probably have to be some semi-lame third-party deal. Either that, or I go back to an actual dumb phone as a phone and get something like a Surface Go as a real tablet for mobile browsing and the like. (BTW, if MS were smart, they'd build a truly minimal phone that smartly links to a next-gen (Andromeda?) tablet in rational ways: Clicking phone numbers in a Surface web browser launches a call on the phone, contacts and calendar can be easily shared and managed (but hopefully w/o Outlook!), etc. (Apple's contact manager sucks heuvos - Palm Desktop was *way* better 20 years ago!)
"The future's good and the present is nothing to sneeze at." - Roblimo's last