To be so frustrated that mobile manufacturers seem to ignore women

[SavannahHannah]

I want a phone I can hold and operate in one hand. Finding one these days is just impossible! I'm not in the market for a iPhone, I just want a not-too-fancy android phone. I'm happy to buy second hand if the battery is decent, but it feels like I'm looking for a unicorn!

All the ones I have tried are just too big. Too big to hold, to fit in a pocket, to operate the camera with one hand. It is so frustrating!

I know cameras have got big because video is such an important medium, but how many more women break or drop their phones because they just aren't made to fit their needs?

It seems such an obviously, overlooked area of the market.

If anyone has any non iPhone suggestions, I'd be really grateful!

Sorry. This has already been raised.

I have a Samsung A56 which fits fine in one hand or in pockets. I take a medium glove size.

I am holding on on to my 13 mini. Last time I had a bigger phone I strained my wrist and thumb and had to wear a wrist support! It’s so annoying.

it really has nothing to do with women being overlooked. Men’s pockets are smaller than women’s handbags
Most people want phones that are small to carry, with long battery life, a replaceable and safe battery, and a great screen, for a decent price. Unfortunately these things don’t go together - the laws of physics say no. Nothing to do with women being forgotten about.
Long lasting batteries are huge or expensive. A big screen is - big. Folding phones have durability issues, and become really thick. Plus expensive.
Safe batteries need protection, and that takes up space.
Battery replicability takes up space.
The only feasible compromise is size - costs for small high power batteries is astronomical, nobody wants crappy screens (they don’t sell), nobody wants phones that keep breaking, nobody wants to charge several times a day, nobody wants to pay several thousands for a phone that isn’t up to technical standard (but small).
I use an iphone 13 mini btw ;) so have personal interest. it just isn’t feasible in the moment.,

Nothing to do with gender

there a hand held device now days for a lot of people the phone side of things is a secondary function

how do you think kids manage they have smaller hands than women

Totally agree!

I know you said you don’t want iphone, but I have an iphone SE 2022 model, and it’s a great size for my tiny hands (i’m only 5ft). Maybe a possibility for you if you can look into second hand or reconditioned?

It really is to do with gender. Dp and I got new handsets at the same time due to contracts running out and offers. He didn't have to consider the size of the handset at all. Every single handset was fine for him to use with one hand, this really can't just be coincidence.

Dp had or has the A56 and it's huge. My current phone doesn't even properly fit in the tiny pockets they put on women's jeans.

@DeathMetalMum there are very good reason for phones getting bigger (see my post above).
There are no reasons to make/buy trousers with tiny pockets.

Logic and reason doesn't matter. We are victims, end of.

Thank you for your informative post.

True. Ive even got pockets big enough for my phone in my pyjamas because I buy clothes with the features I want.

YANBU, I miss the ancient Nokias from way back when which were compact and fitted in one hand and were generally a bit daintier. Would pick a smaller phone that fits in my one hand comfortably over what I have now, which is far bigger than it needs to be.

Bad news btw - from 2027 on all batteries need to be replaceable at home. this means devices are going to get even bigger as everyone needs to support this (ability to open/close a device at home is space consuming, glue is a lot thinner than clips/screws)
This also means that soft pack batteries are even more problematic than they already are from a safety point of view , and hard pack are even bulkier.

Small dumb phones still exist for everyone who likes them!

I've got both a pixel 6a and a pixel 9a and regularly use them one handed.

If apple couldn't sell enough iPhone minis to continue making them no one else will bring out decent smaller phones.

Someone about said don't buy the 'pro' pixels but I think they're misinformed as since the 9 (last year) the pro and non pro phones are the same (fairly large) size. Just don't get the XL.

Magsafe/pixelsnap/qi2 rings on the back of a larger phone might help if you struggle to hold them.

I like big phones. I recently got the pixel 10 pro xl and have a bit of regret for not getting the fold 😂.

I also like small phones. I have a Samsung Galaxy A40 and it is the perfect size for me. It’s old and when it needs replacing, I’ll be looking to find its nearest replica.

My hands are on the smaller side and I hate small phones. I use my phone for everything and a tiny screen really pisses me off.

I think there are plenty of examples of product design that fails to consider the needs of women and that is a genuine and serious problem.

But I don’t think the smartphone is one of those examples. Phones became tiny in the early 2000s because we were only using them for calls and texts and didn’t need a decent colour screen, an ultra powerful processor and the battery size that entails, or a camera lens akin to that of the best digital camera. Decent phones are larger now because people want and need those things.

I don’t think all this “Ooh, but we’re tiny ladies with our delicate little lady hands, we drop our phones because they’re too big and heavy for us” stuff is particularly helpful to anyone really.

The FT did an article on this - about 30% of people prefer smaller phones, but since they will still buy a phone even it it’s not their preferred size, it’s not worth catering to them. And women tend to get smaller pockets, so it’s both a hand size and pocket size issue.

Someone cleverer than me might be able to find a non paywalled link to the article https://www.ft.com/content/63320013-9831-4940-b79d-a26d76ecb4bd

I had to ditch my Samsung foldable after 3 years because the hinge flex cable failed, and I miss it dearly. I reluctantly replaced it with the S25 (not FE or plus or ultra or whatever) and with a wrist strap on it I feel just about ok using it while out.

Agree. It’s totally sexist. Another example of tech being designed with men only in mind.

I'm adding to the voices suggesting getting a Pop Socket. I find it makes a huge difference. I now find it much easier to hold my phone comfortably without worrying about dropping it. I introduced DH to them, and now he uses one, too.

that is just not true in this case. There is plenty of sexism tech - but here that really isn’t the problem. Crying “sexism “ on everything we don’t like weakens complaints about actual sexism!

@BlackberryAppleCrumble yes, its possible to make smaller phones, but there are tradeoffs. either higher price (a lot) or lower quality (a lot). Very few people are willing to buy a much more expensive/much lower quality phone as a trade off for a smaller size , so they aren’t made.

Well it's only the last 4 years this has been an issue. My previous phones, those with and without removable batteries have been fine. Why would phones need to be bigger just so the battery can be removed? I'm pretty sure I still have an old Samsung from approx 10 years ago in the cupboard that has a removable battery and is 1/3 of the size of my current phone. It even had space for a button. Surely designers can think of something more compact.

I don't often drop my phone. I mainly use my back pocket for my phone or a coat pocket. However I was at a gig at the weekend and wanted my phone in my front pocket and it didn't fit. Even if it did I couldn't have sat down with it in my pocket as the phone is so big it digs into my hip when I do try and sit down.

I frequently get cram in between my joints when I try to hold and use my phone in one hand when I have only one hand available.

I used to love the smaller phones years back that you could operate with one hand and I wish we could return to these.

@DeathMetalMum your old samsung needed a lot less power during the day, so a lot smaller battery. modern phones need insanely big batteries. Dumb phones with small batteries exist, but the functionality of a smartphone uses a lot of power
A non removable battery is soft pack, glued in, fixed connection.
A removable battery is preferably hard pack (so in a rigid plastic chassis - makes it a lot bigger), with screws/hinges, covers etc. all just a mm or so, but 4 or 5 times a mm is A LOT!
Soft pack batteries are fine if fixed in a device, but dangerous outside.
I would love a small smartphone, but its just not technically feasible at a reasonable price.