What You Need to KnowA conversation with Pebble members who created “The Small Android Phone Project” appears on their proposed small device. The team is interested in bringing a premium feel to their little device with a sub-six-inch display, 50-megapixel main sensor and a soft-touch phone body. The small Android device could house a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or a mid-tier Qualcomm chip that’s “not yet released.”
Pebble could make a comeback, but not in what the brand was previously known for. According to The Verge, the community project known as the Small Android Phone, led by Eric Migikovsky, founder of Pebble Smartwatch, could return with its own compact smartphone.
The new phone would affect the feel of the now-dilapidated iPhone Mini quite a bit; The device would (ideally) have a standard Android operating system. There are those who love the look and feel of a smaller Android phone, but a member of the small Android phone team, Benjamin Bryant, told The Verge that they’re interested in a sub-six-inch smartphone display.
(Image credit: Small Android Phone)
Another member, Alex De Stasio, chimed in during the call to talk about his thought process behind the rear camera array, explaining that its design “has a huge impact on the visual icon of the phone, so I wanted to spend a little more Time to make sure it’s uniquely recognizable and very iconic.”
From the images, some give off Nexus vibes, while others are a bit reminiscent of the Nothing Phone (1) with additional LEDs.
(Image credit: The Small Android Phone Project)
A great array of cameras is one of the team’s goals for small Android phones, and they appear to be playing with a 50-megapixel sensor. The team is also apparently trying to agree on software for the camera that can make or break a sensor.
To get acquainted with the potential performance of this ideal small phone, the team led by Migikovsky tries to make their phone somewhere in the “premium” range. The group is interested in beefing up their device with at least the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or a mid-range Qualcomm chip, which has yet to be released. This former flagship mobile platform launched in late 2021, so Pebble’s device won’t exactly be at the pinnacle of performance, at least for now.
De Stasio then said the phone should be “a nice soft slab that’s very high quality, very well put together, feels very solid and has just very soft touches that feel really nice on your fingers.” We want to stand out. Our attention to detail, not some novel use of unusual materials.”
Nothing is set in stone at this point in the ideation phase, although the Small Android Phone team is interested in a metal frame with a glass laminate layer, or perhaps a ceramic-coated aluminum frame.
(Image credit: The Small Android Phone Project)
Bryant also expressed an interest in the ASUS Zenfone 9 as he and his team look to build their own. This phone was released in the second half of 2022 with a 5.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. If the rumors about the upcoming Pixel 8 are true, this phone could be a bit smaller with a 5.8-inch display.
The Small Android Phone team listed some other ideal specs back in May 2022, such as: B. the device with a punch-hole selfie camera, 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. A fingerprint sensor in the power button, IP68 water resistance and wireless charging were mentioned.
With all of this, the team is thinking of a price tag of $850 whenever this phone launches, which is admittedly quite high and even more than what Samsung is asking for the relatively small Galaxy S23. While the price has been generalized, Bryant said the final price would “depend on many factors,” but Migicovsky says consumers should pay a little more since there are “no alternatives,” listing a price range of between US$700 and US$800 dollars up.
After becoming the most funded project on Kickstarter with Pebble Time, the Small Android Phone team is looking to crowdfunding to raise $40-50 million to cover a plethora of expenses.
A smaller phone with a 6.1-inch display but packed with everything Google has to offer is what the Pixel 6a can deliver. Given the phone’s smaller body, the Pixel 6a is still a solidly built phone at a fantastic price and amazing cameras that you’ll never get enough of.
