Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

[RAPTORSKI]

My next device is very likely to have a 4.8" - 5.0" screen. Anything less than that would not be a major upgrade from my Galaxy Nexus, which is my everyday device currently. With all these huge smartphones out there it is starting to feel a bit small so probably something just bigger than a Nexus would be perfect. Galaxy Note II and other phablets are just out of the question for me because they are too big and too awkward in my opinion.

 

[mightyfacundo]

My next device is very likely to have a 4.8" - 5.0" screen.

That's what I'm looking for as well.... Plus a quad core processor, 32GB (minimum) of internal storage, 2GB (minimum) of RAM, a removable battery, a strong developer community, and of course, a 1080 screen.

And other than the removable battery, I think the other stuff should be a requirement for any high end phone.


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[mightyfacundo]

Here's a rumor to ponder: http://androidheadlines.com/2012/12...id-razr-m-hd-leak-out-is-this-phone-real.html

If it's real, what do you guys think? It'll probably be considered a mid-range device because it won't be a 5", 1080 hd phone and only has 1 MB of RAM, but the overall specs are pretty good. And you have to like the 3300 mAh battery...... if it's real.

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[Ry]

Here's a rumor to ponder: Apparent Specs for a Droid RAZR M HD Leak Out; Is This Phone Real? | Android Headlines - Android News, Phones, Tablets, Apps, Reviews, Rumors

If it's real, what do you guys think? It'll probably be considered a mid-range device because it won't be a 5", 1080 hd phone and only has 1 MB of RAM, but the overall specs are pretty good. And you have to like the 3300 mAh battery...... if it's real.

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I'd be more interested if it stayed the same size as the current RAZR M/i. 1280x720 4.3" screens exist.

 

[RobUM2011]

Here's a rumor to ponder: Apparent Specs for a Droid RAZR M HD Leak Out; Is This Phone Real? | Android Headlines - Android News, Phones, Tablets, Apps, Reviews, Rumors

If it's real, what do you guys think? It'll probably be considered a mid-range device because it won't be a 5", 1080 hd phone and only has 1 MB of RAM, but the overall specs are pretty good. And you have to like the 3300 mAh battery...... if it's real.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Android Central Forums

I'd probably be happy with that. Although I'm considering jumping ship to the Blackberry Z10 (4.2in screen). The specs also seem somewhat mid-ranged for a 2013 device, but I've read a lot of good things about it. I'm hesitant to go back to BB though.

 

[anon(818769)]

Well if the rumors are true the Razr M HD could only be 4.5 inches. Could be worse? But yes I don't think we'll see one of those until companies decide that smaller smartphones are the next "big" thing.

 

[paul-c]

I'd be more interested if it stayed the same size as the current RAZR M/i.

Ditto.

Sent from my Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini

 

[JonCBK]

It has nothing to do with companies thinking that only large screens will sell. The problem is that the manufacturers can't get top of the line specs and good battery life into any smaller a form factor. Of course there is a market for smaller smart phones. The companies know it. They just can't do it that tight and still make enough of a profit. Manufacturing all that stuff that tight is expensive and hard. And remember you need that big battery or else forget about it.

 

[craZDude]

It has nothing to do with companies thinking that only large screens will sell. The problem is that the manufacturers can't get top of the line specs and good battery life into any smaller a form factor. Of course there is a market for smaller smart phones. The companies know it. They just can't do it that tight and still make enough of a profit. Manufacturing all that stuff that tight is expensive and hard. And remember you need that big battery or else forget about it.

I believe the iPhone 5 is evidence that is contrary to most of your argument, except perhaps the difficulty of producing it. The iPhone 5 is supposed to have great battery life, a great screen, and it is very thin. I'm sure an android OEM could do it.

 

[JonCBK]

I believe the iPhone 5 is evidence that is contrary to most of your argument, except perhaps the difficulty of producing it. The iPhone 5 is supposed to have great battery life, a great screen, and it is very thin. I'm sure an android OEM could do it.

No they can't because the android OEM doesn't know they will sell 20+ million for $600+ dollars each. Apple can do stuff even Samsung cant do because Apple knows it is getting $10 billion in revenue, minimum, on its new iPhone. Has any one Android handset done that? And is success like that guaranteed? The GSIII is awesome, but did Samsung know it was a hit before it started designing it? The other guys sometimes have hits and sometimes they have failures. So they have to protect against a failure. Apple knows, right now, that IPhone 7 will sell at least 10s of millions. It might even be projecting 100 million in sales before it is discontinued. And that is before they have done any design.
So this allows them to push the hardware farther, the manufacturers harder, they can do more r&d, because the payoff is, to a certain extent, guaranteed. Even if an android manufacturer is certain they are going to make a great phone. They can't be sure that someone else isn't going to make just as good a phone and then they will have to compete on price. Apple has, in some ways, no competition and it knows it won't have any competition this year, next year or anytime in the near future.

 

[Shadowriver]

Odp: Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

I believe the iPhone 5 is evidence that is contrary to most of your argument, except perhaps the difficulty of producing it. The iPhone 5 is supposed to have great battery life, a great screen, and it is very thin. I'm sure an android OEM could do it.

That might be reason why iPhone still dont have quad core and always have under clocked cpu, it pays price of its size too.

Most oems produce small version of android phones, but most people dont care. They got there own path of evolution

 

[craZDude]

That might be reason why iPhone still dont have quad core and always have under clocked cpu, it pays price of its size too.

Most oems produce small version of android phones, but most people dont care. They got there own path of evolution

What does it matter that the iPhone doesn't have a quad core cpu? It runs VERY smoothly, hardly ever a stutter. What would it need a quad core cpu for?

 

[Shadowriver]

Odp: Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

What does it matter that the iPhone doesn't have a quad core cpu? It runs VERY smoothly, hardly ever a stutter. What would it need a quad core cpu for?

More effective multithreading? ; p going with latest trands?

 

[craZDude]

More effective multithreading? ; p going with latest trands?

The purpose of multithreading is to increase performance, is it not? If performance is already near flawless, why bother?

Also, Apple has never been one to be caught up in the spec wars. They have the model that highly optimized software for very specific and controlled hardware will give great performance, and indeed it does. Back to the main point of this thread, if an Android OEM wanted to, they could make a small phone with great performance

 

[Ry]

The purpose of multithreading is to increase performance, is it not? If performance is already near flawless, why bother?

Also, Apple has never been one to be caught up in the spec wars. They have the model that highly optimized software for very specific and controlled hardware will give great performance, and indeed it does. Back to the main point of this thread, if an Android OEM wanted to, they could make a small phone with great performance

That's crazy talk. Prepare to be attacked by Android fanboys. lol

 

[EatMyTracers]

I really like big screens and would even go bigger than my note 2.

 

[Shadowriver]

Odp: Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

The purpose of multithreading is to increase performance, is it not? If performance is already near flawless, why bother?

Also, Apple has never been one to be caught up in the spec wars. They have the model that highly optimized software for very specific and controlled hardware will give great performance, and indeed it does. Back to the main point of this thread, if an Android OEM wanted to, they could make a small phone with great performance

I think you dont know what pefermance is.

 

[RicanMedic78]

Re: Odp: Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

I'm sure you'll find many articles that explain why quad core is not necessarily better than dual core, or even single core for that matter. Don't let this chip talk get in the way of what a device's performance is. The iphone, even though I prefer android as far as software goes, is the smoothest device to date, and it takes advantage of its dual core system in ways that even many quad core phones do not. So don't let this spec race fool you. Everything in this business is about coding.

 

[The Real X Dawg]

Re: Odp: Are the days of high-end smaller-screened phones at an end?

I'm sure you'll find many articles that explain why quad core is not necessarily better than dual core, or even single core for that matter. Don't let this chip talk get in the way of what a device's performance is. The iphone, even though I prefer android as far as software goes, is the smoothest device to date, and it takes advantage of its dual core system in ways that even many quad core phones do not. So don't let this spec race fool you. Everything in this business is about coding.

You are very right, the iPhone is very smooth but jailbreak it and pile on the widgets and live wallpapers like an Android phone even the iPhone can show lag like some Android phones. On the flip side this old phone I'm using was very smooth (not smooth as a higher end phone of course) if I left it clean like an iPhone with just a grid of folders and icons. Of with Jelly Bean on my Infuse it's like a new phone to the point I let my girlfriend use my Note 2. Not bad for an old bird with a single core and an amazing developer.


Sent from my Jelly Bean chomping Infuse 4G!

 

[craZDude]

I'm sure you'll find many articles that explain why quad core is not necessarily better than dual core, or even single core for that matter. Don't let this chip talk get in the way of what a device's performance is. The iphone, even though I prefer android as far as software goes, is the smoothest device to date, and it takes advantage of its dual core system in ways that even many quad core phones do not. So don't let this spec race fool you. Everything in this business is about coding.

Thank you. Performance could be interpreted in various ways, but as far as smartphones go, user experience is the most important and practical way. Therefore, quad-core is not necessary for excellent performance.