Why is there no perfect phone?

[spriter]

I know perfect depends on individual needs but reading lots of threads here, the consensus tends to be that each phone has a shortfall in an area which other phones have resolved.

For example, the M7 had a not-so-good camera but HTC didn't change much for the M8. Samsungs can feel a bit cheapy with build quality, use AMOLED and TouchWiz (usually one of those is cited negatively). Then there's the Nexus: great price/spec/ratio and ROM but a poor battery. Moto X supposedly has an average camera comparatively. Cost price devices like OPO seemingly have QC issues. And it goes on.

I really thought the G3 might nail it but there's overheating and lag(!) - on that spec! Maybe the Nexus 6 will show no weaknesses along with the X+1.

Surely we're approaching the time when a developments comprise to produce an all-round monster flagship?

Fanciful Frankenphone:

M8 build and speakers but with G3 slim bezels. S5 camera. IPS display and Nexus specs: 2k @ 5.2 inches on 805/420. Note-like battery life. Stock Android. OPO pricing.

OK cost-price is not gonna happen but I would pay a premium if the rest could converge.

 

[JaySoul]

Have to admit, I wonder the same thing.

It's really not that difficult. Get 100 people from this forum and we could easily draw up the design/specs for a perfect range of 3 phones/accessories.

I guess that's what OnePlus are trying to do.

 

[Serelus]

Because Patents, a phone that has everything would get the company that owns the phone, sued into bankruptcy.

 

[Michael Goff]

What financial incentive does a company have to create a flawless phone anyway?

 

[roadbloc]

Perfect is subjective to the user. I personally think my BlackBerry Q10 is the perfect phone. Would not trade it for anything in the world. But most on this forum will be turning their nose at the thought of owning a BlackBerry.

Swings and roundabouts. What suits one doesn't always suit another.

 

[tbayrgs]

Because nobody has let Sensamic design it yet.

 

[Shrink]

Why is there no perfect phone?

Possibly because there is no perfect anything.


Nah! Too simple...

 

[nfl46]

Simple answer: Your perfect is different than my perfect.

Nothing in life is perfect.

 

[Jessica Lares]

When you worry about all the little things, nothing is ever going to work for you.

You can't bring the overall cost of a phone up when most of your buyers are going to get it on contracts, so yeah, the camera is going to get better, but you're going to get last year's battery, etc.

 

[jrswizzle]

Because there is no such thing....

From what I've seen, I believe the 4.7" iPhone with iOS 8 may be the perfect phone in my eyes.

But perfection is in the eye of the beholder. So there will never be 1 perfect phone.

 

[sc4rf4c3]

A 'perfect phone' will only last for 6 months to a year.

 

[2984839]

Mass market devices have to balance too many things to be perfect and still sell.

It can't have too much CPU/GPU horsepower or the battery won't last and it will overheat.

The battery and heatsink can't be made larger to fix this because it will be too bulky.

The UI has to appeal to a broad range of people since it's marketed to the general public, which means that a subset of that range won't like it.

Engineering around all this might work, but would be costly, and you can't make it too expensive or nobody will buy it.

There's really no point either because the public expects new phones to come out at a ridiculous pace, so making the perfect phone wouldn't even matter. People would just want something new after their contract is up anyway.

 

[crushvic]

for me my perfect phone is.. ios 8 5.5" iphone build with s pen and note 3 or 4 features waterproof and dust proof like s5 active an open os features like nexus..and nokia pureview camera
but it will only happen in my dreams as of the moment but maybe in 2 to 3 years

 

[OceanView]

Because there is no such thing....

From what I've seen, I believe the 4.7" iPhone with iOS 8 may be the perfect phone in my eyes.

But perfection is in the eye of the beholder. So there will never be 1 perfect phone.

Fanboyism speak

 

[gotluck]

Because there is no such thing....

From what I've seen, I believe the 4.7" iPhone with iOS 8 may be the perfect phone in my eyes.

But perfection is in the eye of the beholder. So there will never be 1 perfect phone.

If the bootloader was unlocked, I'd agree

 

[dojoman]

Have to admit, I wonder the same thing.

It's really not that difficult. Get 100 people from this forum and we could easily draw up the design/specs for a perfect range of 3 phones/accessories.

I guess that's what OnePlus are trying to do.

It will be perfect without Android OS.

 

[DeltaMac]

...
It's really not that difficult. Get 100 people from this forum and we could easily draw up the design/specs for a perfect range of 3 phones/accessories.
...

I'm thinking your thread should be "Why does no one make the phone that I think I really need?"

Although I don't believe that 100 people would easily come up with 100% agreement about something so subjective as a 'phone - at best, you would come up with a "perfect range of 3 phones" that satisfy those 100 people. Person #101 would find something missing on each one, I bet

As some others have mentioned, all phones have compromises.
For some users, those compromises can be deal breakers.
For others, those same sets of features can be non-existent, because the user doesn't care about them at all.
What is a perfect 'phone? Only you can say what that might be ...

 

[Premium1]

Because if there is a perfect phone nobody would ever buy a new one. That being said, it's hard to make a "perfect" phone as everyone has different ideas of what a perfect phone is.

 

[appleii.c]

There is... there a few perfect phones. But at the same time, they are all imperfect. Perfection is a subjective thing. and what might be perfect for one person is not for another. I'm sure the iPhone is a perfect phone for many people. I'm sure the Galaxy is also, as are the windows phones for some. Now if your question were to be "Why is there not a single perfect phone for everyone?" THEN you would have a question that cannot be answered.

 

[Nein01]

Because patents and intellectual property ruin everything and screw us all in the long run.

 

[Mechayoshi]

You would never need to upgrade a "perfect" phone, and companies can't have that can they?

 

[MRU]

I wish there was a perfect phone this year. 9 phones in 8 months in search of the perfect, and everyone has had some sacrifice .......

 

[flameproof]

Why is there no perfect phone?

Same reason as why there is no perfect car.

 

[Savor]

What might be perfect today might start to become imperfect tomorrow.

Tech evolves. Areas improve. Companies need money and their rivals are also their partners/suppliers. Some may not always get the best components which are reserved for the highest bidder or perhaps some suppliers are better than others. Manufacturers can't just stop improving tech whether they make the most perfect phone for you or not.

I once thought the Apple iPhone 4 was the most "perfect" phone to me back in 2010. Great design, display, battery life, camera, etc. After a couple years, the GPU started to show its age. Then software was still restrictive and later updates started to slow it down. I started preferring Android over iOS in which neither are perfect as of today. I realized nothing could ever be future-proofed if you want to stay cutting-age.

Right now, I have the most "perfect" combo (FOR ME) using the HTC One (M7) and Xiaomi Mi 3. Neither are perfect but they compliment each other very well. M7 has the better design, display, sound quality externally/internally, and front-facing cam. The One is the better media device. Mi 3 is better at battery life, no purple photos in the rear cam, more customizable with MIUI, Security app, and just faster with games. It also has a Flipboard shortcut where I don't miss BlinkFeed. M7 has the louder reception but I prefer the Mi 3 as my daily driver now simply because the screen time battery life is nearly double and I generally text or browse web on my phone. Also the Mi 3 doesn't overheat as much like the M7 when playing games and the rounded edges makes it more comfortable to hold longer. Perhaps next year when I move back to the US will I use my HTC One as my daily driver again as it has LTE. But I like both because HTC and Xiaomi are not common where I live like Apple and Samsung. Only thing is HTC & Xiaomi are headed in opposite directions financially and popularity. If HTC sinks, I would skip the M9 even with a "pretty" metal design and go Sony or LG if I get an upgrade since I never owned either brands as a smartphone.

The only areas where I want to fulfill is better rear cam and water-resistance. Mi 3 photos suffer indoors. M7 is downright useless with the checkered purple patterns. This is why the Sony Xperia Z2 is on my radar even though the sides feel awkward. I recently checked out the LG G3 and there is nothing really interesting I find from it except the skin looks better and the faux metal design. The sub-$250 Xiaomi Mi 3 has eliminated all my gadget lust. The luster for a Nexus 5, Moto X, etc has all worn off. I could be set for the rest of the decade the way I use my smartphones. Hit a comfort zone or perhaps I find the 2014 crop to be boring rehashes. Xiaomi Mi 3 isn't the perfect phone. But it could be the best phone I ever had. Well, until a better one comes out like the Mi 4, Mi 5, etc. But my yearning for other phones has stopped... for now. And zero buyer's remorse with the 2013 smartphone of the year, HTC One. Best design ever. If I could go back in time, I would pick the M7 over the S4 again and again. It was really the "best" phone for me until I got the Mi 3. HTC poured blood and sweat to make that M7 awesome both in software & hardware.

You need to own multiple phones (and even multiple OSes) to feel more complete. They fill out each other's weaknesses. And even if you find the perfect balance or combo, perfection can still be improved. Hardware and software keeps evovling. I've followed the mobile industry for over 10 years ago now. Before that, I followed the video game console market. After awhile, it starts to become all the same to me. You can search and search for the perfect device in any industry like I have. No such thing. The "best" phone that can cover most of your current needs. Yes, they exist. But the perfect phone? None or not perfect for long. Not when everything keeps evolving and differentiating. Neither time or technology could ever stand still.

 

[DanGoh]

Just pick your poison....,,,,,,

I'm actually hoping to upgrade from my iPhone 5 in September or October. I'll have the Z3, Z3 Compact, Moto X+1, HTC One M8, iPhone 6, Galaxy Alpha, and hopefully a new Nokia to chose from. Neither of them will be perfect, but I'll just pick one and deal with it for 18-24 months.