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by depereo 1498 days ago
Yes. COVID contact tracing in New Zealand nearly completely relied on QR-code sign-ins with an ios or android app, for example. My company has an app to manage my sick/annual leave in. Sure, there are fallbacks, but they're inconvenient and time or energy intensive in a way a phone isn't.

There are vanishingly small numbers of people who will insist on a perfect-or-nothing approach to smartphones. This market segment is unserviceable. Sure, the size will be right, but it won't have the right battery size, or the battery has to be swappable on-the-go, or it didn't have quite the right sd card option, or maybe the software isn't 'polished' enough, or it had to have two headphone jacks. There will be something 'not good enough' and therefore it's passed over even though they want a 'small' phone.
1 comments
bscphil 1498 days ago
I'm sure there are people like that, but to be clear, I'm not one of them. There are many irritations I have with modern smartphones, but I'm willing to put up with all of them if necessary except 2: must be small enough, must have headphone jack. I'll buy any LineageOS capable phone that meets those criteria.
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depereo 1498 days ago
Right, but those are your specific requirements, the next person will insist on dual-sim. LineageOS capability is another piece that requires work, the headphone jack might be too hard for a small-scale small-phone manufacturing line as well, since someone else will require that it's waterproof.

There is a smartphone that meets the needs of a small-phone purchaser, after all, if small is the requirement - the iphone mini. But purchasing that would require some compromise on your hardline requirements, which will be different to someone else's hardline requirements such as a swappable battery.

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SamBam 1498 days ago
Exactly. I've long dreamt of a "dumb" phone that has a text-only screen, can do text and calls, have a great camera, and also do WhatsApp (text only) because that's an important mode of communication for me. But those are *my* requirements, so I know it's not going to be built because hardly anyone will have my exact requirements.
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