Is it me or are phones getting too big?

[Red Storm]

Maybe the next step is to make tablets function as phones using a Bluetooth mini-headset? Carry the thing in an over the shoulder messenger. The difference between a 6-in Galaxy Mega and a iPad mini is only 1 inch.

Is this called convergence?

The difference between the Mega and the Mini is that one can fit in a pocket and the other can't. And ironically enough it's the Mega that can fit, not the Mini.

 

[Spineshank]

Maybe the next step is to make tablets function as phones using a Bluetooth mini-headset? Carry the thing in an over the shoulder messenger. The difference between a 6-in Galaxy Mega and a iPad mini is only 1 inch.

Is this called convergence?

iPad Mini is 8" tablet not 7".

 

[Geekbabe]

I can count on one hand the number of phone calls I've made in the last month but have lost track of how many videos I have watched, how many pics and videos I have made and shared. A big phone is a joy to own

 

[corkyg]

The difference between the Mega and the Mini is that one can fit in a pocket and the other can't. And ironically enough it's the Mega that can fit, not the Mini.

Never let a pocket size stand in the way of progress . . . pockets can be made bigger, and if the demand is there, I'm sure they will be.

 

[BladeVenom]

I think they need more 7" phones.

 

[MrX8503]

Several things that are off with this study.

It doesn't say what exact models of Samsung phones it compares to the iPhone. Unless it's flagship devices vs. flagship.. err.. device, then the whole point is moot. Their little charts just say "Samsung" but Samsung makes a vastly wider range of phones than Apple, so if all (even those only considered smartphones) are compared agains the iPhone then of course Samsung's demographics are going to look a lot different.

Also, the biggest flaw I see is the "came from a previous OS" seems to just chart Samsung owners who came from iOS, but the iOS side charts iPhone users who could have come from any maker of Android phones. The only way this chart would be a relevant comparison would be just to chart only the iPhone users who came from Samsung flagship devices, or expand the 'Samsung' side to be all Android phones. Even the conclusion following the chart waxes of this, declaring what the chart shows as 'Samsung' to be "Android..."

At any rate, nothing in any of that speaks a word as to screen size preference.

It's Samsung smartphones vs all iPhones. It's not all of Android, but Samsung is pretty much Android. Screen size isn't indicated, but what I'm saying is that it didn't keep the 20% from migrating to iOS.

 

[Red Storm]

It's Samsung smartphones vs all iPhones. It's not all of Android, but Samsung is pretty much Android. Screen size isn't indicated, but what I'm saying is that it didn't keep the 20% from migrating to iOS.

I'd say this market is just as important to watch if not more so:

Samsung drew more first-time smartphone buyers upgrading from so-called feature phones (37%) than Apple did (26%)

So for those coming from tiny dumb phones, more chose Samsung than Apple, and that doesn't even factor in all the other Android OEMs.

It would be nice to know what countries are factored into that study. I looked but couldn't find it. Going by the numbers it seems like it's US only?

 

[thedosbox]

The problem is the big screen fans don't seem to grasp that people legitimately want a smaller screen. Are there people that prefer big screens? Sure. Are they the majority? Its possible. But that doesn't mean everyone wants what they do, nor does it mean that a true flagship small screen phone wouldn't do well enough to justify its existence.

Precisely.

There are a lot of comments that these devices have become media consumption devices. That might be true for many people on this site, but it's certainly not the most common use case for the general population. Aside from casual gaming (temple run, peggle etc), most people seem to be reading email, using social media, or plain old texting on my commute.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Precisely.

There are a lot of comments that these devices have become media consumption devices. That might be true for many people on this site, but it's certainly not the most common use case for the general population. Aside from casual gaming (temple run, peggle etc), most people seem to be reading email, using social media, or plain old texting on my commute.

^^ That's me and I'm on this site. LoL.

 

[MrX8503]

I'd say this market is just as important to watch if not more so:



So for those coming from tiny dumb phones, more chose Samsung than Apple, and that doesn't even factor in all the other Android OEMs.

It would be nice to know what countries are factored into that study. I looked but couldn't find it. Going by the numbers it seems like it's US only?

Most likely due to a wider range of phones or some gimmick feature they heard of. iOS has the lowest abandon rate. I was an Android user myself, but that was many years ago.

 

[LeoW]

A friend of mine got his girlfriend a Dell Streak back in the day (he worked for Dell), and I remember thinking that it just looked too big to use as a daily phone. Seems like all the phones are moving that direction, but I personally don't think I'd want something any bigger than the S3 (which I don't have, and that might even be too big).

 

[thedosbox]

^^ That's me and I'm on this site. LoL.

For the record, I wasn't being judgemental It's just that many people seem to think that their usage pattern is the same as everyone else's.

 

[jpeyton]

Screen sizes might be getting bigger, but bezels are getting smaller, and phones are getting thinner and lighter.

Just because a phone has a 5" screen doesn't mean it's gigantic compared to yesteryear's 4.3" phone.

 

[Zaap]

It's Samsung smartphones vs all iPhones.

Which as I said is meaningless, since Samsung makes all kinds of smartphones (many that are really just barely above feature-phone status) other than its main flagship models. That's going to skew whatever results you're looking for- the same customer base for an iPhone isn't the same as for say, a Samsung Illusion or Stellar or Appeal or any of the other who-even-knows how many models.

If the study isn't limited to flagship vs. flagship (or even previous flagships) then it's not showing anything of value as Samsung's product line of Android phones is much more diverse than Apple's iPhone range, and so is the range of customer base.

It's not all of Android, but Samsung is pretty much Android.

Even this statement is a contradiction. Playing that fast and loose with some so-called study just proves that there's nothing meaningful in anything it purports to show.

 

[kasakka]

Physical dimensions are what matter. The S4 crams more display into the same physical size as the S3. There is still plenty of bezel on the iPhone 5 so it probably could have a bit bigger display without changing the physical size.

That said, as an owner of a S4, it is the absolute maximum phone size for me. While moving from iPhone 4 to S4 has made me use the S4 for a lot more for web browsing etc, it is awkward to use with one hand and you have to position it right to hear the speaker during calls.

If phones eliminated as much extra bezel as possible (especially when it comes to width) while reducing display size to around 4.5" I think we would have a good compromise between one handed use and big screen.

 

[Daniel Jones]

If Apple launches a 4.5+ phone in the future, then the split of their sales will shed more light on this.

Completely agree with you. Even I would love to hold an iPhone with 4.5" or 4.7" screen, but not more than that.

 

[techfirst101]

Yea phones are getting a little to big for me... I like a 4.3-4.5 screen size since they can fit comfortably into your pocket but still give enough screen to view webpages ok.

the new Droid Mini is very promising with a 720x1280 screen, 2GB of ram, adreno 320 GPU and dual core S4 Pro CPU. Probably the best specs you can get in a phone that size right now.

 

[Harvey]

There are some good reasons for bigger phones.

They have to be at least big enough to hold all of your contacts' info.

Of course, a bigger phone can be good for a change.

We can't forget the orignal "Smart" phone.

It's harder to lose bigger phones.

Bigger phones are still portable.

And, of course, Dr. Who finds them useful when travelling.​

 

[BoberFett]