Thoughts on small/compact form factor phones

NumDePlum · 2023-09-03T07:16:22+00:00

A Nothing “Small” version in my opinion is a must have device in an industry where consumers are pushed to purchase larger phones becoming more & more addicted to their phones. The potential future small Nothing (0) features: * Between 5.4" & 5.7" screen * Advanced energy-efficient screen * Modern energy-efficiency based processor with 5G * Better than industry standard long-term security, OS, software support * Innovative solid-state battery * A singular but really good camera * Priced Fairly - though I mainly created this post fundamentally for the inclusion of a smaller device, considering the investment into R&D of the “Small”, naturally pricing it would be your volition but it would be great if it was on par to Apple’s original SE & Mini or even the Nothing Phone (1) for that matter. Caveats: * Battery - by the time R&D is finalised for the “Small” version I strongly believe solid-state batteries especially for smaller based devices would be more apparent in the industry as opposed to significantly higher amperage & voltage based solutions for EVs, so I think it would be available option for the “Small” Nothing (0) phone. * The Zenphone 10 by Asus has shown to be quite compelling in the past & present but in my opinion what they did wrong was deliver a really compelling product with most if not all the features of much larger phones & it can also be recognized in the pricing such as implementing edge solutions, i.e larger battery, 5.9" screen, larger cameras & not forgetting the leading edge processor by Qualcomm which is the Snapdraggon 8 Gen 2. I mean what were they thinking? I think it’s just too powerful & unnecessary of a processor & feel free to disagree with me but I feel the next best thing from MediaTek would have been great. * The iPhone Mini was such a great option & honestly still is but they don’t share the same principals as Nothing but to be quiet honest not many companies do, which is why I think a solution from Nothing would be such a brilliant product offering in the market. The Mini’s sales for iPhone was said to have floundered but that was only in comparison to it’s larger phones, fact of the matter is, they sold millions which to them & industry analysts isn’t great enough which is ridiculous. Apple’s “Mini” based users honestly appreciate their phones more & there are still many mini 12 & mini 13 & even SE users that haven’t upgraded their phones at all. * Unihertz also offer a mini phone option and they’re great, their sales are also good, however, one thing in my opinion detrimental about them is they arguably don’t provide long enough support for their products & services which when it comes to security, it could be seen as a negative especially as their users get attached to their products. Unlike the American counterparts I’m not as judgemental towards Chinese companies; I think a lot of them are great, however because of the cultural barrier unfortunately a lot of things can be confused in translation & I feel coming to the western market & exploding with prosperity can be seen as difficult for them when it comes to traditional consumer based solutions, the phone market being a classic example of this, though it does seem to be slowly changing. Closing remarks: I’ve created a similar topic on other phone manufacture forums & honestly, no joke, the desire for a smaller phone is great. I wouldn’t lie but here are some of the stats that I recorded from one other popular global phone manufacturers forum should you actually contemplate this - If you were to collate all the stats pertaining to a mini based mobile phone from x forum community, it has garnered well over 8000 views, well over 170 likes and well over a 130 replies. Which may not sound like a lot but you can ask your team that from a competing Android based device that is huge. This company has been existence since 2018 I think & the first post regarding a “small” phone appeared on their forum in July of 2021, the post after that being created in July of 2022 and my post being the last one having no foresight of there ever being a post which I wanted to create in July 2023 but posted this month of August of 2023; so honestly, every year since the release of x phone on Sep 2020, users & people in general having genuinely been desiring a compact phone, again, not necessarily with bells & whistles & certainly not like the top tier Samsung S’twenties’ with Snapdragon 8 Gens, but just the design aesthetics & principal of the Nothing brand. In one holiday season it was reported that Apple sold 40 million iPhone 13 units, in addition, I think this report was in reference to the introduction of the iPhone 13 to (i think) the full quarters end that it intended to sell 300 million units at the end of the fiscal or general years end 2022, 300 million units! I think the SE & the Mini stats should be combined (based on the idea of a small phone argument) previous reports suggest sales were around 10%, however, both models weren’t phased out, they continue to sell them officially. In dollar terms & taking the cost of the cheapest non SE version phone, 300 million units would account to just under 165 billion, divide that by 10 (10%) would give you a sum of just over 16 billion. Regardless of the fact the Mini and SE accounted for a smaller number of sales in comparison to the couple of inches larger phones, it still did sell, it still does sell & it is still appreciated by Apple users and non Apple users. I would so love to purchase a smaller Nothing phone, maybe one through Murena as well to see how their /e/OS works at some point. I’d appreciate some insight from Carl if he’s available through this platform or maybe even a youtube video to discuss why it simply isn’t a viable option because literally every other phone manufacturer that I’ve discussed this with the exception of Apple because they’re so uptight simply won’t consider it. Best regards

Banjer

TanniruVinayKanth What are you willing to pay for it? 1500 USD? 1000 USD? It isn't going to be a high volume seller, so it must have a good margin to claw back the needed R&D costs.

TanniruVinayKanth

That’s a very fair point about R&D costs and market volume.

I completely agree that a "Compact Flagship" with top-tier specs (best processor, best camera, premium build) would logically fall into the $800 - $1,000+ range, similar to a Galaxy S or Pixel base model.

However, my suggestion has two components, and the bigger opportunity for Nothing is in the second one:

1. The Flagship Tier (The current challenge)

The Price: ~$800 - $1000 USD.
The Market Need: This segment is already dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Google. If Nothing enters here, it would be tough, but the unique Nothing OS and design would still appeal to users who find the competitors too large (e.g., the current base S-series and Pixel are often over 6.1 or 6.2 inches).

2. The Mid-Range/Budget Tier (The untapped opportunity)

The Price: ~$300 - $500 USD (where Nothing's current volume success lies).
The Market Need: There is currently a massive gap in the market here. Almost no one is making a truly compact (sub-6.2 inch) phone in the budget or mid-range segment. All current affordable phones are large (6.5 to 6.8 inches).
The Nothing Advantage: Nothing could create a smaller version of the Phone (2a) or (3a) by focusing on design and ergonomics rather than a flagship processor. A phone with a great battery life, a decent (not necessarily flagship-grade) camera, and a clean Nothing OS, all in a compact body, would be a unique selling proposition.

The volume argument cuts both ways: While a compact flagship might be low-volume, a compact mid-range Nothing phone could be a high-volume seller precisely because it would be the only option for people who want a smaller phone without paying for a flagship.

The core idea is not just to make a small phone, but to own the "compact" category across Nothing's existing price points

Banjer

TanniruVinayKanth Your reply feels AI-generated, especially with you replying so quickly, but i'll address it anyway.
The 3a hits a perfect price point at the moment in my opinion, and a smaller version would be a nice addition, however, it will be more expensive if you want to keep the same specs, and that might shift the price to a point that won't sell that much.
And since Nothing is already looking for ways to increase revenue (Lock Glimpse, pre-installed apps) it seems the margin on the phones is to small at the moment, possibly make a new model more expensive if you want to keep those of them.

CMF1_hacker

Banjer this is the correct answer. We need NTL to make money if it wants to survive.

I've posted all the data before and can post the papers again but there is a good correlation between GDP/per capital or disposable income (PPP) and height (with and DK/NL being both tall and wealthy). Likewise LMICs tend to shorter inhabitants. I haven't looked this claim up: but I would assume that body height and hand size are correlated and the fact that we see no more small phones being produced is likely because they sell poorly in wealthy countries as inhabitants there have larger hands. That might be why they, i.e. small phones, went extinct in the first place (lower profit margin/unit).

TanniruVinayKanth

Banjer You raise a valid point about price hikes due to R&D and tight margins.

I argue that a compact phone can maintain the mid-range price point (~$300-$500) and still be profitable if Nothing employs strategic cost control:

Maintain SoC & Camera: Use the exact same mid-range processor and camera sensors as the larger Nothing Phone (2a/3a). This avoids huge new R&D costs for miniaturizing new components or cooling a flagship chip.

Acceptable Trade-Offs: The target audience for a compact phone is willing to accept the necessary trade-off: a smaller battery. This is inherent to the form factor and does not significantly spike manufacturing costs.

Volume Opportunity: The biggest gain is market share. Since there are virtually no compact phones in the $300-$500 range, Nothing would own 100% of this niche. This higher volume from a unique selling point would offset any minor cost increases and boost overall revenue, which is a stronger solution for profitability than pre-installed apps alone.

A compact mid-range phone is a volume play, not just a niche product.

CMF1_hacker

TanniruVinayKanth nah, it won't sell. otherwise, all other brands would be on it.

the screens alone would be significantly more expensive per unit and than anything larger than 6.1 as they're be very little volume. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd pay 2x the price of a 6.3"+ screen for a 6" screen. all of the manufacturing would have to be reconfigured for a production run of small screens with high specs.

also, NTL is a niche player and won't command a good value proposition and would even likely have to pay up front for the screens compared to other manufacturers that won't have to.

Banjer

TanniruVinayKanth The SOC isn't really an issue, those are developed by their manufacturers, no R&D saving there. It's the motherboard the SOC is put on that is the issue, that will need to be smaller to fit a smaller phone, thus R&D costs.

TanniruVinayKanth Nothing would own 100% of this niche.

Exactly, it's a nice, so they won't sell high-volume, since it is a small piece of the market.

TanniruVinayKanth A compact mid-range phone is a volume play, not just a niche product.

Is your AI screwing up? First it is a niche, now it isn't?

sasha_O63FY75Boh

I really want to understand from the community what is the feeling about a compact phone.

I really like Nothing’s software and approach to AI but I cannot stand such big phones. I believe as a company Nothing could really stand out with a cheap 6.1-6.2 inches phone.

I feel like there is a very strong demand on the market for such phone size to be brought back, especially in the cheap to mid-range smartphone market there are really no valid options so I think there is a huge market share that could be unlocked in the 300-400 dollar price range. And I believe that Nothing with its design language and somewhat unconventional approach to smartphones could be the perfect candidate to develop such a phone.

Ideally:

6.1 inch display 120hz oled
Snapdragon 7s
4500mAh battery
Plastic build if not glass
Nothing phone 3a triple camera hardware

Let me know what you think. I believe it would be a huge success given the brand popularity and the absence of real competition!

MAHFODHOmar

Hello Nothing Team,

I really appreciate the strong software experience your phones offer — the performance, design, and overall user experience are excellent. However, I hope you consider releasing a smaller phone, ideally around 6.1 inches. Many of us love your devices but find the current sizes too large for comfortable daily use.

A compact 6.1-inch model with the same power, clean software, and unique Nothing design would be perfect for users who prefer smaller phones without compromising on performance.

Thank you for listening, and I hope to see a more compact Nothing phone in the future!

rahullawar

Just a thought, if we see a compact yet powerful midrange phone from Nothing / CMF.

Handy form factor,
Minimal design having 2 cameras with decent f-stop and pixels quality
A well balanced processor(not gaming centric) just for daily use, which can handle heavy apps whenever required,

At least 2 Android updates,

How many of you think, this could be the great idea that Nothing will take as an opportunity?

Thanks.

Al-Mustarik

Hello Nothing Team,

I’m a fan of Nothing’s design and software direction, and I wanted to share a product request that I think many users would appreciate.

Could you consider launching a compact-size Nothing phone? Something easier to use one-handed, lighter in the pocket, and comfortable for daily use, while still keeping strong performance and a great camera.

What I (and many compact-phone buyers) typically look for:

A 6.0–6.2 inch display with slim bezels
Flagship-level performance and smooth Nothing OS experience
Good battery life (efficient chip + well-optimized software)
A strong main camera (even if the overall camera module is simpler)
Same premium build quality and clean design language Nothing is known for

Big phones are everywhere now, but compact options have become rare, and I’d love to see Nothing fill that gap with a modern “small but premium” model.

If there’s any survey, community post, or feedback channel where I can support this request, please point me to it. Thanks for your time, and I’m excited to see what Nothing builds next.

Best regards,
Al Mustarik

pachauris572

In this year you have realaesd a complite line up of your series and I noticed that many people use compact phone so I recommend you guys @changename.tech to delete one of the model in 4 no. Series to introduce a new compact phone with High performance as it will be in your flagship just a size will be smaller

Thank you

Nothing .tech

VIDHYASAGARMS

i will consider nothing phone if the make smaller size 6.1 or 6.3 ish phone.

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