phones are just getting too big, what happened to small phones?!

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Thuleman

Supreme [H]ardness
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Seriously, S4 is 2.75" wide with essentially a 5" screen. HTC One is 2.69" wide with a 4.7" screen.

WTF happened to phones that would comfortably hit into one's hand and pocket without being the size of paperback books?

It also seems like the technology edge is in large phones now, phones with more manageable screens that can actually be operated with one hand aren't the top of the line anymore (I don't count the iPhone because you couldn't pay me to use one).

It seems like phone sizes and features are driven by consumers who use it as gaming devices rather than productivity tools. Makes me a sad panda.
 
you can still one hand it, if your hands aren't babby hands
 
Sure you can hold it, but try reaching the upper or lower right (or left, if you are holding with right hand) corners. That doesn't work unless you have 3" long thumbs.
 
With smartphones... The least used feature is the phone. And for any non voice calling task, a slightly larger format screen is better.
 
Blame Samsung for this. They couldn't do anything to match Apple's innovation and design, so instead they just kept adding bigger screens to make their phones "shinier." You think I'm kidding? If Steve Jobs were still around, we wouldn't be in this situation.
 
Samsung offers around 3 sizes of phones, s3 mini, s3, note 2, probably more. You should not be blaming phones you should be blaming the US phone industry that is allowed to operate in the way they do, really there are lots of interesting phones out there especially in Asia that fit all sorts of niches. But the phone carriers only allow a small fraction of those phones, so phone makers are going to try to figure out what the couple most widely accepted devices will be when building for US carriers. And sometimes the carriers just tell a company no, I had to sit out the galaxy note because sprint was to stupid to carry it.

Also janas your assessment is thoughtless, it is Apple that caused this, note Samsung is the only company that is breaking the mold, they offered the S3 mini for those wanting smaller phones and they are the ones who had the balls to make the note, and also bring the stylus back. Apple didn't do any of that what apple did was tell everyone hey look you can laugh all the way to the bank with billions of dollars and the best way to do that is tell everyone there is ONLY 1 device that's best for all of you. They are also the company that made stripping out lots of useful features like keyboards and stylus out of phones. Anyhow its funny to see how stupidly backwards some people can view things. How many sizes of phones does apple offer again.
 
The HD2 started this trend for the most part and it hasn't stopped. A 4.3" screen Nokia Lumia 900 is just fine with my wife and she has pretty small hands.

Skripka said:
With smartphones... The least used feature is the phone. And for any non voice calling task, a slightly larger format screen is better.
Click to expand...

what he said
 
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I gotta agree on the least used feature being the "phone" these days. Its a pretty accurate point. If you consider how much time you actually spend using the phone you wind up using the phone function the least. Though I manage to burn a 1000 minutes a month regularly and maybe 800 mb's of data. So I do agree that more small phone options would be nice. I personally would have loved to have a new phone with the latest Android OS, with the dimensions of the wildfire and the price of the nexus 4. I don't need a big screen or lots of storage. As long as it can run my 6 common apps and get halfway decent battery life I would be perfectly satisfied. But... because I don't want to deal with the headache of buying from Asia I got a Nexus 4 for myself and my wife because I couldn't find a stateside alternative that fits my most basic needs at the price I am willing to pay. Well, at least the Nexus 4 meets the price part.
 
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^ you can still buy small phones but you trade performance for size (reasonably so). One is not going to pack a Samsung S4 hardware (or even Nokia 920 hardware) into a 3" device and get decent battery life out of it. a 2300milliamp hour battery simply consumes more space than a 1100milliamp hour battery.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
^ you can still buy small phones but you trade performance for size (reasonably so). One is not going to pack a Samsung S4 hardware (or even Nokia 920 hardware) into a 3" device and get decent battery life out of it. a 2300milliamp hour battery simply consumes more space than a 1100milliamp hour battery.
Click to expand...

Explain to me then how Apple manages to get GS3-levels of performance and battery life in a 4", 7.6mm thick phone? It's possible to engineer a superb <4.3" device, but it just seems that companies are unwilling. Samsung seems to barely even try on the GS3/GS4 Mini series.
 
^lower perforamce hardware is how they do it compared to a Galaxy S3

lower res screen 640 x 1136 pixels vs 720*1280
slower CPU dual core 1.2 A6 vs Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9
lower capacity battery 1440mah vs 2100mah

but you knew this before you asked such an assinine question, right?
 
Got my Note 2 last month and haven't and will not look back at anything smaller
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
^lower perforamce hardware is how they do it compared to a Galaxy S3

lower res screen 640 x 1136 pixels vs 720*1280
slower CPU dual core 1.2 A6 vs Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9
lower capacity battery 1440mah vs 2100mah

but you knew this before you asked such an assinine question, right?
Click to expand...

Please do some real research instead of mindlessly reading off a spec sheet next time.

Pixel density: 326ppi vs 306ppi pentile. Unless you prefer AMOLED, the iPhone's screen is denser and sharper.

Actual CPU performance (better than the GS3)
50942.png


Actual battery life (better than the GS3)
50476.png



Source: Anandtech's iPhone 5 review. You can see more charts there. (I only showed two charts to prevent flooding the page with images, which I'm sure people won't appreciate)

And returning back to the question - why don't Android manufacturers make a similarly-capable phone in a 4" body?
 
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YeuEmMaiMai said:
^ you can still buy small phones but you trade performance for size (reasonably so). One is not going to pack a Samsung S4 hardware (or even Nokia 920 hardware) into a 3" device and get decent battery life out of it. a 2300milliamp hour battery simply consumes more space than a 1100milliamp hour battery.
Click to expand...

Well, honestly I am not sure why people need quad core 2GHz CPUs on their phone. Me personally I need email, the occasional web page, weather, airline checking, turn-by-turn navigation (preferably one where the maps can be downloaded ahead of time to save on data rates, this is where Nokia really shines, there is simply nothing like Nokia Drive out there where you can download the whole planet on your phone for turn-by-turn that doesn't require data), and RDP.

I realize some people game on their phones, but I don't. CPU and multiple cores is totally wasted on me.
 
so then buy a smaller phone, or one with out a screen if you want small, otherwise good luck reading anything on smaller screens.

how do you know multiple cores is wasted on you? do you monitor your usage when using those apps.....maybe those apps are using multiple cores and why your phone may be smooth at doing everything
 
Thuleman said:
Well, honestly I am not sure why people need quad core 2GHz CPUs on their phone. Me personally I need email, the occasional web page, weather, airline checking, turn-by-turn navigation (preferably one where the maps can be downloaded ahead of time to save on data rates, this is where Nokia really shines, there is simply nothing like Nokia Drive out there where you can download the whole planet on your phone for turn-by-turn that doesn't require data), and RDP.

I realize some people game on their phones, but I don't. CPU and multiple cores is totally wasted on me.
Click to expand...

Then why did you complain that only the larger phones get the edge of technology then? :confused:

This is probably the reason why smaller screen phones don't need top of the line hardware as most people buying one would be like you. It doesn't take much to check emails or occasional web surfing.
 
MrGuvernment said:
how do you know multiple cores is wasted on you? do you monitor your usage when using those apps.....maybe those apps are using multiple cores and why your phone may be smooth at doing everything
Click to expand...
I'll tell you how I know, I am currently using a Lumia 900 which has a single core.
Before then I used some sort of HTC phone which also had a single core.

onedestinazn2 said:
Then why did you complain that only the larger phones get the edge of technology then? :confused:
Click to expand...

That's a good point, though what I would like is a well built phone, preferably metal (none of this little plastic backplate that comes off bullshit), with a good camera, that isn't a 5" phone.
 
Pylon said:
Please do some real research instead of mindlessly reading off a spec sheet next time. SNIP
Click to expand...

I see you still have trouble with reading comprehension....

1. a 1440mah battery is not as large as a 2100mah battery. You cannot physically fit a 2100mah battery into the same space as a 1400mah battery.

2. I am pretty sure that a A6 is not physically as large as a Exynos 4 apple's die size is only 97mm^2

3. Good luck reading that 720/1080p on 4"

Performance is more than OMG it's almost as fast.....size and capacity are also factors...

Thuleman said:
Well, honestly I am not sure why people need quad core 2GHz CPUs on their phone. Me personally I need email, the occasional web page, weather, airline checking, turn-by-turn navigation (preferably one where the maps can be downloaded ahead of time to save on data rates, this is where Nokia really shines, there is simply nothing like Nokia Drive out there where you can download the whole planet on your phone for turn-by-turn that doesn't require data), and RDP.

I realize some people game on their phones, but I don't. CPU and multiple cores is totally wasted on me.
Click to expand...

People always love the latest and greatest. Personally I am on a middle of the road device (Nokia 810) and am just fine with it.
 
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@Pylon
Sunspider is not good cross platform performance test. All devices should use same software and browser to make it comparable. My Lumia 920 gets bit over 900ms, always less than 1000ms anyway.
 
Thuleman said:
Sure you can hold it, but try reaching the upper or lower right (or left, if you are holding with right hand) corners. That doesn't work unless you have 3" long thumbs.
Click to expand...
That's why God gave you two hands.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
^more efficient hardware is how they do it compared to a Galaxy S3

smaller crisper screen 640 x 1136 pixels vs 720*1280
less wasteful CPU dual core 1.2 A6 vs Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9
smaller battery 1440mah vs 2100mah

but you knew this before you asked such an assinine question, right?
Click to expand...


fify



i also thought that the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5800 Ultra was shitty, but some people just love bigger numbers.
 
Lets see, I have 450 minutes talk, only use around 150 of them
I have 5000 text, use about 3000,
I have unlimited data, & use 4-5 gb per month.
I have a Note 2 on Verizon. So, my phone is barely used as a phone. It is a mobile internet & quick communication devise, with lots of media consumption.
I definitely appreciate the larger screen for this.
Plus the larger size includes a huge battery, which gets me through a 14 hour day of heavy usage with plenty of juice left at the end of day.
 
Thuleman said:
That's a good point, though what I would like is a well built phone, preferably metal (none of this little plastic backplate that comes off bullshit), with a good camera, that isn't a 5" phone.
Click to expand...

Then get a damn iPhone.

What are you complaining about? First it was small phones have obsolete hardware...now it is obsolete phones called iPhone are still superior to those new larger phones. Make up your mind.
 
Skripka said:
Then get a damn iPhone.

What are you complaining about? First it was small phones have obsolete hardware...now it is obsolete phones called iPhone are still superior to those new larger phones. Make up your mind.
Click to expand...

The case he's trying to make is that a smaller phone with high quality internals has a good value proposition. High quality internals does not necessarily mean a high clocked CPU/GPU.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
I see you still have trouble with reading comprehension....

1. a 1440mah battery is not as large as a 2100mah battery. You cannot physically fit a 2100mah battery into the same space as a 1400mah battery.

2. I am pretty sure that a A6 is physically as large as a Exynos 4 apple's die size is only 97mm^2

3. Good luck reading that 720/1080p on 4"
Click to expand...

1. Why do you think a larger battery is an indicator of a higher quality device? The additional battery capacity doesn't mean anything if the battery life isn't competitive.

2. How is the die size important to the consumer?

3. More pixels makes things easier to read if the font is properly scaled - which it is on iOS devices.

4. As to your previous arguments regarding cores and clock rate. Think about a Core i3 vs a Phenom x4. Clock rates and core amounts aren't the indicators of performance.
 
Like all my ex girlfriends have told me... "sorry, bigger is better". :( haha

I'm going to go from one extreme to the next when I finally get my Note2, an upgrade from my current dinosaur Motorola Razr v8. The battery on the old motorola has never been good, but I love the size/weight and how I can keep it in my gym shorts pocket. Can't do that with any of today's bricks.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
I see you still have trouble with reading comprehension....
Click to expand...

A larger battery doesn't mean anything. What matters is actual battery life, and in tests the iPhone 5 manages to get equal to better battery life than a GS3 despite using a 33% smaller battery.

Ditto for the CPU. CPU die size doesn't mean anything to your end consumer. Real performance does.

As for size, if you prefer large screens, good for you. Some people want an easier to hold phone that's more compact. The issue with Android now is that all the flagship phones are huge - 4.7" to 5" to even larger. Sub-4.5" phones are generally mid-range to low-end phones where the manufacturer doesn't even try (e.g. GS3 mini, which is basically a GS1).
 
DriZzLe said:
Lets see, I have 450 minutes talk, only use around 150 of them
I have 5000 text, use about 3000,
I have unlimited data, & use 4-5 gb per month.
I have a Note 2 on Verizon. So, my phone is barely used as a phone. It is a mobile internet & quick communication devise, with lots of media consumption.
I definitely appreciate the larger screen for this.
Plus the larger size includes a huge battery, which gets me through a 14 hour day of heavy usage with plenty of juice left at the end of day.
Click to expand...

Totally agreed! I work 2 jobs and am not home a lot so my phone doubles as a laptop. I bought the Note 2 and absolutely love it! I use about 200 minutes a month but bump up against my 2GB limit in data (would probably go over if I didn't have wifi at home).

So while they're not for everybody, for people like me and Drizzle, some tiny little phone with a single core CPU won't cut it. I want a quad core chip, big as screen and plenty of storage space (love my 32GB SD card).

I'd also wager that we're not the only 2 that do. Phone manufacturers aren't in the habit of catering to the minority of consumers. Most people want a bigger phone because they can be used more easily for "non-phone" things like web browsing bill paying and stuff like that which is why they're selling like hotcakes and the tiny little iPhone are slowing down.
 
MacLeod said:
Totally agreed! I work 2 jobs and am not home a lot so my phone doubles as a laptop. I bought the Note 2 and absolutely love it! I use about 200 minutes a month but bump up against my 2GB limit in data (would probably go over if I didn't have wifi at home).

So while they're not for everybody, for people like me and Drizzle, some tiny little phone with a single core CPU won't cut it. I want a quad core chip, big as screen and plenty of storage space (love my 32GB SD card).

I'd also wager that we're not the only 2 that do. Phone manufacturers aren't in the habit of catering to the minority of consumers. Most people want a bigger phone because they can be used more easily for "non-phone" things like web browsing bill paying and stuff like that which is why they're selling like hotcakes and the tiny little iPhone are slowing down.
Click to expand...


Snap. Note 2 here. Phone is my home internet as well. Note 2 is also my desktop pc. Money saved all round by having a big phone. Small phones r a minority now get over it
 
450 said:
1. Why do you think a larger battery is an indicator of a higher quality device? The additional battery capacity doesn't mean anything if the battery life isn't competitive.

2. How is the die size important to the consumer?

3. More pixels makes things easier to read if the font is properly scaled - which it is on iOS devices.

4. As to your previous arguments regarding cores and clock rate. Think about a Core i3 vs a Phenom x4. Clock rates and core amounts aren't the indicators of performance.
Click to expand...

1.Battery capacity != quality it does however indicate size requirements.
2. It's not, it important to the device designer.
3. Iphone 5 has a lower resolution screen thus it can be smaller
4. Thank you captain obvious... that was not what I was referring do. More cores take up more space no denying that. You can combat this by using a smaller process but again 4 cores greater space requirements than 2 cores.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
1.Battery capacity != quality it does however indicate size requirements.
2. It's not, it important to the device designer.
3. Iphone 5 has a lower resolution screen thus it can be smaller
4. Thank you captain obvious... that was not what I was referring do. More cores take up more space no denying that. You can combat this by using a smaller process but again 4 cores greater space requirements than 2 cores.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that because the galaxy has a higher resolution, the device needs to be made bigger
Since it's bigger, they now have more room for a higher capacity battery, which they need to power the bigger screen

Which is why the iphone, which is faster, but with a smaller screen, has a much smaller batter, still gets better battery life
 
Bbq said:
So what you're saying is that because the galaxy has a higher resolution, the device needs to be made bigger
Since it's bigger, they now have more room for a higher capacity battery, which they need to power the bigger screen

Which is why the iphone, which is faster, but with a smaller screen, has a much smaller batter, still gets better battery life
Click to expand...

Things that bump up the iphone battery life compared to galaxy:

Lower resolution
Smaller screen
Basic operating system compared to android.
No nfc

The majority want phones for media consumption now and prefer bigger screens. Those wanting smaller phones just for texting and calls need to go away and bump up nokias dumb phone candy bar market share.
Sony ericsson did some great tiny smartphones which were popular at the time (xperia mini/pro etc.) But now there is no demand for them. The world has changed.
 
The iphone5 does not or will not ever remotely compare the Note 2. The Note 2 is hands down the best damn phone/mobile device I have ever used.

If you want a small phone get the iphone 5 and stop complaining. If you want a mobile device that can take the place of your tablet and phone get a a Note 2. There are so many options out there I don't know why this question was even asked except to start a flame war.
 
janas19 said:
Blame Samsung for this. They couldn't do anything to match Apple's innovation and design, so instead they just kept adding bigger screens to make their phones "shinier." You think I'm kidding? If Steve Jobs were still around, we wouldn't be in this situation.
Click to expand...

because 5 models from the 145 models they offer comes with a large screens?
 
Which is essentially a Galaxy S1 spec wise, other than the dual-core CPU and RAM...
 
I like the size of my old Galaxy Nexus, and current Nexus 4, both 4.7" screens, it's not too large like the Note 2 which is hard for every day one handed use, but not so tiny like the iPhone 5, which is way too small, in my opinion.

I think 4.7" screen size is just right, and future phones @ 4.7" could have smaller bezels, making the overall phone even slimmer.
 
Zorachus said:
I like the size of my old Galaxy Nexus, and current Nexus 4, both 4.7" screens, it's not too large like the Note 2 which is hard for every day one handed use, but not so tiny like the iPhone 5, which is way too small, in my opinion.

I think 4.7" screen size is just right, and future phones @ 4.7" could have smaller bezels, making the overall phone even slimmer.
Click to expand...
I have to say that 4.3" is probably the best size for majority of global users. Most of them don't have our big, fat American hands.
 
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