Android manufacturers keen on bigger is better

[zaydq]

So, i'm increasingly getting jealous of the s3 the wife has... Using an iphone 5 i wonder why Apple isn't responding to the sheer content that all the android manufacturers are coming out with. With the S4 launch and a 5" screen on the way, i ask why the phone sizes are increasing?

Essentially i'm curious as to how many on here wish a 4" android device with flagship hardware were available? I definitely wouldn't gave gotten an iphone if it were the case.

 

[dagamer34]

Why does Apple need to respond to Android when it's the only phone with iOS on it?

 

[zaydq]

I'm more so talking about features like watching videos and texting at the same time, nfc, etc.

 

[Rakehellion]

I'm all for big screens, but five inch phones are stupid.

 

[Sheep]

I'm happy with 4.3" to 4.7" phones, but even those seem to be a dying breed. By the time my contract is over (about this time next year), I wouldn't be surprised if 5" models were the only ones I was considering.

 

[zaydq]

4.5" is my borderline. Essentially an s2 form factor. But it doesnt seem like manufactueres are considering releasing any flagship like phones this year with anything less than 5".

 

[bearxor]

Don't chase the puck.

 

[MrX8503]

Apple thinks one hand usage is important, which is why they've stuck with a smaller screen for so long. If you want a larger screen phone, you'll have to look at WP8 or Android.

There's obviously a market for larger screen phones, but Apple tends to keep a simple product portfolio. It may be a while until Apple creates a 4.5" plus size iPhone.

I think there's two kinds of customers that are losing out. One is an iPhone user that wants a larger screen and the other is an Android user that wants a small flagship phone.

 

[Bateluer]

I'm all for big screens, but five inch phones are stupid.

How so? The Notes seem to be selling quite well and their owners love them. 5 inchers like the Droid DNA are only marginally bigger than my 4.7in Razr and 4.65 Gnex.

 

[tommo123]

agreed. i love my note 2. looking forward to the note 3. it doesn't seem it'll have any real competition again (DNA had a tiny battery iirc, non removable one and no sd slot)

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Outside of nerds I've never seen anyone with a note. 4.7 is borderline acceptable, more than that is stupid, its not a mini tablet. I have an iPad for that.

Its hard enough to strap my nexus4 into the armband for gym use as it is.

 

[blackangst1]

4.5" is my borderline. Essentially an s2 form factor. But it doesnt seem like manufactueres are considering releasing any flagship like phones this year with anything less than 5".

+1 for me as well. Ive got an S2 and I honestly dont think I want anything bigger. The occasional video is certainly nice on the bigger phones, but in practical terms (carrying it) even my S2 is a PITA sometimes.

 

[foghorn67]

If the Moto M was non-Pentile, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[zerocool84]

Outside of nerds I've never seen anyone with a note. 4.7 is borderline acceptable, more than that is stupid, its not a mini tablet. I have an iPad for that.

Its hard enough to strap my nexus4 into the armband for gym use as it is.

I've seen tons of girls with them because they can put them in their purse. My uncle also has one, loves the large screen.

 

[Ravynmagi]

The fact that many manufactures now seem to be coming out with 5 inch phones and a report that the Note 2 at one point was outselling the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3, makes me think that more than nerds are buying large phones. They wouldn't keep making these phones and advertising them so much if they weren't selling so well.

As for Apple. We all know they like to keep their line up simple. But they recently started selling a smaller sized iPad and maybe it's just a matter of time before we see a larger sized iPhone along side the current side... maybe.

And as for me. I like a phone that will fit in my front jean pockets. The 4.65 inch Galaxy Nexus and the 4.7 inch Nexus 4 fit well enough. But while screens have been getting larger, bezels have been getting smaller. So a 5 inch phone may not be much larger than my older 4.7 inch phones soon (if not already).

 

[zCypher]

My Note fits fine in my front pocket of all my pants and even my shorts. It works fine in all the same usage scenarios as when I had my dumb phones including one handed use. The only thing I can think of that's a negative is the battery drain. It was expected though since it's basically a computer.

Having said all that, I would love to see more high end phones in smaller form factors.

 

[BladeVenom]

How so? The Notes seem to be selling quite well and their owners love them. 5 inchers like the Droid DNA are only marginally bigger than my 4.7in Razr and 4.65 Gnex.

My next phone is going to be 7".

 

[MrX8503]

The fact that many manufactures now seem to be coming out with 5 inch phones and a report that the Note 2 at one point was outselling the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3, makes me think that more than nerds are buying large phones.

iPhone 5
iPhone 4S
SGS3

Best selling smartphones worldwide in that order with the 5 being the best.

http://macdailynews.com/2013/02/20/apples-iphone-5-the-worlds-best-selling-smartphone-iphone-4s-is-worlds-2-third-place-samsung-galaxy-s3-brings-up-rear/

 

[BladeVenom]

Samsung 215 million smartphones in 2012
Apple 136 million

 

[MrX8503]

Samsung 215 million smartphones in 2012
Apple 136 million

Ahem...

 

[dguy6789]

With the explosion in smartphone popularity phones went from being phones to being portable computers. It has taken a couple years before manufacturers realized that the ideal phone size(which is where smartphones started) is not the ideal pocket PC size. Apple is the slowest on the uptake but even they are coming around.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Outside of nerds I've never seen anyone with a note. 4.7 is borderline acceptable, more than that is stupid, its not a mini tablet. I have an iPad for that.

Its hard enough to strap my nexus4 into the armband for gym use as it is.

Weird, because outside in the real world, I see tons of Note II's in all sorts of settngs.

 

[gorcorps]

I know my sister would. She's currently an Android user that's looking at upgrading, but she has absolutely no options out there for a high end Android phone that's less than 4.5" screen with nothing on the horizon. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes to the iphone for this reason alone. I don't know why there's such a universal push to bigger screens on Android, but I think this is going to hurt them over the next year. Personally I don't even think I'd want something bigger than my SGS3, but if I want to stick with Android I may have no choice. Other than the extra battery life I just don't get anything out of these huge phones.

 

[MrX8503]

I know my sister would. She's currently an Android user that's looking at upgrading, but she has absolutely no options out there for a high end Android phone that's less than 4.5" screen with nothing on the horizon. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes to the iphone for this reason alone. I don't know why there's such a universal push to bigger screens on Android, but I think this is going to hurt them over the next year. Personally I don't even think I'd want something bigger than my SGS3, but if I want to stick with Android I may have no choice. Other than the extra battery life I just don't get anything out of these huge phones.

Considering how cut throat the competition is, phone companies are better off not competing directly with Apple on the small screen smartphone front. Plus a smaller smartphone is deemed as inferior to its larger counterpart.

Thus far, Apple is the only one that convince the public that a small smartphone is still a top end smartphone.

 

[shortylickens]

I dont need any bigger than a Note 2.
In fact if my next phone were slightly smaller but at least the same resolution, that would be fine too. As it stands this thing doesnt currently show me a perfect calendar, but it does play HD movies which is cool.