I wish they stuck with the 5.3" display size, but then they could try to shrink the top/bottom bezel more. The Note 2 just got taller with 5.5" display, but resolution is less.. (Everything else is nice though..)
i don't think it's that. you talk about bigger screens = choice but small screens != choice?
i think it works both ways. With a 4.8" SGS3, 5.3" Note 1, 5.5" Note 2, essentially we're relegated to giant phones.
What about a flagship at the SGS2 size? Nonexistent. How is this any different than a manufacturer saying no one wants anything larger than 3.5"? True choice would be a flagship at 4", 4.5", 5", 5.5" Or if they wanted to cut down on the # of phones, at least spread them out. To me 4.8" and 5.5" are far too close. One's on the border of being too large, and the other is just too large period as a phone.
But that means Apple could sue MS? I'm not sure how this works, but honestly I like that WP8 phone they launched. It looks sexy. The SGS3 is flat out fugly and the Note 2 is borderline fugly.
A bigger screen but lower resolution? Samsung is cutting costs in the most obvious places. This doesn't bode well for the quality of hidden components. Then again, they probably see that Android is not taking advantage of high resolutions and see no point. But, damn, this must suck for those who expected a better screen...
Apple and Microsoft have a cross licensing agreement that stretches back over a decade, it disallows cloning and a few other things, but there isn't a really big possibility a suit between the two would go down.
IIRC the Windows Phone license says that Microsoft will protect you (OEM) if the Windows Phone software accused of being a copy by someone and legal action is taken against it. Physical design I imagine would not count in this agreement.
I'm a bit baffled as well that the WP8 phone has an aluminium finish even though it will sell at a fraction of what the Note 2 will, considering the Note 2 is a flagship device. Sense make not it.
Last edited:
PingviN
Golden Member
- Nov 3, 2009
- 1,848
- 13
- 81
Cross-licensing. As long as it's not a straight up copy, it will slide. Rectangle with rounded corners covered.
Same goes for the OS - Apple can't have features pulled like they're doing with Android.
MS has a cross licensing agreement with Apple which sounds like it does cover this but even if it did not Apple wouldn't sue MS due to the massive number of operating system and other software patents they own.
To be honest I'm surprised it is legal for MS and Apple to leave each other alone while both going after Google but no one seems to have challenged that yet.
MS actually paid Apple for licensing whereas Samsung did not. So MS is good to go to carry out all of their tablet/mobile plans.
The SGS3 isn't too pretty but the Note 2 looks a lot better. I like that the corner radius is much smaller.
The SGS3 isn't too pretty but the Note 2 looks a lot better. I like that the corner radius is much smaller.
Wasn't the cross licensing agreement a result of the anti trust actions against MS in the '90s?
The situation between MS and Apple is nothing like the one with Samsung, if they didn't need Apple around to avoid being a complete monopoly MS could have easily crushed them back then. Neither party in the Samsung vs Apple conflict has been in a position of power like that.
No,
http://mashable.com/2012/08/13/apple-wont-suing-microsoft-surface/
MS bought licenses from Apple, probably the same ones Apple offered to Samsung, but Samsung refused.
I think what makes the device slightly ugly is the fact that the bezel is so minimal compared to the SGS2.
If you look at the bottom of the SGS3/Note 2, you'd find it cramped. The button is rectangular and un-ergonomic simply because its crammed in a small area. Remember the TouchPad home button? It sucks. Thank goodness Samsung made their home button raised, but the SGS2 button still feels better sized. The SGS3 one just does ok because its raised so its easier to hit.
The bottom corners of the screen seem to hit the edge of the frame with almost no bezel. It hits at the curve which is just visually disgusting. Look at the SGS2. It's more visually satisfying becuase there's a decent amount of space below the screen for the buttons. The corner of the screen lines up with the side and doesn't line up with the rounded corner.
If you look at the bottom of the SGS3/Note 2, you'd find it cramped. The button is rectangular and un-ergonomic simply because its crammed in a small area. Remember the TouchPad home button? It sucks. Thank goodness Samsung made their home button raised, but the SGS2 button still feels better sized. The SGS3 one just does ok because its raised so its easier to hit.
The bottom corners of the screen seem to hit the edge of the frame with almost no bezel. It hits at the curve which is just visually disgusting. Look at the SGS2. It's more visually satisfying becuase there's a decent amount of space below the screen for the buttons. The corner of the screen lines up with the side and doesn't line up with the rounded corner.
To me that's worse. hard buttons are great. Soft buttons mean possible burn in and additionally it's just reduction of screen real estate. The only time it comes in handy is videos and *possibly* full screen games. I'd rather have the ability to quickly hit home without having to tap another time to bring the menu up.
And for typical use like email, social networking, non full screen stuff, the software buttons just take away screen space. I appreciate a good amount of bezel, but obviously not too excessive. I don't find carrying a 100% screen device is really that beautiful.
I don't like hardware buttons because it's just more moving parts to wear out and break or just come loose and be annoying.
Red Storm
Lifer
- Oct 2, 2005
- 14,233
- 234
- 106
But they are more annoying to use when they do not take up screen space and instead go on an already thin bezel. I hate using my friend's (T-mobile) SGS2 because the nav buttons are way at the bottom on the bezel, it makes using the device a pain. I have no such issues with the Galaxy Nexus.
eh. it should be the same thing. they're both at the bottom. soft buttons mean there's less need for extra room below the screen.
the SGS2 was not 16:9 and so its wider, the Nexus is larger and longer meaning position wise you would be reaching lower.
If you take a standard i9100, the buttons pretty much line up:
http://phone-size.com/?s=1,2,7,3
anyway, i find the nexus' screen to be taken up by the soft buttons meaning it's much smaller than 4.65"... say the buttons are 0.3" high. That's just under 4.4" screen then effectively.
I see soft buttons as being tied to your screen entirely. You're tied to your screen. I'd much rather have something separate and not dependent on a screen that I know would work all the time. Hence Samsung's hard home button in the SGS phones.
I like what Samsung's done with the consistent design language between the Note 2 and SGS3. Yes, you lose a smidgen of resolution (80 pixels of width), but I don't think that's going to make a significant change in actual usage.
Yeah I sat down and did the math a little while ago, and the GNex gives you something like ~4.402" (essentially 4.4") of useable screen in portrait mode.
Using the SGS2 i9100 and GNex side by side, I much prefer the Nexus' screen because of the higher resolution. Websites fill the screen much better, and small text is way more legible on the Nexus.
Yeah I sat down and did the math a little while ago, and the GNex gives you something like ~4.402" (essentially 4.4") of useable screen in portrait mode.
Using the SGS2 i9100 and GNex side by side, I much prefer the Nexus' screen because of the higher resolution. Websites fill the screen much better, and small text is way more legible on the Nexus.
shortylickens
No Lifer
- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,081
- 136
that site gave up after the GNex i can tell... lol. its abandoned. I think the GNex looks like a respectably sexy phone because it still has a decent bottom bezel despite utilizing soft keys.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 22K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter