How much does phone size matter?

[leebut]

Hello forum,

Over the years, it seems that phones started off big, really big, then reduced considerably in size. Smartphones, on the other hand, are getting bigger. Of course, people want to do more than just send SMSs, so the screen size is important to those who may need to use their devices more as computers than phones. But what about the overall size of the device? Do people want hardware features to be retained or have a degree of personal choice taken from them for the sake of design?

Wants and needs
The S6 is nice and thin, but with caveats, which have been mentioned to death.
In some respects, phone size does matter, in that some people want memory expansion, removable/longer-life batteries, USB3 not old rope USB 2, and environmental protection, all of which would make the phone slightly thicker. But, if people were happy with what they had with the S5 despite the materials used for the case, did Samsung go against their own market in going the same way as Apple with non-removable (by users) parts? That answer is a personal one and will differ from user to user.

Upgrades or downgrades?
Again, people will argue both ways as to whether removing key hardware features found on the S5 creates the 'ultimate upgrade' (quote from Samsung.com), or a downgrade (USB3 to USB2 seems like a downgrade to me). That mentioned, improvements in internal circuity, display and performance are without doubt upgrades. Not being able to expand memory with whatever brand and class of memory card, might ensure that good data transfer rates are maintained. Besides, with the array of cloud services, are SD cards necessary? Maybe, if you don't want to use up data syncing files or don't trust cloud services.

Batteries
If a device is to be thinner, it will need a thinner battery, which may result in less battery life, and the need to carry around a portable power source and cable or a charging unit, both of which are going to be bigger than an extra millimeter or so of phone thickness to accommodate a more powerful battery, and could be mislaid. Of course, this area affects all phone manufacturers, not only Samsung.
So, we have a thinner phone, but may need to carry extra stuff around to use it often, which in some ways negates the benefit of a thinner phone: fewer pockets.


So, how much does phone size matter?

 

[Gator352]

Samsung, to me, downgraded to make a much better looking phone. Trade off's? Yes. For the better? To some yes, for others, no.

Personally, i would have likened a little thicker phone for a bigger battery. If not, then at least a way to swap batteries out.

SD? Well, i prefer it, but not a deal breaker. Like you said, some don't trust the cloud all that much. ...I'm one of them.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[bbtkd]

Size matters. Those stuck with small phones will say it doesn't but it does.

 

[jdmorin]

A


Women always say size matters

Hahaha

Seriously though. I'm happy with it. If it had been abit bigger to allow for a bigger batter (or even a removable one) I'd be ok with it.

Micro SD card... Don't care about. Learn to manage cloud storage . also I got the 64gb version. (In fairness it was because they had no 32gb versions at the store when I changed carriers)

 

[Gator352]

A


Women always say size matters

Hahaha

Seriously though. I'm happy with it. If it had been abit bigger to allow for a bigger batter (or even a removable one) I'd be ok with it.

Micro SD card... Don't care about. Learn to manage cloud storage . also I got the 64gb version. (In fairness it was because they had no 32gb versions at the store when I changed carriers)

I have a 64GB version as well. It's not about managing cloud storage, it's about trusting it. Do I? No. Why? Because if it's not on local storage and you're in an area with little to no signal, showing grandma pics of the grandkids can become a pain. Or, if and when it decides to go down for a while and you need something. Sorry about your luck till it's available again. ...

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[dingyibvs]

Size matters, but it's the diagonal that matters, not the thickness. The diagonal has to fit a person's hand, but the same hand can handle a variety of thickness.

 

[wrecklass]

To me the only thing I would change is a much bigger battery. Having the phone thicker would have been well worth it for that one feature alone.

Having used Nexus devices for the past several years I no longer consider an SD card a feature I look for.

A thicker phone where I don't have to carry a charger with me would be great.

--
Should there be smoke coming out of my cpu?

 

[leebut]

Thank you for the replies.
Yes, diagonal size is important. Those fablet things look good, but are a stretch for hands. A bigger battery would have been nice. The question now is, if technology advances at a slower rate than new phones with thinner designs, what other features will disappear?
Maybe USB will go as reliance on wireless increases. It will force people to buy a charging pad. Sounds like something the dark side would do. The S6 is moving to the dark side with sealing the back.

Recording 4K video is going to eat up internal memory pretty fast and take up a lot of data allowance to transfer it. I guess ultimately, change is something to adapt to.

How much more will cameras look like warts on a smooth surface? It already has a degree of ugliness. Xiaomi got their new note product with a flush camera. It looks really nice, in reviews, with the curved glass back to help hands get around it.

I think curves will be a main feature in the future. Fundamentally, smartphone design hasn't changed much over the last few years (flat, round corner rectangles). The problem with a curved back, though, is you can't type well on a desk.

 

[linebusy]

Friend with all the freedom in the world to choose another phone still uses his iphone 4 with whatever tiny display it has. I've had the Thunderbolt at 4.3 and the Razr Maxx HD at 4.7. The RMHD actually felt smaller in-hand than the thunderbolt. Both had ample screen. Now I have the S6 and have to say; I'll not be going larger. There's a lot to be said for dropping a phone in your shirt pocket and the phone disappearing. There's a lot to be said for holding the phone in one hand and reaching everything you want/need to. Between bezels, buttons, speakers and screen, I think there's a lot that could be done here in the <=5" range. Some of the early leaks of the "M9 that wasn't" looked magnificent, with the speakers actually being on a beveled top and bottom opening. There a market there.... a sort of "sweet spot" for the average business user / adult.

 

[razza1987]

Screen size matters for people like me who have physical disabilities. When I went from the S4 to the 5c I got literal hand cramps to to the point where my hand was swollen and I was having tests on it to see if I had arthritis. The six plus size on the other end of the spectrum gave me hand cramps because it was just a little too big. I have not had these issues using the S6. It seems to be the perfect size for me. Though I love ios fluidity and smoothness so I keep going back to my six plus while my s6 is charging

 

[wrecklass]

@leebut Dunno who this "dark side" you are talking about is. Google has been recommending no SD card for a long time. I personally never saw a reason for a battery you can pull out. I mean you have to put in another battery and wait for the phone to reboot. I'd rather just carry a charger. Quicker and easier than changing batteries mid day.

--
Should there be smoke coming out of my cpu?

 

[what5k]

This phone is a nice balance of size and weight, but a bigger battery would be nice. 3000mah would be great. However in a few years phones will get batteries that will charge in mere minutes so I don't see this being a problem for too much longer. There's a lot of promising research going on to improve batteries.

 

[Darrkman]

It all depends on personal preference. For me a phone with a 5.0 - 5.2 inch screen is perfect. Anything larger and it gets unwieldy for me and I have big hands. However I hate thin phones. My Nexus 5 and S6 are too thin for me to hold comfortably. My hand starts to cramp. So my cases for both add protection but more importantly make it easier to hold.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[bbtkd]

I always have carried my phones in a belt holster. While my eyes would enjoy a larger screen, anything larger than the S6 would be too cumbersome. The S6 already is awkward when driving as it is, interfering with the seatbelt and difficult to get out.

 

[jcp007]

The GS6 strikes the right balance between size and utility. A half inch smaller only marginally useful. A half inch more and you have a mini-tab with a phone attached to it.

Battery life is no issue but, if I am ever, which is rare because I can get through an entire day, in a situation in a remote location where there is no charging opportunities, I will pack a large enough PowerBank to get through it.

I have 50GB free on my 64GB GS6 so definitely don't miss the card slot which was useful when base storage was 16GB and the OS took up a couple of more GB. There are also storage options as we have been brainwashed to think life will end if we don't have every file on it.

The number truly outraged at the exclusion of the replaceable battery and card slot is minimal at best relative to the millions who already own a GS6. If you really need them, get another device that meets your needs. I did my research and am still happy with my decision. I don't need to be convinced otherwise.

Trying to please all of the people all of the time is a recipe for failure. Samsung is not in the failure business. None of the manufacturers are so that's why you have other options as the design of the GS6 is not going to change. There are choices and you aren't necessarily stuck being unhappy with your device choice.

That said, a slightly thicker device so that the camera hump is flush would be nice and then the need for external charging would be even more remote than it is now. USB 3.0 would have been better but, oh well.

The GS6 overall is a very big, not the gargantuan leap most were hoping, departure from the plastic back and case material choices housing a decent display and internal hardware. Internal hardware and one of the best cameras encased in more premium materials. More optimization and less bloat. Better fingerprint scanner and built wireless charging and dual mobile pay standards.

Stopped using holsters years ago. Take my phone out of my pocket and put in the center console while driving.

 

[leebut]

@Wrecklass, the dark side are Apple.

I suppose if internal memory or a battery develops a fault, swapping changeable ones might be quicker than sending a phone for repair.

 

[leebut]

@what5k, it is a nice size overall.

 

[leebut]

@darkman, it's good you found a solution with a case.

@bbtkd I never saw anyone in England using belt holsters, but over here in China I have seen a few. How secure are they?

 

[Rukbat]

Before I had my cataracts removed, size was about the most important thing. I couldn't see anything on a 3.5" or 4" screen.

Now that I have 20/15 vision, I think I'd rather have a Note-type phone (with my fat fingers, I need the pen) with enough internal storage, an external SD card slot and a removable battery in a much smaller case. My Samsung Precedent slips into a pants pocket easily, and I don't have to worry about breaking it when I sit.

Leebut, I use an Otterbox defender on my Note 3. It slips into a very strong belt holster and the phone is held very tightly. (It takes a little learning to be able to release the phone easily. My pants would fall off easier than the phone would fall out of the holster. And after having a few accidents with the phone, in which there was absolutely no damage, I don't want a phone without one. I've always preferred holsters since they were available (early in the century, I think), but the Defender is about the best I've had, and the case seems as it can take anything but being driven over by a car (or water - it's not waterproof).

 

[bbtkd]

@darkman, it's good you found a solution with a case.

@bbtkd I never saw anyone in England using belt holsters, but over here in China I have seen a few. How secure are they?

Very secure, never had a holster pop off, but have had times where I didn't have the phone in there correctly - either upside down or shirt caught in it . I have broken a number of holsters sitting down and having it hit the arm of a chair. In those cases, the plastic around the clip pivot breaks. I always have a spare holster. Funny thing, after carrying phones on my belt for about 16 years I just dropped one for the first time on Friday - fumbled it while trying to holster it under my untucked shirt. Lucky I have a defender case, dropped it face down on tile but no damage.