How big is too big for a smartphone?
Summary: With Huawei showing off a 6.1-inch screen, are we blurring the line of smartphone and tablet too much?
I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Note II, courtesy of Ting.com, for a couple of weeks now. If you're not familiar with the smartphone, or "phablet" as this type of device is being called, the Note II features a number of features, most notably a 5.5" HD Super AMOLED screen and a stylus or "S Pen", as it's known. The reason it's being called a "phablet" is because it's a phone and a tablet--some would argue it's more tablet than phone, but that's another discussion.
I'll be sharing my impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Note II in the coming days, and in the interim, you can read Matt Miller's review.
The reason I bring up this discussion, though, is that when we first started with the Palm and Pocket PC, we couldn't wait to get all of that power into the size of a phone. I remember using the Pocket PC Phone (with stylus) from T-Mobile, and while I had a ton of power, I wished it would be smaller, and couldn't wait for Microsoft to come out with the "Stinger". Fast forward to 2013, and we've got a tremendous amount of power, constant connectivity, and arguably a portable computer in our hands, but at what cost? Instead of a sleek phone, we're carrying around 4-5.5" displays! I don't mind the display size, but we're getting closer to the iPad mini, Nexus 7, and other 7-inch tablets now, not to mention that Huawei is showing off a smartphone with a 6.1-inch screen at CES this week, known as the Ascend Mate!
So, can you really be productive with a phone the size of a tablet? Will they continue to get bigger? Will the lines continue to blur, or will we see a return of the smaller smartphones?
Perhaps it's time for some advances in flexible and expandable displays? We're certainly seeing a number of them being shown at CES this week. Or maybe we return back to the idea of modular phones, and we can snap in whatever screen size we want at the time? Then again, a friend argues with me that we just haven't found that perfect sized smartphone yet. With the 6.1-inch now being a reality, I'm not sure what sizes are left to try.
In the meantime, I'll continue to carry around my phone, during the day, use my tablet on the couch, and get in front of my 22-inch display when I really need to get serious work done. It's definitely sounding like the modular concept could work well for me, given my work flow.
Share your thoughts below.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
4.3" is the top and that is cumbersome.
You don't use anything over 4"
Seriously, don't comment on things you have no experience of just because you 'think' you know.
A 4.8" is not cumbersome, it fits in any of my pockets with ease and is easy to hold and use.
You don't know that
How do you know he doesn't have a tablet?
Sweet spot
However, if you like a particular model phone, say the Note II, you don't get an option on screen size. If you think the screen is too big you have to get a different model phone. Personally, I'd like to see more options in that regard.
Such a tired line of reasoning...
It's about the user and what they want. 2 million people want 5.5"? Great, give them some. 60 million people want 4"? Wonderful, they have some too. Tired of this big versus small argument. It's about choice.
We all don't wear the same size pants and drive the same car. Why should phones be any different? If Shaq wants an 8" phone because he has huge hands who cares? Make him the phone and shut the hell up.
Thank you
I don't care what Joel Evans' opinion is, or Sam Biddle's (the resident big-phones-are-stupid idiot at Gizmodo). Now, to be fair, Joel just asked the question, and so I do not consider him an idiot...Sam Biddle on the other hand, walked down Stupid Lane a long time ago.
What will the market bear, that is all that matters.
Aw, now you have gone and done it!
been using 5" phones for 2 years
can't go back to anything smaller. I still own an iphone4 and several 4-4.5" android phones.
weapon of choice is still the Galaxy Note.
Get Bigger Pockets
exactly!
Android offers varying sizes from 3.5" all the way to 5.5"... if one phone is too big, get a smaller phone... if that phone is too small, get a bigger phone. but for all that is holy, [to author] quit b****ing about how phones are getting bigger. no one is making you buy them... and as @jessemcgee said, you're going to trade size for power and capability. something you're going to have to live with.
Re: making you get bigger phones
Yes, they are. OEM's have stopped making high end smartphones; the GS3, Note II, and CES showed this.
And no. Motorola has shown you can pack high end specs into a smaller package; See the Razr Maxx HD.
Variety is great
don't need bigger pockets
Even a friend with skinny jeans manage to fit it in the front pocket.
Those that put their phones in their shirt pocket, I predict 1 of 2 things: broken screen (from dropping out of shirt pocket) or lost phone.
All about the software
The smartphone size has no bearing on size... IF..
NOW you're holding nothing and the smartphone can be as big as your desktop.
Only question is, how far can you walk away from your base and still be connected?
Bluetooth head phones are uncomfortable
phone too big?
I don't use a bluetooth headset. I simply hold it up to my ear like any other phone and I don't care or notice what other people think, I'm talking on it.
Only superficial people worry about talking on a large screen phone.
The answer is so easy
You can also take whatever size the current iphone is, subtract 0.00001" and that phone has a screen that is way too small to be usable.
Why is this answer so easy? Because it also applies to resolution, weight, gigaflops, megapixels, the amount of glue that is used between screen layers, etc.
You forgot
Also evolution has happened