[amluto]

I wish Apple had released a Mini Pro. Aim at the high end and give it the top CPU and the better camera. And quit making the thin part thin — just make the whole body as thick as the camera bumps or even 0.5mm thicker to protect the camera lenses a little bit (and use the added volume for more batter capacity).

[stasomatic]

They should do a Kickstarter and collect pledges :) Many say they want small phones and manual transmissions but then don't show up.

I'm a dyed in the wool Apple sheep, but when I saw this smallish Android phone with a BB style kb, I couldn't resist. Should be shipping next week: https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan-2-elite?srsltid=AfmB...

I would've paid twice the price if Apple made something like this.

[m463]

> Many say they want small phones and manual transmissions but then don't show up.

But the ones that do are pretty fervent admirers.

there are a lot of iphone minis and manual transmission miatas still out there.

and don't say anything about firefly.

[mingus88]

> Many say they want small phones and manual transmissions but then don't show up.

I wonder if this is some kind of enthusiast bias where owners of these niche products love them so much they run them into the ground so the demand slumps

I prefer manual transmissions and take care of my cars so I am not out there buying a new car as often as other folk. I suspect people who find a phone they really love aren’t trading it in every couple of years like most people.

I mean, why would you stop using a device you care for, especially when the segment is shrinking. An older manual transmission is probably just better than a newer one that they don’t make as many of.

[stasomatic]

I can't say much about maintaining older cars because I lease and that's a different topic. The idea is romantic, but my circumstances are what they are.

It comes down to economies of scale for manufacturers. If anything, the outliers like the Minis or 6-speeds should be priced much higher than regular offerings, but the general perception is that something named a Mini or something you have to row on your own should be less expensive. I'd love me an iPad mini Pro, I'd pay around $700-800, but how many of us are there for Apple to bother?

[amluto]

Seems backwards to me. I even bought a 16 Pro because I wanted a nicer phone, and I returned it because I liked it less than the Mini. If there was a new Mini I would have purchased and kept it.