I’ve been reading comments about it from not months, but years. Maybe the phablets have become the norm in the market, but for many other users to make the leap to the big diagonal has not been a good move. Many, in fact, keep your terminals with reduced diagonal hoping that a manufacturer of a shift to the category of small smartphones.

The only one that seems to have the interest in doing so is Apple, which according to all the rumors will present its iPhone 5s next March 15. This terminal will provide many of the benefits of current iPhone, but enclosing these essences in small packages: return four inches, but not only want to iOS: Why Android manufacturers do not see the opportunity in this segment?

One in three iPhone users is mobile 4 inches

A recent study by Mixpanel revealed that 32.22% of active iPhone users have a model with a four-inch screen. Maybe Apple has made the jump to larger terminals since the dawn of the iPhone 6 / Plus but has wisely not recalled his four-inch devices.

THE 62.06% of current iPhone users have an iPhone 6, 6 plus, or 6s 6s Plus. The figure is high, of course, but so is the one that shows that almost one in five iPhone users have an iPhone 5s. In fact, it is the second most popular model in that market , but there are more surprises as the fact that the iPhone 5 is more popular than 6s Plus and almost as much as the iPhone 6 Plus, 2014.

In fact today’s iPhone 5s continue to sell at prices that one would consider as high if we consider that we are talking about a terminal presented in September 2013.

Many iPhones to update, and is an excellent candidate 5SE

It has been almost two and a half years since the signing of Cupertino would bet one last time for that format, but it seems that the market reality-and data as presented by Mixpanel- Tim Cook has made  four inches recover.

The head of Apple made it clear at the last conference devoted to presenting financial results: 60% of those using iPhones older generation have not yet made the leap to new models. The problem is that if you have not already done probably is because these models do not seem to be sufficiently attractive.

Why this lack of interest? In view of the offerings, it seems the only reasonable argument is these screen formats. Too big for your pocket, or to operate with one hand, or to be comfortable with them despite the benefits of a larger screen and that’s where iPhone comes 5s.

The new smartphone Apple will introduce just focuses on that: to attract those who want to renew mobile but they did by having to change the format. In the iPhone 5se reach significant improvements in the camera even if they are not those of the 6s / Plus-, processor and other topics such as support for Apple Pay. Touch Force seems to be reserved for his older brothers, but it is evident that this terminal could have a warmer welcome than if the price accompanies. And if not, too we are talking about Apple, I remember it.

What happens with smartphones based on Android (and other platforms)?

The love of four inches is not anecdotal or casual, and years as we said a very decent user sector complains about the lack of proposals in smaller high-end Android. There are honorable exceptions, of course: the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact low until 4.6 inches and does so with a remarkable hardware bet on all aspects.

But even considering this model, these are still 4.6 inches for many too many inches. The iPhone 6 and 6s have 4.7-inch diagonal so the difference is not so much on that factor. Yes it is in the overall size, significantly higher for those big and traditional frameworks in iPhone and this is why manufacturers They android have an advantage that could and should exploit.

Why not? Why not launch more high-end devices with screens of between 4 and 4.5 inches you can easily handle with one hand and also have all the benefits of today’s powerful phablets? Why do we have to settle for these Minis who are both in size and performance, or variants that are poor sisters of the franchise terminal?

These are questions for which we have no answer, but which manufacturers Android terminals seem to want to answer either. We wonder if any of the large will be able to buck the trend, and here we look sideways at Samsung, which seems to have enough to recover this trend and go for a “Galaxy S7 Compact” will surely attract a lot of interest muscle.

It is the only manufacturer with resources to do it, and we’d love to other powerful brands do the experiment. For some could even be a lifesaver (HTC, why not try?), While even Google could give surprise if as seems to want to adopt the Apple model and control both the software and the hardware of the Nexus. Without ruling Microsoft and its Lumia here could also give a pleasant surprise. They are just a few suggestions, but surely you have your own. Would you like to return to power to have that offer high-end terminals 4 inches?