'Form Follows Function': Battery Life, Phone Thickness, Cases And Purchase Decisions

[PsychDoc]

All phone manufacturers currently seem to worshiping at the alter of "thin is in" at the expense of more limited battery capacity. They know there's going to be an outcry about this issue but they slavishly pursue this "it can never be too thin" aesthetic in spite of this.
So right now, the S6 is 6.8mm think or about a quarter of an inch. Keeping in mind that virtually 100% of S6 purchasers will be using a case of some kind to prevent damaging this incredibly slippery beast, the effective thickness of the phone at least doubles, and, in the case of bulky cases like the Otterbox series, even triples.

What would your feelings be if they had manufactured the phone with a 4000 mAh battery but increased the thickness to 8.5mm in order to accomplish this? Would this have been a deterrent that would have caused you to hold off on purchasing this phone? Or, perhaps, it may have even made your purchase more of a certainty.

I think we've gotten to the point that we have to be more aware of the dictum, "Form follows function" and not the other way around.

 

[jcp007]

All phone manufacturers currently seem to worshiping at the alter of "thin is in" at the expense of more limited battery capacity. They know there's going to be an outcry about this issue but they slavishly pursue this "it can never be too thin" aesthetic in spite of this.
So right now, the S6 is 6.8mm think or about a quarter of an inch. Keeping in mind that virtually 100% of S6 purchasers will be using a case of some kind to prevent damaging this incredibly slippery beast, the effective thickness of the phone at least doubles, and, in the case of bulky cases like the Otterbox series, even triples.

What would your feelings be if they had manufactured the phone with a 4000 mAh battery but increased the thickness to 8.5mm in order to accomplish this? Would this have been a deterrent that would have caused you to hold off on purchasing this phone? Or, perhaps, it may have even made your purchase more of a certainty.

I think we've gotten to the point that we have to be more aware of the dictum, "Form follows function" and not the other way around.

I would still have purchased it. Given the current specs, no need for a charge for more than two days.

Posted via My Samsung Galaxy S6 Handheld Device

 

[unashamedgeek]

I still like the phone, but I would have been happier if they had made the back slightly thicker than the protruding camera so it would be slightly protected and filled that empty space with more battery.

I know it isn't that easy, but I'm just going for a basic idea of what I'd have liked.

 

[Wiggum333]

I would MUCH prefer a slightly thicker phone if it meant increasing battery size/life. Especially considering the Galaxy S series phones and the protruding camera bump. If the phone were overall as thick as the section at the camera, I'd still be perfectly fine with that ... and think of how much more battery life there would be!

 

[Almeuit]

My response...

"Would probably have no bearing on my purchase decision one way or another"

Sure .. I wouldn't mind more battery .. Am I okay without it? Yep.. the quick charge + wireless charging solve the issue (again -- for me) .

 

[Cobravision]

The thinness of the S6 was one of its major selling points to me. I always felt the S5 was just a skosh too wide and thick to be really comfortable in the hand.

 

[atishc]

The question here is why does the S6 seem to be selling better than the S5? The S5 was an outstanding device (with some flaws), but did not have much in the way of sex appeal, and the reviews were unenthusiastic. In the S6, you lose waterproofing, SD card, removable battery (while decreasing battery size), USB 3.0 and other features, and yet reviewers are highly enthusiastic and there is much more buzz. I have to think that the svelte size contributes to people's visceral response to the phone, i.e. even if people say that they would be happier with a thicker device, that in reality it would just not be as appealing to look at and hold. In a case, it is a much more perfect size for me than the S5 was. All that being said, I think I would still be highly enthusiastic about the S6 if it were slightly thicker to accommodate the same size or slightly larger battery than the S5.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[player22]

I think samsung should of offered the phones with 2 battery sizes. One with standard Battery and one a little thicker with say a 3500mah. I would of rather had a little bit thicker phone and bigger battery any day of the week.