Disapponting trends in Phone design

[dontpanicbobby]

I am so disappointed, HTC is following Apple/Samsung with the glass back trend that no one asked for and removing the headphone jack trend like Apple/Samsung which no one asked for in their new U series line-up. Thankfully though they are bucking one trend by keeping expandable storage as an option.

I'll be watching very closely for any Note 8 rumors now. Help me Samsung Note Team! You're my only hope...

 

[lvt]

Yeah I just bought a HTC 10 Evo and it has no audio jack. The earphones are included in the box but with USB-C plug.

 

[lvt]

By the way I have no idea on the glass back, people say that it's about improving wireless charging and reception quality.

 

[Kaizuroge]

I agree about why would you remove the earphone jack when there are more things that they could improve on.

I also don't like how manufacturers now keep pushing thinner phones out. I feel like I'll bend them when I put it my pocket or break it in half.

Thinner phones also comes at as cost: smaller batteries. I think manufacturers should focus more on designing phones that actually makes sense like a better battery capacity phone, I don't mind it being bulky because I actually feel like I won't break it in half or lose it because I hardly feel the weight of it in my pocket.

 

[Dannydet]

It's a trend towards less peripheral options. More space for hardware. But at a disadvantage to the consumer. Change is never good...

 

[zuben el genub]

The Nexus 4 had a glass back. I never took the protective plastic off either the front or the back. I didn't like it.

 

[zuben el genub]

It's a trend towards less peripheral options. More space for hardware. But at a disadvantage to the consumer. Change is never good...

You will have to depend on the phone mfg for all your accessories instead of walking into the local office supply store and buying an extension speaker. The extras will make them the $

 

[mikedt]

You will have to depend on the phone mfg for all your accessories instead of walking into the local office supply store and buying an extension speaker. The extras will make them the $

Of course, HTC wireless earbuds, costing about the same as Apple AirPods.

Samsung has already done it with their $200 Gear IconX wireless earbuds. S8 doesn't need a headphone jack.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Those Air Pods aren't inexpensive either. Makes me wonder if portable media players are going to make a comeback.

What bothers me most is the glass back thing. It's just one more thing to worry about breaking/scratching.

So if the mid-2000s was the "age of convergence" what the heck "age" are we moving into now?

For the record I was against "Convergence" too. I liked having a small phone and a pocket sized PC.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

OMG! What if the Note8/S8 Plus uses glass back and no expandable storage?

That s-pen better have some serious mojo.

 

[mikedt]

Quite frankly I think the most important thing is that Samsung doesn't have to issue another recall.

No headphone jacks, glass backs or no SD storage, are only minor compared to recalling every device, twice

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Yeah. That would truly be disappointing.

 

[kate]

Thinner phones also comes at as cost: smaller batteries. I think manufacturers should focus more on designing phones that actually makes sense like a better battery capacity phone

Agreed, there doesn't seem to be any reason to make phones thinner other then being able to say "it's thinner."

Keep that extra 1mm thickness and improve battery life.

 

[Slug]

Of course, HTC wireless earbuds, costing about the same as Apple AirPods.

Samsung has already done it with their $200 Gear IconX wireless earbuds.

All of which are simply Bluetooth accessories with "added brand appeal". The choice of third-party alternatives is huge.

Agreed, there doesn't seem to be any reason to make phones thinner other then being able to say "it's thinner."

Actually there is.

As the display size, and therefore the surface area, of a handset increases the depth front-to-back has to decrease if the entire touchscreen is to be usable single-handed.

 

[Dannydet]

 

[lvt]

Too bad I have small wrists, so it probably will be a small screen size like 4" which is far from being practical.

 

[Hadron]

By the way I have no idea on the glass back, people say that it's about improving wireless charging and reception quality.

Wireless reception with metal bodies has been pretty well solved for some years now.

Wireless charging is a different matter, but while you'll find many people in forums who will insist this is essential most people don't use it even when the phone supports it (which as far as I can tell the HTC U phones announced yesterday do not).

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Yeah. HTC would have pointed out wireless charging as a high level selling POINT if that was the reason for the glass backs I think. Personally I think it's all about the "look".

The process HTC is talking about to create their colored glass backs reminds me so much of stained glass it hurts.
Those devices are going to be beautiful.

 

[Stuntman]

The most disappointing trend for me is getting rid of physical keyboards. That ensured that people will make plenty of keying errors whenever they type.

The second most disappointing trend for me is the race to make phones able to slice tomatoes. That ensured that I will always be disappointed in the battery life of my phone.

It seems the next upcoming trend is phones with no bezels. That will ensure I will be annoyed whenever holding the phone because my fingers will obstruct part of the edge of the screen.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Bezel-less looks cool but I agree it would definitely have some issues learning a new way to grip my phone.

The Xiaomi MI Mix looks about right though. Just enough bezel to hold onto but it's kind of big and that's a different issue altogether.

 

[lvt]

The most disappointing trend for me is getting rid of physical keyboards. That ensured that people will make plenty of keying errors whenever they type.

Android is a multi-languages OS, having a physical keyboard in a small space could be a handicap because you can't switch among languages on the fly. The smallest full size physical keyboard itself is larger than a smartphone.

 

[mikedt]

Android is a multi-languages OS, having a physical keyboard in a small space could be a handicap because you can't switch among languages on the fly. The smallest full size physical keyboard itself is larger than a smartphone.

Indeed, it's very difficult to change physical keys around, should one require QWERTY or AZERTY or QWERTZ or Cyrillic or Mongolian or Hebrew or Klingon layout, etc

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I could never do Klingon. I drop enough vowels as it is. Then there's that whole guttural thing. Folks in Boston tend to soften their speech. I think it's the Irish influence.

BOT: I had a Windows Mobile Phone with a physical keyboard. I wasn't impressed. More screen with enough bezel to hold onto is what I want. Keyboards just take up screen space.

 

[Hadron]

For me another disappointing trend is "bigger all the time". Some of us don't want the inconvenience and awkwardness of a larger device (for me even a 5" phone is awkward one-handed), but there are ever fewer options for those who don't want this.

 

[mikedt]

I could never do Klingon. I drop enough vowels as it is. Then there's that whole guttural thing. Folks in Boston tend to soften their speech. I think it's the Irish influence.

I couldn't never do Klingon either, I'm a little better at Mongolian...

...and as I'm in Inner Mongolia for the next couple of weeks, switching on-screen keyboards between Mongolian and Chinese could be useful for many around these parts.