How big is too big (Xiaomi Mi Max)?

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Currently I have a Lumia 640XL.
Been with WP since 2010, from the start. But now it's time to move on, probably permanently.

I love "phablets". I read a lot of ebooks and browse a lot. So a big screen is a must and outweighs any ergonomical issue. But my current phone is "just" 5.7" and 81.5mm wide. Mi Max is 88mm wide. Which is probably considerable.

Short of cutting a dummy board in the Mi Max dimensions, can any Xperial Z ultra owner tell me how have they dealt with the huge size of the phone?
Is it even possible to sit down in jeans (not skinny jeans, regular).

As it is, with my Lumia, I take the phone out when tying shoelaces and sitting for a longer period of time. Will it be much harder with this wider phone?

Since I read a lot, my first choice was actually Oppo R9 Plus (6" OLED) but it's not available for purchase in Europe, and it's more expensive with worse specs.

I think I can get Mi Max for ~360€ (128GB version) which is as much as I am willing to go with.
Specifications are custom made for me (other than missing OLED).

What say you, is this 88mm wide 6.44" screened phone manageable?

 

[Artdeco]

I use a nexus 6, and honestly, it's a little too big.

 

[ControlD]

Well, that is pretty big but I have a feeling you would get used to it quickly. I have been using a Nexus 6 for a year now and I don't even notice the large size anymore. It seemed a little too big the first week or two but it just seems normal now.

The only real downside to a wide phone for me is that it doesn't fit some my front shirt pockets. Any wider and it wouldn't fit any of them.

 

[tsupersonic]

Here's a nice site to compare the sizes of the devices. You can add/remove them as you wish.

I've been using a 6P for about 5 months now. I had never used a phone with a screen size larger than 5", and thought the 6P would be big. I've grown accustomed to the 6P, but it does feel big at times.

 

[dawheat]

I'm all for phablets (long time Note user) but that is one enormous phone. I found the Nexus 6 fine in normal casual use including jeans (though you definitely feel it) but found it impractical for any sort of dress pants. For me that's the absolute edge of normal usability.

I had tried the Samsung Mega 6.3 and found it impractical - it felt like a mini tablet and carried like one. Considering the Mi Max is even bigger than that phone, I don't think this is going to be a pocketable every day phone.

 

[ControlD]

I'm all for phablets (long time Note user) but that is one enormous phone. I found the Nexus 6 fine in normal casual use including jeans (though you definitely feel it) but found it impractical for any sort of dress pants. For me that's the absolute edge of normal usability.

I had tried the Samsung Mega 6.3 and found it impractical - it felt like a mini tablet and carried like one. Considering the Mi Max is even bigger than that phone, I don't think this is going to be a pocketable every day phone.

That's interesting. I have the exact opposite. My N6 is fine with dressier pants but not great in jeans. Luckily I wear jeans almost never. Of course for me "dressier pants" means Dockers or similar.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Thanks everyone. Glad it was not a unanimous NO to the MAX.

That size comparison tool is pretty good. I forgot all about it. It can even be calibrated. But I will actually find a 8mm thick plank and cut it in Mi Max dimensions and actually try to see how it fits in pockets and hand.
Though hand feel is less important, I don't care much for one handed usage.

 

[monkey333]

I was using a tab 4 as a phone for awhile, thought the increase in size wouldn't be a big deal. It was. Nexus 6 these days.

 

[Red Storm]

I use a nexus 6, and honestly, it's a little too big.

The problem with the 6 is that it was a physical copy of the Moto X at the time, which was not well designed. If the Nexus 6 had say the Galaxy S7 style it wouldn't feel nearly as big.

Here's a great site that let's you compare popular phone's side by side (or on top of one another):

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/phones/size/Xiaomi-Mi-Max,Google-Nexus-6P/phones/10044,9587

 

[Commodus]

Phones like the Mi Max are really made for those markets where a phone is frequently a person's only computer (or at least, only mobile computer), like China or India. It's easier to live with a 6.4-inch phone in your pocket or bag when you know it's the only way you'll watch videos when you get home.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Yeah, I know who is this meant for.

But I just prefer a big screen for reading. Not even video or gaming. 6" or less is just to small for this. Or browsing.

I think i'll do the mockup today and maybe post some pictures so you can see how such a huge phone looks in a very-slightly-larger-than-average hand.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Hm, just saw that this phone does not have a 800mhz band for LTE.

If in my country also 1800 is in use (supported by phone), will I have problems with 4G?