Skip to main content

Using an iPhone 15 showed me something Android phones get wrong

A green iPhone 15 lock screen.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

My, but smartphones have gotten large, haven’t they? This certainly isn’t a controversial opinion, but it’s something that’s become particularly obvious to me after spending a few months with the Apple iPhone 15.

I was initially unsure about buying the iPhone 15. At just 148mm tall, it’s the smallest device I’ve owned since the Samsung Galaxy S8. Surely, my thought process went, going back to using a smaller phone with a smaller screen would be a real pain. I’d be lamenting the loss of my extra screen real estate while squinting at teeny-tiny YouTube videos.

Recommended Videos

Obviously, that’s ridiculous, as the iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch display that’s large by anyone’s measure. But the smaller footprint is obvious, and horrendously, I’ve come to love it. This begs the question: Why can’t I buy a smaller, top-tier Android phone?

‘More powerful’ shouldn’t automatically mean big

Person holding out the iPhone 13 Mini.
Apple iPhone 13 Mini John Appleseed/Unsplash / Unsplashed

To make it clear, I’m talking about smaller phones here — not small phones. There’s a big (pun not intended) difference. Small phones are generally thought of as those phones at or around 5 inches of display size. Some people miss them, which is fine, but I’m not one of those people. I’m firmly of the idea that the small phone is dead, and that’s because we want bigger phones we can do more on. Sure, that’s not true for everyone, but if Apple is unable to revive small phones with the iPhone 13 mini, then the compact form factor is just dead. Sorry.

No, I’m talking about smaller smartphones, which essentially comprise smartphones that don’t have the words “Plus” or “Ultra” in their names. I’m talking about the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S23, and the Google Pixel 8 — phones with displays around 6 inches. On a casual reading, I’m replete with them. But there’s a clear divide, and it’s laid firmly across the operating system gap. The iPhone 15 Pro is a smaller version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (discounting the different zoom lens), which isn’t something you can say about the two Android flagship phones mentioned above. If you don’t want a large phone, but do want to have the power and features of a Galaxy S23 Ultra or Pixel 8 Pro, well, tough. The smaller stablemates aren’t just smaller versions of the same phone. No, if you want a smaller flagship phone, that means it’s objectively lesser.

The back of the OnePlus 11 and Google Pixel 8.
OnePlus 11 (left) and Google Pixel 8 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Some elements of this are understandable. For instance, the battery has to be smaller because it’s a smaller body. But does a smaller phone absolutely have to have an objectively worse camera system with a lower megapixel count? You can argue there needs to be sacrifices made due to the smaller size and price, but does there really? Why can’t the advantage of the S23 Ultra be the size rather than it objectively being the most powerful of the range?

When you think about it this way, you’re actively punished for wanting a smaller smartphone because there’s no real option to not be. Sure, how “punished” you actually are when you’re getting a powerful flagship smartphone with an excellent camera and years of performance is up for debate, but the point is you’re locked out of getting the most powerful option. If I want a more reasonably sized phone that fits into my pocket and isn’t a chore to juggle with one hand — sorry, that’s A Bad Thing, and that means you’re going to miss out on some new features or camera lenses.

That is unless you buy an iPhone. If I wanted a more powerful, but similarly sized iPhone, I could just buy an iPhone 15 Pro.

Smaller phones should have their place

Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy A54 in hand
Samsung Galaxy S23 (left) and Galaxy A54 Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Apple lets you do it, so why doesn’t Samsung? There’s an argument that Google’s ecosystem can’t handle that volume of devices, but Samsung? Samsung’s current roster is enormous, and a smaller flagship device could easily slot in. Heck, with the S23 Ultra now proudly sporting the S Pen, make that the reason to buy the Ultra and close the gap further. Make each S-series phone comparable, but with a different ideal. The S23 is the small one, the Plus is the big one, and the Ultra is the workhorse with an even bigger screen and stylus support. Make them phones that suit different needs and don’t have an all-powerful, super-duper flagship floating above the supposedly flagship phones.

I can’t help but feel there’s a big ol’ gap in the market. The entirety of Android seems to have bought into the idea that better means bigger, and if you want to make a highly powered version of a phone, you have to make it bigger.

When it’s put like that, it does seem ridiculous. Sure, people don’t want small phones anymore, but would they buy smaller, just-as-powerful, and feature-rich variants of the biggest, most powerful phones around? Data on Apple’s sales volumes would say so, with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max topping the sales for Apple’s phones in the first quarter of 2023.

There’s not even any need to add any new models to the ranges. Just pump up the existing flagship phones back to where they used to be — on top. Ultra-flagships were fun when they were very expensive concept devices trying out new ideas, but now that they’ve become just another part of the range, they’re devaluing the worth of the actual flagship models.

Having an iPhone 15 is great because it’s shown me that, yes, smaller flagship phones are excellent. But I just don’t have anywhere to go if I want a top-of-the-range Android flagship that’s not pocket-bustingly enormous. It’s time there was.

Mark Jansen
Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
The iPhone 16 has ruined all other smartphones for me
The iPhone 16 sitting on top of orange mums.

I have a problem with the iPhone 16. I've been using the phone since mid-September, and in the weeks since then, I have become increasingly aware of a growing issue that I can't overlook.

What is it? I love using the iPhone 16 so much that I don't want to use any other smartphone. Its performance, cameras, and battery life are all great, but they aren't why I'm struggling with this. Instead, it all has to do with the iPhone 16's design. It's not the most technically impressive, but it does something else far better than any other phone I've used this year.
The iPhone 16 prioritizes what matters to me

Read more
I’ll never travel without Belkin’s excellent iPhone and Apple Watch charger
An iPhone and Apple Watch on the Belkin BoostCharge Pro Travel Pad.

I've been on the road a lot this year, and as much as I love exploring the country and other parts of the world, some travel annoyances are difficult to overcome. One of them is remembering to pack the right charging cables for phones, smartwatches, and other gadgets. Even when you bring all the right charging accessories, you're often left with a messy hotel desk strewn with cables to charge all your devices. It's a frustrating situation all around.

Thankfully, I think I've finally found a solution to this problem — at least when it comes to charging my iPhone and Apple Watch. Belkin recently sent me its BoostCharge Pro Travel Pad, and after using it on a recent three-day trip to New York City, it's earned a permanent spot in my backpack as an accessory I'll never travel without again.
A small, flexible, and fun design
The Travel Pad's MagSafe iPhone charger Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Read more
New iPhone SE 4 details just leaked. Here’s what we learned
The iPhone 14 Plus's main Home screen.

The iPhone SE will finally get a new look, though it might still appear identical to a two-generation-old mainline model. This nugget of information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who claims that the next “SE” trim could arrive early next year.

“The new model will resemble the iPhone 14, including the notch cutout at the top,” says the report. That means the upcoming iPhone could also be the last Apple smartphone with a physical home button with the integrated Touch ID sensor.

Read more