[khedoros1]

Presumably, that would fail "Screen resolution beyond that of my eyes". I think that they're saying that the screen matters, but that FHD/QHD isn't a requirement. Of course, I'm looking through the lens of what I'd like in a phone.

They seem to like waterproofing and wireless charging as well, and at least the charging isn't usually available on the old candy-bar phones.

Personally, I'd love something like a flagship-style phone, but with a 4.5" 720P screen. For the most part, such a beast doesn't exist, and the next question is "what can I compromise on to find a phone that actually exists?" The comment you responded to seems like they're trying to answer the same question and coming up with "null set". It's a frustrating situation to be in, when the market moves away from building the tool you'd like.

[izacus]

Yep, my Xperia Z5compact is the only device I've found that comes close, but even this one has some frustratingly annoying software bugs, camera issues and lack of updates :/

[khedoros1]

I said in another comment that I'm looking at an XC. Z3C is older than I want to go, and the common opinion about the Z5C seems to be that it was 2 steps forward and 1.5 backward. I'm encouraged by a lot of the community's work on Sony phones, and how Sony seems to embrace unlockable bootloaders. It gives me hope that I could provide support for my phone even after Sony abandons it.

[tdkl]

Unlocking the bootloader means loosing the DRM keys forever which results in worse camera. Also binaries are the issue for custom ROM support - as usual for Android.

[khedoros1]

You're preaching to the choir. If I had a better option, I'd go for it, but I really want a phone with a screen smaller than 5" to be the next one I buy. A few years ago, I went from a Galaxy Nexus (4.65") to a Nexus 5 (4.95", and sharp edges), and the thing I wanted most at the time was the internals from the new phone in the chassis of the old one.

These look like my options:

- Go for the comfortable-sized Sony and eventually degrade the phone to keep up with security updates.

- Go for the Sony and eventually take the chance that someone exploits an unpatched security hole.

- Go for something like an S7 or Pixel that are a few mm larger than the Nexus 5, paying more for a device with worse size but (hopefully) better support.

I'm in a tiny minority, interested in an increasingly-niche category of hardware.

[tdkl]

Yeah, I really liked the Z3C too as it was the only Android phone that wasn't big and I came from iPhone 5S. Now I bit the bullet, sold the Z3C and ordered a Xiaomi 3S (unlockable, supported monthly with security releases), so 5" phone again it is.

Too bad the SE didn't spark any competition in this area.

[izacus]

Sadly, due to late and lacking sales of Z5c in USA, the modding community is pretty dead. Also bootloader unlock breaks camera due to DRM so that's out :/

[khedoros1]

Yeah...I saw that they didn't have an official Cyanogenmod for it, while the Z3c does. I'll admit that my impressions of the Sony modding community probably date mostly from the Z3 era.

It seems like the camera just loses some low-light noise reduction functionality, right?