10 votes

Palm's making a tiny Android phone with 3.3" display & 800 mAh battery

25 comments

  1. [12]
    teaearlgraycold
    Link
    When will someone make a smartphone that has an unreasonably overpowered battery? Seeing this with something like a 3000 mAh battery would be neat.

    When will someone make a smartphone that has an unreasonably overpowered battery? Seeing this with something like a 3000 mAh battery would be neat.

    8 votes
    1. [6]
      Amarok
      Link Parent
      The problem with this is there's another name for batteries with very high energy density: a bomb. I think most businesses don't like taking the risk.

      The problem with this is there's another name for batteries with very high energy density: a bomb. I think most businesses don't like taking the risk.

      7 votes
      1. [5]
        teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        They don't have to be high density. The battery could be large.

        They don't have to be high density. The battery could be large.

        4 votes
        1. [4]
          Amarok
          Link Parent
          If people don't mind the size, there are large battery packs available for most devices, some that even dock around the phone. Most people however won't tolerate anything that stops fitting...

          If people don't mind the size, there are large battery packs available for most devices, some that even dock around the phone. Most people however won't tolerate anything that stops fitting comfortably in a pocket... or weighs so much that it starts pulling your pants down once it's in said pocket.

          1 vote
          1. [3]
            NeoTheFox
            Link Parent
            But with the size of the thing it could be a bit more bulky. I remember having no issues with N900 back in the day, and it was pretty thicc.

            But with the size of the thing it could be a bit more bulky. I remember having no issues with N900 back in the day, and it was pretty thicc.

            2 votes
            1. [2]
              FunkyGenome
              Link Parent
              I think the standard for size/weight has changed slightly since the N900.

              I think the standard for size/weight has changed slightly since the N900.

              1 vote
              1. NeoTheFox
                Link Parent
                They did, but small bulky phone still fits into your pocket just as well as the slim one with a huge display. My point was that the volume is more important than each individual dimension.

                They did, but small bulky phone still fits into your pocket just as well as the slim one with a huge display. My point was that the volume is more important than each individual dimension.

    2. [3]
      geosmin
      Link Parent
      Isn't 3000 mAh common? But yeah, I'd actually love to see an implementation of a battery with roughly 50% more capacity but calibrated on the software side where 80% is considered full (stop...

      Isn't 3000 mAh common?

      But yeah, I'd actually love to see an implementation of a battery with roughly 50% more capacity but calibrated on the software side where 80% is considered full (stop charging) and 20% is considered empty (shut down), drastically extending the lifetime of the battery. I think in terms of battery wear an 80% charge is equivalent to 0.2 full charges, so in theory you could have a battery that retains its capacity for half a decade.

      Then again if you're in the business of selling phones every year it makes more sense to sell a phone that'll last 50% longer between charges and have them buy another one next year.

      Planned obsolescence is fun.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        But on a super low spec device 3000 mAh would be a ton of energy.

        But on a super low spec device 3000 mAh would be a ton of energy.

        1 vote
        1. geosmin
          Link Parent
          Ah my bad, I thought you were talking more generally.

          Ah my bad, I thought you were talking more generally.

          When will someone make a smartphone that has an unreasonably overpowered battery?

    3. [2]
      autopsy_turvy
      Link Parent
      Galaxy Note 9 is 4000mAh! It's also $1,000 and probably a process-hog :(

      Galaxy Note 9 is 4000mAh! It's also $1,000 and probably a process-hog :(

      1. EightRoundsRapid
        Link Parent
        The Nokia 7 plus has a 3800mAh battery. It doesn't match the Note on the spec sheet, but it's around a third of the price, and an Android One phone. It's £349.00 SIM free, I think. The lowest I've...

        The Nokia 7 plus has a 3800mAh battery. It doesn't match the Note on the spec sheet, but it's around a third of the price, and an Android One phone. It's £349.00 SIM free, I think. The lowest I've seen the Note is &899.99.

  2. MimicSquid
    Link
    My wife looked over my shoulder while I was reading that article and literally started cooing over the idea of a smartphone that would actually fit in her (tiny, tiny) hands.

    My wife looked over my shoulder while I was reading that article and literally started cooing over the idea of a smartphone that would actually fit in her (tiny, tiny) hands.

    6 votes
  3. [2]
    p2004a
    Link
    I would love to see more small Android phones. Every new flagship device is just huge in my opinion. And I'm not a short person with small hands so I can't imagine how terrible must for others....

    I would love to see more small Android phones. Every new flagship device is just huge in my opinion. And I'm not a short person with small hands so I can't imagine how terrible must for others.
    Currently I have Pixel 1 and the size is okish but I don't use it with any protective case because with it the size starts to annoy me. Before I had Xperia X2 and it was a little to big.

    5 votes
    1. musa_totter
      Link Parent
      My previous phone was 5 inches, and I thought that was perfect. These days even 5-inch phones are becoming more rare among the higher tiers.

      My previous phone was 5 inches, and I thought that was perfect. These days even 5-inch phones are becoming more rare among the higher tiers.

      2 votes
  4. [5]
    Luna
    Link
    It's not often that a tiny display smartphone will come out in the US on Verizon (typically you expect these on cheap MVNOs like Straight Talk and Cricket Wireless). At 3.3", the 720p screen is...

    It's not often that a tiny display smartphone will come out in the US on Verizon (typically you expect these on cheap MVNOs like Straight Talk and Cricket Wireless). At 3.3", the 720p screen is 0.2" smaller than the original iPhone, and with only an 800 mAh battery, it probably won't last more than a few hours with the screen on. The processor is a Snapdragon 435, it has 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB internal storage. It will come with Android 8.1, and will not have a headphone jack. Its name? The Pepito.

    It's a bit sad to see Palm back but making (seemingly) generic, low-budget Android devices. They had some really good ideas with the Pre, but HP's then-CEO decided to axe the brand 1 year into a 3 year turnaround project. (Now I'm getting all nostalgic....I loved webOS.) Did anyone else have a webOS device? Looking at all the gesture based navigation and cards multitasking being adopted by Android now, webOS really was years ahead of its time.

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      fifthecho
      Link Parent
      I waited outside a Sprint store for the Pre. I bought a Pre-3 and Touchpad during the firesale and have LunaOS installed on my Touchpad for me to poke at when I start missing WebOS. ...I also was...

      I waited outside a Sprint store for the Pre. I bought a Pre-3 and Touchpad during the firesale and have LunaOS installed on my Touchpad for me to poke at when I start missing WebOS.

      ...I also was happy to buy a LG 4K TV in order to further support the (sad) future of WebOS.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        Bear
        Link Parent
        Stuck on a TV. Sounds like a sad way for a mobile OS to die. I've never used WebOS, what's it like?

        I also was happy to buy a LG 4K TV in order to further support the (sad) future of WebOS.

        Stuck on a TV. Sounds like a sad way for a mobile OS to die.

        I've never used WebOS, what's it like?

        1. fifthecho
          Link Parent
          On the TV? I barely interact with it, but it's pretty and intuitive. On a device? It was slow, but created a lot of the UI/UX paradigms that rule mobile OSes today. They introduced the idea of app...

          On the TV? I barely interact with it, but it's pretty and intuitive.

          On a device? It was slow, but created a lot of the UI/UX paradigms that rule mobile OSes today. They introduced the idea of app switching via "cards" and treating web pages as applications. If you look at Android Pie's app switcher, that's basically how WebOS treated apps.

    2. Akir
      Link Parent
      Palm has been dead for a long time now. Their software was sold to ACCESS Co. in Japan, and the rights for their name was relatively recently bought up by Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL, who...

      Palm has been dead for a long time now. Their software was sold to ACCESS Co. in Japan, and the rights for their name was relatively recently bought up by Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL, who is making this phone.

  5. [2]
    MyRealName
    Link
    For those who don´t want to wait, there's this

    For those who don´t want to wait, there's this

    1 vote
    1. Neverland
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      That looked really interesting until I saw the critical reviews on amazon. Battery life seems to be a really big issue which is really too bad. Link to 2 star reviews edit: phrasing

      That looked really interesting until I saw the critical reviews on amazon. Battery life seems to be a really big issue which is really too bad.

      Link to 2 star reviews

      edit: phrasing

      1 vote
  6. [2]
    DanBC
    Link
    My favourite smartphone I've ever owed was the HTC Wildfire S. Ever since that broke I've wanted something the same size but with better specs. I'd love a small phone.

    My favourite smartphone I've ever owed was the HTC Wildfire S. Ever since that broke I've wanted something the same size but with better specs. I'd love a small phone.