Are phones getting too big?

[dobermans rule]

I started this thread to say that phones are getting way too big these days. I want to upgrade, but phones are just huge. And finding a good top of the line specced device is nearly impossible. I hope people are on the same page as me. I love how Apple has the nice specced phone that is reasonably sized. Not everybody wants a big phone

Is there anyone out there that agrees???

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[Couck#WN]

I completely agree!!! If I wanted a tablet I'd buy one. I want a high end phone but not have to worry about it fitting in my pocket. It makes me think how I may have to get an iPhone! Better size and I can't even imagine actually getting updates.

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[dobermans rule]

I agree. It is getting ridiculous. I am actually surprised how other maufacturers don't get that Apple does awesome even though it is a small phone. They should get the hint...

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[nj1266]

Let me just add that the overwhelming majority of user (those who do not post on smartphone forums) want a 4-4.5 inch phone.

But judging by those who post on forums, you would think that bigger is better.


Sent from my iPhone 7

 

[GMJeff]

Not that bigger is better so to speak, but that bigger screens are more appealing for many reasons.

One is efficiency to complete tasks easier on a larger screen. I have had iPhones as well as Android phones, and even Windows Mobile.

Some of my best devices have been/are 4.3" or larger.

One reason is the amount of real estate on the screen for icons and widgets or such.

Larger screen means that video consumption is a better experience. I hate staring at a 3.5" screen and trying to make out some details in a scene. Granted, a 4.3" screen is not much bigger than a 3.5", but when seen in action and compared side by side, the difference can be...sizable.

I now have a Note 2 and a Nokia Lumia 920 (Windows Phone 8). The Nokia has a 4.5" screen and the Note 2 a 5.5". The screen on the Note 2 is ideal as it is meant to have enough area for direct s pen input like old school pda devices. The extra bonus of large screen video and easier touch input is just a plus.

A lot of people here in the forums have hashed out this discussion for some time. The consensus have essentially said that if you have small hands, a large device may not be for you, so be it.

I do have his to say though, when my wife is sitting on the couch next to me, she will usually always abandon her iphone 4 to pick up my Note 2 for her YouTube and game fixes. Seems like her iphone is only used as a text and email device anymore. She will even take my Note from me just to take pictures because in her words, "the camera is way better than her iphone".

By the way, www.imore.com, for the apple enthusiasts.

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[nj1266]

Thanks for proving my point. People on smartphone forums always want bigger and better phones with bells and whistles galore. Regular folks want a device with a 4-4.5 inch screen that they can use for texting/calling/emailing and occasionally browsing the web. For everything else they use a tablet or a laptop or even a PC.

You are not a regular user. You are a phone enthusiast. We are in the minority of smartphone users but in the majority on forums.

And I do know about imore and I do own an S3 and like them both.


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[dobermans rule]

I see what you mean. I would love if they could make a 4.5 inch screen phone into a phone sized for a 4 inch screen. I love how Motorola did the Razr M, but I want a phone that has a removable battery and possibly, an SD card. I don't use my phone that much for writing documents or taking noted, but I do watch YouTube videos on it. I'm sure if I had to do a lot of document and notes, that the Note 2 would be perfect for me...

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[jneusch]

I also have the Note 2 and my wife asks me what my next phone will be, the brick perhaps? I just laugh and tell her how much I love my phone and its size. She loves the features of my phone, but will stick to an iPhone because she likes the size.

I recently read an article about how manufacturers are making larger phones because more people are looking for bigger screens to do more with.


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[craZDude]

Thanks for proving my point. People on smartphone forums always want bigger and better phones with bells and whistles galore. Regular folks want a device with a 4-4.5 inch screen that they can use for texting/calling/emailing and occasionally browsing the web. For everything else they use a tablet or a laptop or even a PC.

You are not a regular user. You are a phone enthusiast. We are in the minority of smartphone users but in the majority on forums.

And I do know about imore and I do own an S3 and like them both.


Sent from my iPhone 7

First of all, anecdotal evidence is never proof. Of anything. Second, where is the information backing up your claim that "most people" want 4-4.5" screens? Do you honestly think that OEM's don't do market research?

For that matter, how many Galaxy S3's have been sold? Tens of millions? That sounds like a mainstream device to me. At 4.8", selling tens of millions is far more convincing evidence that many people want larger phones than your anecdotal evidence from one forum post that people don't want larger phones.

 

[NoYankees44]

Just to warm you, history has proven that these threads end in sales figures quoting and General pissing matches. Most users on the net want larger phones...

My personal opinion is that a 4.5" phone with no bezel and not tall as a barn would be perfect, but manufacturers want to make their flagship huge these days so the chances of that happening with top specs any time soon are nill

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[mightyfacundo]

I'll stick by what I said in the other thread. I don't think we'll see a "top tier" phone with a 4-4.5" screen, but we will see a "mid-range" phone that size that will be able to handle anything we throw at it. So as long as we don't get hung up on the tier designation for each phone, there should be a device to suit everyone's needs.

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[nj1266]

First of all, anecdotal evidence is never proof. Of anything. Second, where is the information backing up your claim that "most people" want 4-4.5" screens? Do you honestly think that OEM's don't do market research?

For that matter, how many Galaxy S3's have been sold? Tens of millions? That sounds like a mainstream device to me. At 4.8", selling tens of millions is far more convincing evidence that many people want larger phones than your anecdotal evidence from one forum post that people don't want larger phones.

A quick search revealed this data from here What's the Perfect Screen Size for Smartphones? It is not a scientific poll, but rather an internet poll and it was done last year. It indicates that 67% of owners want a 3.5-4 inch phones. It is pretty close to my anecdotal evidence, wouldn't you say?

If you also look here List of Tablet and Smartphone Resolutions and Screen Sizes - CSS Blog | binvisions you wwill alos find that the majority of phones on the market fall into the 4-4.5 inch category.

And one more survey also says that as of 3/15/2012 most owners want a 4-4.5 inch smartphone Smartphone Screen Size: Users Want 4-to-4.5-Inch Phones, Survey Says

Is that enough data for you or do you want more?

 

[cellomj]

I still call B.S. lol

 

[Johnly]

I still call B.S. lol

You call Big Screen huh? Lol he he

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[Prinny Mask]

A quick search revealed this data from here What's the Perfect Screen Size for Smartphones? It is not a scientific poll, but rather an internet poll and it was done last year. It indicates that 67% of owners want a 3.5-4 inch phones. It is pretty close to my anecdotal evidence, wouldn't you say?

If you also look here List of Tablet and Smartphone Resolutions and Screen Sizes - CSS Blog | binvisions you wwill alos find that the majority of phones on the market fall into the 4-4.5 inch category.

And one more survey also says that as of 3/15/2012 most owners want a 4-4.5 inch smartphone Smartphone Screen Size: Users Want 4-to-4.5-Inch Phones, Survey Says

Is that enough data for you or do you want more?

You're using a poll from over a year ago; much changes in a year. Regardless, the number of people who voted as of right now is 1,048; that sample size is too small to prove anything, and even the results contradict what you said. Not only that, but it's an internet poll; the actual audience of the site can indicate bias. It would be like having a poll on AC asking if users preferred Android, W8, iOS, or WebOS. There will be bias, because you have to remember when that poll was taken; it was before the major success of the giant phones; before the GS3 and the Note II, the devices that sold millions and millions, and also when iOS was still leading.

As for the second list, you can call folly, because the only device it even has on there larger than 4.52" is the GS3. Nowhere are the Notes, the DNA, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, etc. It says, "list of nearly 50 of the most popular devices," but below, "If you have information on a common device not listed, please leave a comment below so that it can be added," which means that the ones they used aren't actually the definite most popular, just that they are more popular than others. And look at it, it has ancient phones like the 3GS, Blackberry Torch, and my own Thunderbolt. (I need a new phone.)

Your last link is better, but still it's from last year, and not just from last year, but the beginning of last year. And, even though it says the most popular screen size was 4-4.5 inches, it also says, "90 percent of American and British smartphone owners want a screen size larger than the one on the smartphone they currently own."

I'd like more.

 

[DroidXcon]

Im a size queen (king, whatever) Bigger is better. i've said it before, Once you go Note 2 , you don't go back. If you don't like it don't buy it. Android is about choice right? well i choose to have the option of buying bigger if i want.

 

[TheLibertarian]

A quick search revealed this data from here What's the Perfect Screen Size for Smartphones? It is not a scientific poll, but rather an internet poll and it was done last year. It indicates that 67% of owners want a 3.5-4 inch phones. It is pretty close to my anecdotal evidence, wouldn't you say?

If you also look here List of Tablet and Smartphone Resolutions and Screen Sizes - CSS Blog | binvisions you wwill alos find that the majority of phones on the market fall into the 4-4.5 inch category.

And one more survey also says that as of 3/15/2012 most owners want a 4-4.5 inch smartphone Smartphone Screen Size: Users Want 4-to-4.5-Inch Phones, Survey Says

Is that enough data for you or do you want more?

It's interesting you think that post holds more weight than the sales figures of the Galaxy S3...

 

[Silver Bear]

One size does not fit all.

I have big hands and bad eyes, so the small screen of many phones is just a pain to use, even with a stylus. That said, I want my phone to comfortably fit in my pocket, so what's a Bear to do? My current compromise is a 3.5" Huawei Fusion and a brand new Nexus 7 32 GB WiFi only model, which I LOVE!

 

[XChrisX]

Manufacturers like Samsung, and HTC should make 2 flagship phones. A larger one for those of us that want it, and a smaller more reasonably sized one with decent specs. All of the 4-4.3" Android phones are now considered low end to mid range.

 

[Good OL MC]

I'm not personally a fan of bigger devices. My daily driver is an iPhone 4S and my secondary is a Nexus S and I like to keep it in that size range. I find that it fits my hand better and is a bit more comfortable for actual operation. Buuuut, playing a game on a Note II is awesome. The screen is so luxurious and shows everything. Video is a bit nicer on it too, but crappy videos just end up looking worse on it compared to the 4S/smaller screen Androids anyway.

Aside from content consumption bigger makes a lot of sense for Android because of all of the information you can fit on a home screen. One of the attractions to Android is being able to view emails, news, calendar, weather, etc right on your home screen through widgets. The bigger/better your screen is the more widgets you can fit on it and the more information you can get at a glance. The design really takes the opposite approach of iOS in that iOS wants you to launch apps and navigate from the home screen - Android gives you many reasons to never leave the home screen.

That is another reason why smaller screens don't bug me in day to day use: even on my Android devices I find myself skipping widget usage and just creating rows of app icons to launch myself in to anyway. I don't need much real estate.