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I stopped considering my iPhone SE a “small phone” and I started considering it for what it actually is: a “just right” phone.

Ergonomically speaking, 4 inches is the right size for a device that is meant to be operated by a human hand. Phones bigger that that are grossly oversized and anti-ergonomic.

That’s just common sense (cit. Apple): https://youtu.be/O99m7lebirE



Apple introduced one-hand mode a long time ago for its bigger models which I find helps somewhat. But what I sometimes miss is a mode to permanently resize the displayed screen area to a smaller area. With the iPhone’s current mode, the screen is only lowered so the top buttons can be reached, but the lower half is moved off-screen, and the mode is limited to a few interactions after which the displayed screen is moved up again. What I miss is a mode to permanently resize the displayed screen area to a smaller one so my thumb can reach every point. I hear some Android phones have this. Would be nice to have. Even better if I can adjust the screen area’s size to fit the length of my thumb. And when I want fullscreen again, I switch to fullscreen mode.


You can do this on Android with One-Handed Mode[1]. However, personally I prefer Reachability Cursor[2] instead, which lets you temporarily shift your finger with a gesture.

[1]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xda.onehan...

[2]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.niftyui.re...


Bwaaaahahahaha! I've only just now realized that's an intended feature, not a bug. I'd been wondering for close to a year now why they'd not fixed it yet, since it happened so often for me.

I think that's the nail in the coffin for me; the screens are just too damn big.


Losing the home button and extra bezel could probably make it ergonomic up to 4.5 inches.


You realise there is significant variation in the size of people’s hands? I consider a 4 inch phone so small as to be nearly unusable. Apple’s approach of having differently size phones for different people is the right one.


Good thing he isn't asking Apple to make only 4 inch phones. The way it is now, the SE is 3 years old and isn't getting a successor, leaving those of us who like and want small phones behind.


> Good thing he isn't asking Apple to make only 4 inch phones.

> Phones bigger that that are grossly oversized and anti-ergonomic.

Looks like he is, actually.


Agreed. But where's the updated small form-factor model?




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