My desired Android phone features - Why won't anyone make it?

[Eug]

4.2-4.3" screen
1280x720
Fast CPU - High clocked dual-core, or else quad-core
Low power LTE
Stock launcher
Under 63 mm wide
Jelly Bean 4.1

I want a 4.3" phone with all the fixin's and without the bloat. They don't seem to exist. Am I mistaken?

Must a Galaxy Nexus 4 be 4.8"? How about a Nexus 4 mini or something?

 

[Bateluer]

4.2-4.3" screen
1280x720
Fast CPU - High clocked dual-core, or else quad-core
Low power LTE
Stock launcher
Under 63 mm wide
Jelly Bean 4.1

I want a 4.3" phone with all the fixin's and without the bloat. They don't seem to exist. Am I mistaken?

Must a Galaxy Nexus 4 be 4.8"? How about a Nexus 4 mini or something?

Unless you buy a Nexus, you're not going to get the stock launcher. Or you root/rom.

Screen size is available. Screen resolution is now standard. Fast CPUs are par for the course now. Low Power LTE, still a pipe dream, but improving. Only phones out with Jelly Bean right now are the GSM Nexii and the Sprint Nexii. I'd be at a loss to predict who'd upgrade first, but probably Samsung with the SGS3. Also, JellyBean only launched a month ago . . . you're aiming pretty high considering so many manufacturers only just upgraded to ICS. Though, admittedly, GB -> ICS was a huge leap; ICS -> JB, not so much.

 

[Eug]

The problem is the flagship phones all seem to be ginormous. I want a flagship-class phone, but with a more one-hand-friendly screen size.

And I just don't like those custom skins, which is why I mentioned the hypothetical Nexus 4. But I'm afraid it's gonna come with a 4.8" screen, which is likely going to be a deal-killer for me, unless it includes a kitchen sink and cooks my lunch for me, all in a 125 g package.

 

[makken]

I doubt you're going to find a 720p screen on anything smaller than 4.5"
Your only option for a stock launcher and/or Jellybean is with one of the Nexus devices (or maybe this)

 

[Ravynmagi]

I doubt you're going to find a 720p screen on anything smaller than 4.5"
Your only option for a stock launcher and/or Jellybean is with one of the Nexus devices (or maybe this)

HTC 8X is a 4.3 inch phone with a 1280x720 screen. Unfortunately it runs Windows Phone 8 and is 66mm wide, so not what Eug is looking for. But at least someone is making 720P on a smaller screen size. Shame HTC didn't make the One S a 720P screen.

 

[makken]

HTC 8X is a 4.3 inch phone with a 1280x720 screen. Unfortunately it runs Windows Phone 8 and is 66mm wide, so not what Eug is looking for. But at least someone is making 720P on a smaller screen size. Shame HTC didn't make the One S a 720P screen.

Its too bad. One S would've been the perfect phone physically, but HTC had to go ruin it with Sense and a Pentile AMOLED screen

 

[ilkhan]

Xperia V is a full spec 4.3" phone (including 720p) but its not launching with JB (AFAIK).
I wouldn't expect anything else for a while. RAZR i (RAZR M), maybe. But again, not launching with JB. Except the RAZR isn't 720p.

e2: nm. 8X is 4.3, 8S is 4.0"
How strange.

 

[Jynxed]

4.2-4.3" screen
1280x720
Fast CPU - High clocked dual-core, or else quad-core
Low power LTE
Stock launcher
Under 63 mm wide
Jelly Bean 4.1

I want a 4.3" phone with all the fixin's and without the bloat. They don't seem to exist. Am I mistaken?

Must a Galaxy Nexus 4 be 4.8"? How about a Nexus 4 mini or something?

I bring you the phone you request (maybe/almost)

The Xiomi Mi2

S4 Pro chip
2GB RAM,
16GB of onboard storage
USB On-The-Go
2,000mAh battery
4.3-inch HD IPS display with a resolution of 1,280 x 720
MHL

 

[shahidc]

I'm really hoping that 720p becomes the norm for the midrange phones that have the smaller 4.0" - 4.5" displays.

I've been waiting for a phone like the 8X, but with android, for a while now...

 

[T_Yamamoto]

All you have to do is root to get stock launcher.
Root
Flash aosp build
.....
Profit

 

[ponyo]

Unless you're into rooting and flashing Roms, you do not want to buy anything other than Nexus phone. I speak from experience, and I'm sure many share the same opinion. You're going be frustrated with slow or lack of updates from manufacturers and carriers especially since you're used to updates directly from Apple on your iPhone. Only the Google Nexus phone offers similar experience.

As for the screen size, most people seem to manage and adjust to larger screen size pretty fast. It took me about a week to get really comfortable to GNex 4.65" screen size coming from 4" Vibrant. But now I don't notice, and I appreciate the larger size. That said, I always felt like the 4" Vibrant was the perfect size for me and still do, but the larger GNex screen size has many advantages as well and seems perfectly natural too. To me, screen size is non issue. As long as it's not smaller than 3.5" or greater than 5", I can use it fine and is not a deal killer for me. Learn to adapt or you're going to be like hardware qwerty phone users.

 

[shortylickens]

I'm really hoping that 720p becomes the norm for the midrange phones that have the smaller 4.0" - 4.5" displays.

I've been waiting for a phone like the 8X, but with android, for a while now...

HTC went all out with the 8X cus its leading the new WP operating system and they are hoping to have a killer device everyone will buy. Nokia doesnt have the name it used to and if HTC promotes their product better, they can leave Nokia in the dust.

BUT, knowing HTC you probably will have an equivalent Android phone soon after the WP8 release.


Also, welcome to the forums.

 

[lothar]

Unless you're into rooting and flashing Roms, you do not want to buy anything other than Nexus phone. I speak from experience, and I'm sure many share the same opinion. You're going be frustrated with slow or lack of updates from manufacturers and carriers especially since you're used to updates directly from Apple on your iPhone. Only the Google Nexus phone offers similar experience.

As for the screen size, most people seem to manage and adjust to larger screen size pretty fast. It took me about a week to get really comfortable to GNex 4.65" screen size coming from 4" Vibrant. But now I don't notice, and I appreciate the larger size. That said, I always felt like the 4" Vibrant was the perfect size for me and still do, but the larger GNex screen size has many advantages as well and seems perfectly natural too. To me, screen size is non issue. As long as it's not smaller than 3.5" or greater than 5", I can use it fine and is not a deal killer for me. Learn to adapt or you're going to be like hardware qwerty phone users.

I would say if you're into flashing ROMs, then all the more reason to get a Nexus.
Regardless of if you want to root or not, get a Nexus.

 

[ponyo]

I would say if you're into flashing ROMs, then all the more reason to get a Nexus.
Regardless of if you want to root or not, get a Nexus.

The great thing about Nexus is you can go both ways. Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 are the only two Android devices I haven't flashed custom ROM or felt the need. I rooted and unlocked the bootloader and flashed stock images and updates but no custom roms, kernels, or recovery.

 

[Eug]

Any guesses to when the next Nexus will be announced?

I did come across this article with a completely unsubstantiated rumour it will be the LG Optimus G. Even better willl be if Google releases multiple Nexus phones, including smaller sized flagship phones.

They took the words right out of my mouth:

Many consumers are already complaining that flagship Android phones have evolved to the point where they are simply getting too big and unwieldy, so it would make a lot more sense for Google to introduce a couple of different form factors rather than a bunch of oversized superphones competing for the same market. The 4.7-inch Optimus G would make a great high-end Nexus phone, but there is a market for devices in the 4- to 4.3-inch range as well.

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at iPhone 5 preorder figures.

Anyways, I've decided I'm gonna wait on that iPhone 5 order. I don't want to wait too long past October though.

 

[Eug]

Hmm... Phones like the Xperia V and the HTC 8X are 4.3" but are coming in at about 65 to 66 mm. OK, I will revise my request to 65 mm and under to be more realistic. (As mentioned, the 8X is not Android so it doesn't matter it's more than 65 mm.)

BTW, for comparison sake:

4.0" 16:9 = 1.96" wide
4.3" 16:9 = 2.11"
4.7" 16:9 = 2.30"

That's only a 0.15" difference between 4" and 4.3", but I think that ~4 mm will make a difference in portrait web readability. Going to 4.7/4.8" adds another 5-6 mm, which brings these phones into the 70+ mm wide range including bezel. While that adds to the portrait mode readability, it also makes them much more awkward.

 

[Fingolfin269]

This request somewhat reminds me of the EVO. Loved the phone in terms of size but hated the battery life. I want a flagship in that size again but without the major negatives that came with the EVO at the time.

 

[Eug]

Assuming I'm understanding you correctly.

We're on 28/32 nm now both for the SoC and the LTE chipsets (if they're not integrated), so you wouldn't need a ginormous battery behind a ginormous screen for good battery life.