What parts would you use to build your dream smartphone?

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Kmecha7
Kmecha7
Arena Apprentice
• 8mo ago

I'd just like a foldable phone like the Z Fold with excellent battery life (so I can game in my phone) and expandable memory (up to a terabyte, once again mainly for gaming). Having the stylus capabilities of the Samsung series of handhelds would be cool too.

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Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 8mo agoedited
↵TheRealDuckofDeath said:

I'd use the screen of my Flip5, the frame of my Flip5, the backside of my Flip5, the internals of my Flip5 and the software of my Flip5.


Pretty much the Flip5.


If you're a tech writer and you're arguing against using better tech with the argument that you can't use a phone with slightly different looking menus and icons, you're not a tech writer. You're an insecure influencer.

Oh, shots fired at me, I guess. To be honest, my beef is not with the design and logic of Android because it’s mostly okay and it even does some stuff better than iOS. My issue is and always was with the apps and how they behave and look on Android. Unfortunately, iOS has way more high quality apps that run smooth and the reason is simple - there’s about 20-30 iPhone models in circulation and thousands of Androids. So, creating an Android app that runs well on all Android phones is a tough task, especially for small developers.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t argue that the Flip5 is necessarily better tech than the latest iPhones, it’s just something that I find interesting and I like using. The idea was sharing about a dream device after all, so I was dreaming.

Thanks for the shots but have you ever used an iPhone? If yes, did it feel so similar to Android to you, so you say it’s only different icons?

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Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 8mo ago
↵XmanRek said:

S24U chassis with a headphone jack, IR blaster, MicroSD card slot, pop-up camera, more powerful speakers, pop-out replaceable battery, maintain water resistance, offer choice of materials since glass is fragile.


These phones used to be more technically capable. I just want to get back to that and quit making Android iPhones.

I hear many people talk about the IR blaster but it’s something I never felt I needed nor I ever used when I had it. What’s your use case, that makes an IR blaster such an important feature for you?

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TheRealDuckofDeath
TheRealDuckofDeath
Arena Master
• 8mo ago
↵ilia.t said:

Oh, shots fired at me, I guess. To be honest, my beef is not with the design and logic of Android because it’s mostly okay and it even does some stuff better than iOS. My issue is and always was with the apps and how they behave and look on Android. Unfortunately, iOS has way more high quality apps that run smooth and the reason is simple - there’s about 20-30 iPhone models in circulation and thousands of Androids. So, creating an Android app that runs well on all Android phones is a tough task, especially for small developers.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t argue that the Flip5 is necessarily better tech than the latest iPhones, it’s just something that I find interesting and I like using. The idea was sharing about a dream device after all, so I was dreaming.

Thanks for the shots but have you ever used an iPhone? If yes, did it feel so similar to Android to you, so you say it’s only different icons?

Those were valid arguments back in the days of Gingerbread and KitKat. You're also applying this argument to a flagship Samsung phone. Any app developer not prioritising functionality on those aren't going to be relevant in any real world use case. So again, you should try out an Android phone not made in 2010 for real. You'll clearly be surprised with a what a modern smartphone is capable of. Especially when that smartphone has access to all the advanced features in addons like Good Lock and Good Guardian. Make the phone work for you, not the other way around. Especially when you seem to be happy to struggle with illogical and cumbersome interfaces Apple forces on their users. 😋

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pimpin83z
pimpin83z
Arena Legend
• 8mo ago
↵ilia.t said:

Oh, shots fired at me, I guess. To be honest, my beef is not with the design and logic of Android because it’s mostly okay and it even does some stuff better than iOS. My issue is and always was with the apps and how they behave and look on Android. Unfortunately, iOS has way more high quality apps that run smooth and the reason is simple - there’s about 20-30 iPhone models in circulation and thousands of Androids. So, creating an Android app that runs well on all Android phones is a tough task, especially for small developers.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t argue that the Flip5 is necessarily better tech than the latest iPhones, it’s just something that I find interesting and I like using. The idea was sharing about a dream device after all, so I was dreaming.

Thanks for the shots but have you ever used an iPhone? If yes, did it feel so similar to Android to you, so you say it’s only different icons?

"My issue is and always was with the apps and how they behave and look on Android. Unfortunately, iOS has way more high quality apps that run smooth and the reason is simple - there’s about 20-30 iPhone models in circulation and thousands of Androids."


Which apps though? X/Twitter on my S24 Ultra runs better than it does on my 14 Pro Max; not to mention it doesn't have that awful ass transparent icon dock like on iOS. So which apps are you referring to? Gaming apps?


"...have you ever used an iPhone? If yes, did it feel so similar to Android to you..."


I know this question wasn't directed towards me, but I'll gladly answer it. I've been using the 14 Pro Max alongside my S22 Ultra & now my S24 Ultra the last 18 months. No, the iPhone doesn't feel similar to Android in any way, but I appreciate the differences. My main reason for getting the iPhone was to become more familiar with iOS & also prove to the fanboys that it/iOS is not perfect. Mission accomplished².

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tedkord
tedkord
Arena Legend
• 8mo ago

The first thing I'd do is delete the stupid in screen camera punch holes and "islands" and put a thin bezel on top with the cameras, sensors, etc...then I'd add top quality front facing stereo speakers in the thin bezels at the top and bottom, one in each corner. Latest SOC, MFT to supplement NFC payment. Add back microsdxc expandability. Software wise, a complete transfer from old phone to new phone, seamless transition with no added setup.


2k AMOLED display. Ideally, an expandable display, but that's not likely. Basically, make those changes to the S24 Ultra.

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Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 8mo ago
↵pimpin83z said:

"My issue is and always was with the apps and how they behave and look on Android. Unfortunately, iOS has way more high quality apps that run smooth and the reason is simple - there’s about 20-30 iPhone models in circulation and thousands of Androids."


Which apps though? X/Twitter on my S24 Ultra runs better than it does on my 14 Pro Max; not to mention it doesn't have that awful ass transparent icon dock like on iOS. So which apps are you referring to? Gaming apps?


"...have you ever used an iPhone? If yes, did it feel so similar to Android to you..."


I know this question wasn't directed towards me, but I'll gladly answer it. I've been using the 14 Pro Max alongside my S22 Ultra & now my S24 Ultra the last 18 months. No, the iPhone doesn't feel similar to Android in any way, but I appreciate the differences. My main reason for getting the iPhone was to become more familiar with iOS & also prove to the fanboys that it/iOS is not perfect. Mission accomplished².

Most of the big apps work good on both platforms, though the in-app cameras of apps like Instagram and Snapchat run bad on many Android phones. That was not my point, though.

My point was that generally on iOS there is greater choice of high quality apps, including some platform exclusives.

I personally use Bear, Overcast, and Flow as iOS exclusive apps that don’t have Android versions and no other app with the same functionality felt as good to me. I also really enjoy the iOS default apps like Mail and Reminders.

As for gaming, I think things are more equal but still Apple has an edge on the performance and Apple Arcade is great. However, I don’t game as much on mobile, so I have no idea if Android isn’t actually the better platform.

I don’t think any platform is perfect, it’s a mix of taste, habit and comfort. Trying both, which is more comfortable for you?

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pimpin83z
pimpin83z
Arena Legend
• 8mo ago
↵ilia.t said:

Most of the big apps work good on both platforms, though the in-app cameras of apps like Instagram and Snapchat run bad on many Android phones. That was not my point, though.

My point was that generally on iOS there is greater choice of high quality apps, including some platform exclusives.

I personally use Bear, Overcast, and Flow as iOS exclusive apps that don’t have Android versions and no other app with the same functionality felt as good to me. I also really enjoy the iOS default apps like Mail and Reminders.

As for gaming, I think things are more equal but still Apple has an edge on the performance and Apple Arcade is great. However, I don’t game as much on mobile, so I have no idea if Android isn’t actually the better platform.

I don’t think any platform is perfect, it’s a mix of taste, habit and comfort. Trying both, which is more comfortable for you?

"My point was that generally on iOS there is greater choice of high quality apps, including some platform exclusives.


Fixed as platform exclusive ≠ high quality.

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Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 8mo ago
↵pimpin83z said:

"My point was that generally on iOS there is greater choice of high quality apps, including some platform exclusives.


Fixed as platform exclusive ≠ high quality.

I definitely didn’t mean that, I meant there are more high quality apps than Android and also more platform exclusive apps that are of high quality. It’s a generalisation but in my opinion and experience it’s true.

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Teh_catasstrophy
Teh_catasstrophy
Arena Apprentice
• 8mo ago
↵domfonusr said:

Entry-level to mid-range specs, 4GB to 6GB of LPDDR4x or LPDDR5, 64GB to 128GB of UFS 3.0+ storage, no microSD slot, non-user-removable Li-polymer battery of at least 4000mAh (but higher quality design/materials than usual for an entry-level device), Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and up on a 720p+ 90+Hz 500+nits OLED panel of at least 6 inches (hole punch, not tear-drop, and only on the version with optional selfie-cam/video-call capability - 8Mpixel minimum), IP54 or better water and dust protection, USB-C OTG with 15W fast-charging, optional (with or without) dual rear cameras (Sony sensors, Zeiss optics?) of at least 13Mpixel main and 5Mpixel wide-angle (120+ degree field of vision)/macro/depth with two-tone LED flash, 5nm... or below... octa-core chip (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 or better), good NR(5G)-SA support in at least the US, 4G LTE support for everywhere (and GSM for 'everywhere else', too), Android 14 with no crazy manufacturer UI skin/overlay, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1+, WiFi 6, fingerprint reader in power button (on side?), nanoSIM or eSIM (why not both?), decent design principles and materials, AND costing under $150 MSRP unlocked thanks to mass-production/economies-of-scale... tall order, I know, but a guy can dream, right?

Older Moto Defy/Galaxy Active specs by the looks of it. Or one of those tough grade MTK phones that keep sprouting up every so often. For $150+... That range could fill a niche market for sure.

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