Well, here's the problem.

You need X number of buttons.

You need a minimum amount of vertical space between buttons to prevent "fat finger" syndrome.

You can only go 3 or 4 buttons wide before a hard buttoned remote design becomes unusable for a single hand (save for the menu cursor which CAN handle 5 for one spot), or at minimum bewildering to look at (see: Pioneer OEM receiver remotes).

Result: tall remotes, which has become the trend from cheap to expensive. I mean I'm just writing a news report on a new cheapie Sony, and it's a full inch taller than the previous model. Which was in turn taller than older models.

Granted the T2-C *could* have been 1, maybe 1.5 inches shorter if they really worked at it.