I recently was looking for something in a tech drawer (we all have them) and came across my iPhone 3g and iPhone 4s.
These things now look like toy phones with their tiny screens.
I was genuinely shocked by how small they are.
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The 4S was a favorite of mine. And I’m not interested in a phone larger than the 15.
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I remember when (I believe?) they moved to the 5 and they had a whole extra icon row. It was absolute madness. 
My girlfriend was talking about how she liked how small her SE is, and I grabbed it and put it next to my iPhone 15. The SE isn’t actually that much smaller, but the screen is smaller because of the top/bottom non-screen areas.
I wish Apple would offer a smaller option, not for me, but for people like her who have smaller hands and frequently fumble larger devices.
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For reference, here’s a relatively recent picture of an iPhone 4S next to the 14 PM. I helped a friend unlock the 4S as multiple passcode attempts have left it at the “please wait 16.000.000 minutes before trying again” screen.
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I didn’t realize how cramped together those icons were. Also, amazed you got a newish iOS running on the 4s. It has Music instead of iTunes, though the App Store looks old.
There was a time in the 90’s when everyone was making their phones as small as possible. I so much wanted one of these.
I’d go to a mini pro, and pay a little extra, if it offered the same camera as the 15 Pro and 1 tb of storage.
It’s amazing how your brain gets used to things.
I specifically remember after upgrading from iPhone 6 Plus to iPhone 8, sitting on the train barely a couple of weeks later looking at people on the train wondering what giant Apple phone they were using that I didn’t know about.
I also remember the iPhone 6 Plus being a giant after using an iPhone 5 for a couple of years.
The only way to truly judge size is to put them side by side, or at least use both interchangeably within the space of a week or two.
I loved smaller phones when I was younger. My last foray into smaller devices was the 12 Mini. Unfortunately, my aging eyes meant I couldn’t view anything on it without my reading glasses. I ended up giving up and getting a 13 Pro as I couldn’t bear needing my glasses to even glance at my calendar.
So, while I would love to go back in time to when my eyesight was better and use a smaller phone, these days it’s not an option!
I worked at the Apple store Genius Bar when the original iPhone launched and recall how HUGE that screen seemed at the time. No buttons or clickwheels!
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Y’all reminded me that I have a 5s in a filing cabinet drawer. Used to use it for testing smaller screens back in the 6/7/8 days, because the SE was sold in that form factor for years. I really do miss screens that size, particularly for typing. Phones today are huge. It’d be neat to see a X-style phone in a 5-style form factor.
I find the keyboard far more usable on the 14 Pro Max phone though. I couldn’t go back to one on the iPhone 5/SE size.
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I remember being so hyped that it came with such a “huge” screen at the time, we were definitely living in the future in those days, ha ha
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Oh man. I feel completely opposite. But unfortunately, they don’t make products for my taste. Just yours.
Agree 100%.
A Deaf client once asked me to use his phablet to make a voice call on his behalf. His phablet was huge at least twice the width of an iPhone 15. The device made my hand ache afterwards which made interpreting English to Sign Language and vice versa uncomfortable for the remainder of the gig.
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5s was pinnacle iPhone size. I’d really like a full-screen version.
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I wish my 15 Pro Max was a little bigger sometimes. 
The more screen and bigger battery, the better. My wife’s 14 is fine, I guess, but certainly wouldn’t want any smaller than that.
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Currently I think Apple would call that device an iPad Mini. 
When the iPhone was announced I was using a Franklin Planner and a Nokia 5562 (with email, calendar, etc). And, with the exception of photos, music, podcasts, and audiobooks, I still use my iPhone mainly to stay organized and communicate. That doesn’t require a large screen.
But it does mean I frequently have my iPad Pro close by.
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From time to time I consider moving my number to a VOIP provider and replacing the iphone with a cellular ipad mini. Most of the time my iphone sits on the desk except for phone calls and I rarely carry it around with me.
That said, my preference would be for a 5S size phone in case I did need to take it somewhere.
Hahaha…
I liked the 13 Pro Max a bit better as it was wider. I don’t like that they made it more narrow.
My wife calls it my iPad. I know - but I have big hands and don’t find it a hassle at all.
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