Debate: Are smartphones today boring? Why?

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Crispin_Gatieza
Crispin_Gatieza
Arena Master
• 1y ago
↵MariyanSlavov said:

Couldn't agree more! I've never been a supporter of the whole no-bezel movement. That and curved screens are the worst features to come to smartphones since the glass back. Sony still makes front-facing stereo systems AND symmetrical bezels, which I love. But Xperia phones are unpredictable and very very expensive...

I stopped using Xperias with the XZ3 and its horribly situated FPS when they went to that crazy 21:9 aspect ratio. Not everybody uses their phones to watch cinematic videos. Some of us actually work for a living. They used to be top-notch with their OS updates and the ability to use Xpericheck to get firmwares from other regions. That was the backdoor to get working FPS on prior models.

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵TBomb said:

I'd argue that the apps are what make a phone worth using. Phones as phones are actually really boring. And since apps are pretty much comparable on both iOS and Android, I don't see the point in people arguing about who is better.

That's true to some extent. But apps run on hardware. If you have GPS, an accelerometer, magnetic field sensors, you can do stuff like run apps, metal detector apps, navigation apps, etc. Remember the Hydrogen One phone and its holographic display? There was a phone with a 3D display a couple of years ago as well.

Then there's the FLIR camera inside the CAT series phones (and the rumored thermometer inside the Pixel 8). I think there's plenty you can do with modern tech. You can use a military-grade night-vision camera, for example. Or make it purify water (crazy), disinfect things with UV, equip it with a laser pointer, maybe a lighter... I know many of these sound crazy but nonetheless, I feel like nobody really puts in any effort nowadays...

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵pimpin83z said:

Are you talking smartphones or feature phones? There's only so much you can do with the design of a smartphone if you want it to be a high performing smartphone. Smartphones need to be a slab design design until foldables can be proven durable enough for the mainstream consumer.

This high-performing thing is what bothers me sometimes. When I turn on my LG G3, it works just fine, and everything you're supposed to do with a smartphone hasn't changed in the past 10+ years. And yet, smartphone processors are now 1000% faster compared to the one in the G3. To me, the need for such performance gains each year is superficial and largely driven by companies working their way to make you buy a new phone every year or two...

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵poptart said:

I own a few foldables so I don't have this problem. Muahahah

But.. but.. but they just fold in half?! Where are the lasers and the X-Rays?! :)))

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵StanleyKubrick said:

Been looking real hard at the Xperia 1 V. I've had a few Sony phones and they were OK. Not great but not terrible either. I think Sony did a good job with this latest 1-V BUT I also read where the FP scanner is finicky (I really do not like side mounted scanners on the power button. And while I do necessarily think it is overpriced (because they all are) and it does have more hardware features than most...two years of updates is NOT enough! Sony needs to get their poop-in-a-group if they ever expect people to shell out major $$$$$$ for half or less of what other OEM's offer with updates.

I can confirm that the FP scanner on the Xperia 1 V does seem slow (not much of an improvement compared to older 1-series models).

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵Crispin_Gatieza said:

I stopped using Xperias with the XZ3 and its horribly situated FPS when they went to that crazy 21:9 aspect ratio. Not everybody uses their phones to watch cinematic videos. Some of us actually work for a living. They used to be top-notch with their OS updates and the ability to use Xpericheck to get firmwares from other regions. That was the backdoor to get working FPS on prior models.

The last one I bought with my own money was the Xperia Z1 Compact, and it was great. I was thinking about the XZ2 Compact, then had it in for review and thought better of it. Honestly, If I absolutely had to buy an Xperia, I'd go for the 10-series. You get the Xperia experience (what a tautology), well, most of it anyway, for much cheaper. Also, amazing battery life.

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yalokiy
yalokiy
Arena Master
• 1y ago
↵StanleyKubrick said:

"After something reaches perfection"

You can't be serious. How about NO MORE glass backs? This only lines the pockets of the glass makers as well as the case makers! What about the modern updated under glass fingerprint sensors that NEVER work nearly as good as the "perfectly placed" ones on the BACK OF THE PHONE where they belong and always worked without issue 10 years ago?

I guess my rant wasn't quite over...hmmmm.

Changing the material of the back to something that was already used before is hardly an innovation.

I'm on your side for metal or plastic back. Regarding the fingerprint scanner, I prefer it on the right side.

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Bebochek
Bebochek
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago
↵MariyanSlavov said:

That's true to some extent. But apps run on hardware. If you have GPS, an accelerometer, magnetic field sensors, you can do stuff like run apps, metal detector apps, navigation apps, etc. Remember the Hydrogen One phone and its holographic display? There was a phone with a 3D display a couple of years ago as well.

Then there's the FLIR camera inside the CAT series phones (and the rumored thermometer inside the Pixel 8). I think there's plenty you can do with modern tech. You can use a military-grade night-vision camera, for example. Or make it purify water (crazy), disinfect things with UV, equip it with a laser pointer, maybe a lighter... I know many of these sound crazy but nonetheless, I feel like nobody really puts in any effort nowadays...

It's a phone, not a Swiss army knife.

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Bebochek
Bebochek
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago
↵MariyanSlavov said:

Everyone will buy this Uber smartphone and it will be the end for hundreds of thousands of people in the industry, from designers and PRs to factory workers all the way up to high management stuff (I won't feel sorry about the latter). :)) But yeah, the same reason applies to the question, "Why don't we have cars that last 100 years?" We could have unbreakable stuff but the economy will fail miserably :))

So you think it's better to make piles of trash and use up the planets resources because "the economy will fail"? How about the planet failing?

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵Bebochek said:

It's a phone, not a Swiss army knife.

It could be :) It's a stretch I know, I was giving some fringe examples...

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