Are there any good Verizon android phones that are similar in size to the iphone?

June 25, 2012 9:02 PM

Are there any good Verizon android phones that are similar in size to the iphone?

I have loved my palm pre plus for the past 2 years, but with 3 days to go to get a subsidized upgrade from Verizon while keeping my unlimited data plan, it's time for a new phone. I need to stick with Verizon because my family has several other lines going. I want an android because I don't like being locked into the Apple universe and I would like LTE. That said, coming from a Palm Pre, all the latest Android phones seem HUGE in comparison.

I am a guy with medium-sized hands and I want to fit my phone in the pocket of my jeans with ease. Are there any decent android phones that are less than 4.5" inches tall? According to this site the pickings seem slim.

I liked the size of the LG Lucid when I held it in the store, but it is only an old version of the OS. Can it be upgraded to OS 4? Finally, are there any manufacturer-specific quirks of the Android OS that I should look out for?

posted by Kolath to Technology (9 answers total)

The smallest 4G LTE phone they have is the LG Lucid as you have noticed, but it looks to be poorly reviewed and it's a fairly old phone at this stage of the game anyhow. Unfortunately for you, Android phones don't tend to go for the small form factor. I would consider the HTC Rezound as it's the next smallest Android they've got and it's newer and well-reviewed.

Android OS upgrades are fully dependent upon the manufacturer releasing a firmware upgrade, unless you want to root your phone. If you want the newest OS out of the box, you're going to have to get the Galaxy Nexus or the Galaxy SIII, which are unfortunately for you, the two largest phones Verizon sells.
posted by erstwhile at 9:17 PM on June 25, 2012

Reconsider the size thing -- I just got a Samsung Galaxy Nexus (coming from a dumbphone), and thought it was ridiculous when I first saw it, but now I love it: a) it feels significantly less bulky than my husband's iPhone, which I was used to -- it's much thinner and much lighter, and b) I have tiny hands. Really, very small even for a girl, and it's absolutely now problem to use. I don't put in it my tiny girl pockets, but I have several male friends that fit the same phone in their pockets no problem -- again, the fact that it's thinner than the iPhone makes it fit more easily than something of the iPhone's bulk but the same outer dimensions. Also now the iPhone screen seems so tiny in comparison.
posted by brainmouse at 9:23 PM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm really happy with my Droid 3, but that's been succeeded by the Droid 4. I just set my bare phone next to my girlfriend's iPhone 4S with it's case on and they're about the same dimensions. When I put the case on mine it's slightly bulkier, but fits in the pocket no problem.

I may be an outlier, but I love the slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard.
posted by carsonb at 9:33 PM on June 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

My wife has a gigantic android phone and seems to like it aside from the mediocre battery life. As another former Palm Pre (and Treo) owner I'm pretty sure anything you get will be a significant upgrade.
posted by foodgeek at 10:14 PM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Though I don't have one myself, I know many people who're very happy with the Samsung Galaxy line--ranging from the low-end Prevail to the SII. I think that the S-series is slightly larger than what you're looking for, but it's maybe 4.7"--I wear women's jeans with tiny, shallow pockets, and I've comfortable carried them.

As Erstwhile said, OS updates are dependent on the manufacturer and carrier. If this is something that you're worried about, I'd strongly suggest getting a phone that's supported by Cyanogenmod--you'll have to root (which, at this point, is a one-click operation for most phones), but it's a very stable, very well-supported ROM that'll keep your phone much more up to date than waiting for carrier releases will.
posted by MeghanC at 11:14 PM on June 25, 2012

Motorola Defy+ ?
phone-size comparison
posted by Akeem at 12:49 AM on June 26, 2012

Samsung Galaxy s2 fits comfortably into any of my pockets, even the absurd half height ones that they put in the front of my favorite pair of jeans. People have remarked on my hands being notably small (which surprises me, but whatever). And yet the S2 is easier for me to hold than the iphone. Go figure.

Give the S2 and S3 a look, despite their measurements.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 1:39 AM on June 26, 2012

The HTC Incredible 4 is coming out shortly on Verizon. The original Incredible is a very nice little phone, and this new one should keep the smaller 4 inch size factor.

Can you upgrade to something like the Lucid, then return it in 2 weeks when the Incredible comes out? I'm not sure what Verizon's return/exchange policy is when you upgrade.
posted by lyra4 at 3:20 AM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Hmmm... the Incredible sounds like a great choice. I may preorder that tomorrow!, thanks, lyra4.

Another option, a friend who works for Sony offered me a Sony Xperia Play. Anyone have experience with that phone?
posted by Kolath at 7:30 PM on June 26, 2012