The Year-End Smartphone Market: The Rise of Small Screens and the Persistence of Large Ones

The Year-End Smartphone Market: The Rise of Small Screens and the Persistence of Large OnesThe end-of-year 2023 smartphone market presents a puzzling picture. The significant performance boosts offered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Dimensity 9400, along with AI features and a constant stream of new models from various manufacturers, haven't ignited overwhelming consumer enthusiasm

The Year-End Smartphone Market: The Rise of Small Screens and the Persistence of Large Ones

The end-of-year 2023 smartphone market presents a puzzling picture. The significant performance boosts offered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Dimensity 9400, along with AI features and a constant stream of new models from various manufacturers, haven't ignited overwhelming consumer enthusiasm. Instead, an unexpected debate dominates: "Small-screen phones are the correct form factor," with some even claiming they represent "the endpoint of phone evolution." This article delves into the resurgence of small-screen phones and their nuanced relationship with their larger counterparts.

01 Small-Screen Phones: A Return to Fundamentals

This perspective isn't arbitrary; its roots lie in the very size of the phone itself. The Xiaomi 15 and vivo X200 Pro mini both feature screens around 6.3 inches. Consider 2019: the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, then considered a large phone with its 6.53-inch screen, is only slightly larger than the Xiaomi 15 and comparable to the OPPO Find X8. Even by today's flagship standards, this size wouldn't be considered "large."

The ongoing increase in smartphone screen size has largely been driven by the need for larger batteries to achieve longer battery life. However, in 2024, advancements in battery technology allow 6.3-inch phones to house 5400mAh or even 5700mAh batteries. Therefore, the smaller screens of phones like the Xiaomi 15 aren't so much a reduction in size as a return to a more appropriate form factor.

The market responded positively. Despite a 500 yuan price increase, the Xiaomi 15 achieved impressive sales. Xiaomi Group partner Lu Weibing announced on November 9th that Xiaomi 15 series sales had exceeded one million units just nine days after launch. On October 31st, its launch day, the Xiaomi 15 topped the sales charts in the 4000-5999 yuan price bracket, a common price point for new flagship phones. The vivo X200 Pro mini also jumped to ninth place on the same day, surpassing its standard version, which usually handles higher sales volume. This is a remarkable achievement for vivo's first small-screen flagship.

This is just this year's trend. Next year, more leading brands will join this "niche market," and their offerings will be high-end, mostly flagship models. Reports indicate OPPO will include a small-screen flagship in its Find X8 series, and OnePlus plans to launch a small-screen phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 next year, also around 6.31 inches. Moreover, the moto S50, a 6.36-inch small-screen phone, has achieved respectable sales in the 2000 yuan price bracket, a testament to its quiet success.

All signs point to small-screen phones, or small-screen flagships, transcending niche status. They're becoming the new normal, a new industry consensus, appearing in the product lines of most brands. The conclusion that "small-screen phones are the correct form factor" thus becomes easier to understand. However, with the rise of small-screen phones, the narrative has shifted to "large-screen phones are heresy and shouldn't exist!"

02 Large-Screen Phones: Irreplaceable Advantages

There's no universally accepted definition of a "large-screen phone." But if we adopt the view of some netizens that "anything larger than the Xiaomi 15 is a large-screen phone," then the current mainstream screen sizes of 6.5 to 6.8 inches fall under this category.

While the Xiaomi 15 and vivo X200 Pro mini excel in many aspects, and I personally enjoyed using them, I ultimately returned to a large-screen phone. Here's why:

First, large screens offer an unparalleled visual experience. Viewing photos and videos on a larger screen provides a clearer, more immersive experience, particularly noticeable with high-resolution content. This feeling is amplified with phones like the Red Magic 10 Pro series with its 6.85-inch true bezel-less display.

Second, large screens provide a more comfortable operating space, especially for gaming. In landscape mode, smaller screens often leave insufficient space for two hands, leading to cramped or interfering hand positions, especially for users with larger hands. Adding a cooling clip further reduces the usable area and adds uncomfortable heat in summer. Large-screen phones offer ample space. Models like the Xiaomi 15 Pro, iQOO 13, and OnePlus 13 provide a superior experience in this aspect.

Third, small-screen phones might compromise performance. Even with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or Dimensity 9400 processors, large-screen phones usually offer better performance and heat dissipation. This is why I'd recommend large-screen phones for serious gamers. Furthermore, size limitations might lead to hardware compromises in small-screen phones. For instance, the vivo X200 Pro mini uses a 50-megapixel IMX882 periscope telephoto lens, while the vivo X200 Pro features a 200-megapixel large-sensor periscope lens; the Xiaomi 15 uses a telephoto lens, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro offers a periscope telephoto lens. Large screens allow for larger batteries and higher-wattage fast charging, as the battery itself takes up space. Larger phone sizes generally mean greater scope for hardware upgrades, especially in high-end camera phones, most of which are large-screen models. This is also true for iPhones, as seen with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the top-selling single phone item during Double Eleven.

Larger screen real estate, ample operating space, and superior hardware configurations, especially for photography and gaming enthusiasts, make large-screen phones a better choice for many.

03 The Best Fit Matters Most

I believe small-screen phones will continue to exist as standard or specialty versions within certain series to cater to the one-handed use preference. However, the mainstream size of 6.5 to 6.8 inches will persist. Dismissing all phones larger than 6.3 inches as "unnecessary" is too absolute.

So, should you buy a small-screen phone? In a way, small-screen phones are similar to gaming phonesthey are very specific to user needs. If you have small hands, prefer the feel of older, smaller phones, and find large-screen phones uncomfortable, then a small-screen phone is ideal. A plus for the Xiaomi 15 and vivo X200 Pro mini is that they are available for hands-on experience in physical stores, allowing users to truly appreciate their compact design.

But if, like me, after trying a small-screen phone, you find yourself thinking "the bigger one is still better," then I recommend a large-screen phone. While the feel might be slightly compromised, other aspects are generally improved.

Furthermore, while the Xiaomi 15 and vivo X200 Pro mini are both small-screen phones, they differ significantly. The Xiaomi 15 is more balanced, while the vivo X200 Pro mini prioritizes its camera system. If future small-screen phones only emphasize "small," they lack meaning. I believe next years small-screen phones will differentiate themselves beyond size. Consumers can select based on these distinctions. For example, if I want a small-screen phone with a superior camera system and healthy lens combination and focal length coverage, the vivo X200 Pro mini is currently the best option.

In conclusion, small-screen phones are appealing, but not for everyone, and labeling them as the endpoint of phone evolution is premature. It's certain that small-screen and large-screen phones will coexist for a long time, even within the same product lines. Whatever your preference, you'll have increasingly diverse options.