Why do we need bigger screens

[Clickerman123]

A few years ago many wanted bigger screens so they could view web pages more easily. This included me and I bought a Note 4 and gave my S4 to my son in medical school. The N4 was hard to carry around and difficult to navigate with one hand and I began to miss the S4. Also many web sites began to have mobile friendly versions and / or apps that were easily viewable on the S4. So I went to Swappa and bought a used S4, which I now use. I can look at all the news sites I want (NYT, WSJ, Chicago Tribune, Flipboard), Android Central, Amazon, Craigslist, Ebay, my brokerage company, and many many others. I would not be surprised if there weren't a trend toward smaller screens now.

I also wouldn't be surprised of the period between purchases of new phones started to increase. I can't think of anything the Note 4 has that make it so much better than an S4. I don't really care that much about fast charging (just replace battery), brighter screen, faster processor, the Spen, It is just a fact that the incremental improvements of the cell phone are diminishing each year and there is no need to replace.

 

[LeoRex]

Several factors I think are causing this : 1) The increasing access to 4G networks and higher speed WiFi access points, 2) Video, 3) faster phones leading to more graphically complex games

Video. I won't go into too much detail, but you aren't going to find many people who would prefer to watch a video/movie/TV show on a 4" screen rather than a 5.7" screen.

Now, the above wouldn't be much of an issue had it not been for the fact that overall, network speeds have also increased considerably. 4G/LTE networks cover an increasing number of people, and higher speed WiFi access points have become more common. And you need that bandwidth for all that eye candy.

And the quick advancement of processing and graphics capabilities means the most popular games are far more graphically complex than in years past. From games like Asphalt 8, to strategy games like Clash of Clans, they are easier to play with more real estate.

Phones are becoming an ever increasing entertainment end-point for people.... and size matters. And I don't see that genie going back into the bottle. I think the market has settled in on two basic classes... 5" to 5.2" and 5.7"+. I don't see that changing unless there is some fundamental technology change (like some fancy sci-fi projection hologram displays).

 

[Miller6386]

In my opinion I feel they have peaked in size. The Note 4 for me is a great screen size. I don't want anything any larger.