Sometimes less is more

Silentbob343

[H]ard|Gawd
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If anybody saw my post in the Nexus 5/7.7 thread you already know how I feel on this topic.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/1/3941018/less-is-more-theres-an-iphone-sized-gap-in-the-android-phone-market

Android needs a flagship phone that isn’t actually the size of a ship

Every one of the foregoing Android device manufacturers offers handsets of smaller sizes, of course, but as you move down in dimensions, the sacrifices you’re asked to make become increasingly intolerable. Samsung’s Galaxy S III Mini and HTC’s One SV are perfect examples of well-proportioned, nicely designed devices that would make great alternatives to the supersized Android flagships or Apple’s 4-inch iPhone. But consider their limited spec sheets, their lower-resolution displays, their poorer cameras, and — most importantly — their lesser chances of receiving prompt Android software updates, and you’ll immediately limit the selection of your next Android phone to the oversized pocket busters enumerated above.
 
It'd be very difficult to go back to anything smaller after using my Note II. I can't believe I survived with my GSIII. :D My phones have been progressively getting bigger. I wonder when the limit for me will be? I'm excited for that Huawei 6.1" phone! At the very least, more screen, less bezel to keep the size increase as minimal as possible.

There is no way I could use something like an iPhone now. The screen on my Note II is as big as an entire iPhone itself!
 
It'd be very difficult to go back to anything smaller after using my Note II. I can't believe I survived with my GSIII. :D My phones have been progressively getting bigger. I wonder when the limit for me will be? I'm excited for that Huawei 6.1" phone! At the very least, more screen, less bezel to keep the size increase as minimal as possible.

There is no way I could use something like an iPhone now. The screen on my Note II is as big as an entire iPhone itself!
I'm going to play with a nexus 4 today, but the Note II was too large.
 
Big phones have a greater appeal to customers. Customers nearly always think bigger = better. That's why the Galaxy Note 2 is doing so well.

But other customers prefer premium quality of the iPhone. So I think it's a split vote.
 
I use a very basic phone. My text and data is cut off. I take a lap top everywhere I go. I bought a tablet a while ago, but it could not hold all the stuff I use all the time so I gave it up.
 
I loved the note II but when compared to S III u feel the later is more handy but when compare S III to smaller phone with good feature i feel as OP "Sometimes less is more"
if i need to watch a movie i take tablet or laptop
 
This is a reason why I went back to the iphone from having many androids. I prefer smaller phones but I do think the iphone is way too small. I have a 4s and wish it was at least 4in (like the 5) but to me the best size is 4.3. 4.3 is small enough to not disturb you in the pocket but also big enough that you can read more than 3 or 4 posts here on hard forum (like my iphone 4s)

However I dont think phones like the note 2 are stupid and they sure have their market. However its a fad right now to have big phones and it will not last. I see people with the note 2 that do not need it and they look ridiculous,

I think I am more interest in android phone makers to make good quality phones (look at the iphone, the one x for example, amazing builds) instead of crappy plastic phones like the note 2( which is actually not the worst offender) and the sgs3.

I had a galaxy nexus and I loved the phone but it was very plastic (yes it was lighter because of that).


I really think there is a market for smaller high end android phones. I dont want to buy a smaller undroid phone without the specs of a note 2 or a sgs3. I do know that they will realize that and start making them. Apple has the best phone right now at that size and there are a lot of people that like that.
 
I had a Droid Eris for 2 years and dreamed of something bigger. Got the Thunderbolt and had it 2 years and it was just about perfect but I still thought something just a little bigger would do the trick so I just got the Note 2 and while I admit I love the bigger screen size I also have to admit Im concerned about the size and how portable its going to be. I deliver beer for a living so Im moving around a lot and so while this thing will fit in my pocket, Im wondering how well it will work.

Im kinda thinking that something around 4" is about "perfect" as its big enough you can see everything clearly and type on your keypad without fat fingering everything but its small enough thatll itll fit in your pocket or a holster very easily.

Ive got 14 days to decide so Ill give it a test run next week working off the truck. If I have no issues Im keeping it cause I do so very much LOVE this big beautiful screen (not to mention the hardware (quad, 2 gig, 3100 mha and SD card FTW!) but if I cant get thru the day at work with it then its not much use to me. I think its going to work because its so thin. I got the hard shell back plate thingy from Verizon when I bought it so it slips in my pocket with not big problem. So as long as I can haul it around with no problem, Ill keep this thing for years.

The Note 3 is rumored to be even bigger and I think that will finally be the breaking point when people finally say "enough". Kinda like when SUV's kept getting bigger and bigger and then Ford came out with the Excursion and that seemed like the last straw and the end of the size wars.
 
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I don't believe this is really something to think about so much. There are 4.3" android phones that fill the gap such as the Motorola Razr M. While it has a larger 4.3" display versus the Iphone's 4" it is just 2mm wider in total body length. Another great offering for Android is the HTC One S, even though it has aged a bit, it contains the same CPU you will find in American Galaxy S3's and a solid 8mp camera. There are definitely more out there, but it seems US carriers decided not to pick them up probably due to the fact they do not sell very well. People on this thread talk a lot about the Note 2 size being great for them after they adjust, I also believe that like the Note 2, the Iphone is in a way it's own niche market while the mainstream will be 4.5-5".
 
The HTC DNA is taking an interesting approach to this. Theyre made it taller but the same width as the 4" screens. So you get more screen real estate but you still get a phone you can work with one hand and still fit in your pocket.
 
The HTC DNA is taking an interesting approach to this. Theyre made it taller but the same width as the 4" screens. So you get more screen real estate but you still get a phone you can work with one hand and still fit in your pocket.

I think you are a little mistaken. The HTC DNA is 70.5mm wide versus the Iphone's 58.6mm which is nearly 20% wider if I've done my math correctly.
 
I started back in 2007 with a samsung alias u-740 and really it was the ideal size for me with its flip style 2.2 inch screen, but hey technology moves on. From there I ended up with a droid x. And while the screen was nice it was really bulky compared to what I had. Once that contract was up I bought a iphone 4s and have been happy with it ever since. Its a little heavy weight wise but the size is bearable for a smartphone. I also have a samsung galaxy tab 3g 7" and I couldn't see carrying it around everywhere with a big bulge in my pocket o_O
 
I think you are a little mistaken. The HTC DNA is 70.5mm wide versus the Iphone's 58.6mm which is nearly 20% wider if I've done my math correctly.

Youre right but I didnt mean exact measurements. I was just saying that they went tall and narrow instead of tall and wide like the Note 2. The DNA's width is closer to phones like my old T-bolt (which was like 65mm IIRC) than it is to the Note 2. This gives you the best of both worlds of screen real estate and still manageable with one handed use. ;)
 
/\ lol because you disagree with the premium quality of the iphone or because that is not the reason why people buy iphones?
 
Well I LOL'd at the "premium quality" part myself so that would be my guess as to what he was referring to.
 
the iphone build quality is better than a samsung phone but I think its on par with HTC phones like the ONEx
 
I dont know. My wife loves iPhones cause she's a chick. Im an Android guy. Over the last 4 years, I had an Eris and Thunderbolt and now Note 2. She's had iPhones. She's had to send them ALL back at least once for defects. Touchscreen issues, speakers going out and stuff like that. To date (knock on wood) I have had no issues with any of my HTC (Note is only 2 days old) phones.

I know anecdotes dont prove anything but it still put me off iPhones in terms of quality. Not the wife though. She's already wanting the 5. Chicks. Whaddya gonna do.
 
thanks for pretty much saying the iphone is for girls :D lol

ok maybe the white one.

I have had 0 problems with all the 5 android phones I have had in the past and same with the original iphone. Got the 4s now that I replaced my gnexus for and its been fine (its used)

I work in the design/vfx industry and everyone has an iphone. I used to love to be the only person in a group of 10 with anythign but an iphone. I guess now I am just another one of them...

I will go back to android soon, whenever something that catches my eye comes out on verizon.

I want:

4.3 IPS screen. fast dual or quad core, 2gb of ram, removable battery (very important), SD card or at least 32gb internal but both would be perfect, android, power button on the side, headphone jack on bottom, NFC, 8 megapixel camera that can take pictures on par with the iphone 4s/5 but hopefully better than that.

A smaller handset that has top of the line specs
 
Lack of reasonably sized phones with good specs and support drove me away from Android. My bad experiences with Android drove me away as well though. I had an Incredible up until March of last year when it died. At the time if I wanted to go to a high-end phone it would've been greater than 4". So, I ended up going with a 4S. About the only thing that I've ever longed for with it is LTE, and it's not all that big of a deal given I'm pretty much always on WiFi. For me, 4" is pretty much the biggest I'd be able to use comfortably. So, we'll see how it goes as to what phones are available starting in November. If Android continues to hammer along with pushing these 4.5-5" phones I know I needn't bother to look.
 
4.3" is my ideal screen size, I really like the Razr M but do wish it had a few more advantages of the higher end phones(display quality, more ram, etc)
 
Companies following the moto of being bigger is better is ridiculous. 4.3 - 4.5inch is the ideal size for me, but the Xperia Z is one exception...and gosh I really hate the Note1/2 and the S3, flimsy as fuck.
 
ahah it seems like a lot of people agree that 4.3 is the best size. I had a similar discussion in another forum and a few people also agreed.

Till they can make boarderless screens, 4.3 is perfect to me/
 
ahah it seems like a lot of people agree that 4.3 is the best size. I had a similar discussion in another forum and a few people also agreed.

Till they can make boarderless screens, 4.3 is perfect to me/

I thought 4.3 was perfect for me then I got the epic touch with its 4.5 and I honestly think this is the perfect size Imo. I've used the s3/notes and still don't think I'll say the same about those sizes in the future, but who knows
 
Big ass phones aren't for everybody. If I just used my phone as a phone with occasional Internet then I wouldn't want one as big as my Note 2 but since this is my main PC during most days of the week not to mention video and digital camera, I like the extra real estate.
 
Less is more to me being something like a note/note2 etc are just rediculous to use as a mobile phone. As to some guy saying he prefers quality over large screen and says iphone is quality you sir are liveing under a rock the iphone is horrible quality; heck drop it from 1 foot off the ground the dam thing will shatter it's pure junk.
 
With 4.5inch + screens becoming the norm, it will be a matter of time till we start seeing 7inch phablets being used to make calls etc.
 
With 4.5inch + screens becoming the norm, it will be a matter of time till we start seeing 7inch phablets being used to make calls etc.

I don't think so. Just like the size wars with SUV's a few years ago, there will be a point where people finally say enough. I think we're at that now. The Note 2 is selling like hotcakes but if they make a 6" screen with the Note 3 I am believe that'll be the breaking point.
 
Less is more to me being something like a note/note2 etc are just rediculous to use as a mobile phone. As to some guy saying he prefers quality over large screen and says iphone is quality you sir are liveing under a rock the iphone is horrible quality; heck drop it from 1 foot off the ground the dam thing will shatter it's pure junk.

I know that was not for me but you are wrong, the iphone 5 is actually pretty durable when dropped. I saw videos of tests where they drop the iphone 5 and samsung s3, etc and the iphone did much better than the sammy. Its funny cuz this was in an android blog and the guy was like, sorry ppl but the iphone came out in better shape.

also how well it does when its drop has nothing to do with build quality. I have an iphone now but have had many androids and HTC has very very good industrial design, great materials, etc... samsung on the other hand doesnt.
 
I don't think so. Just like the size wars with SUV's a few years ago, there will be a point where people finally say enough. I think we're at that now. The Note 2 is selling like hotcakes but if they make a 6" screen with the Note 3 I am believe that'll be the breaking point.

Probably 7'inches will be the breaking point but who knows, manufacturers are doing absolutely anything these day's to catch an eye from consumers. From rumours so far, the next gen top-tier Samsung and Huawei phones will be 6.1inches if not bigger.

Imho, 4.8 - 5inches is absolutely max for a phone, actually I'd rather Android manufacturers start focusing on hardware specs and battery life rather than dropping in the biggest display.
 
Yes there is a gap, I hope android makers decide to finally fill it, but if you think about it, many of them also make PCs and this is how PCs work too, small ones are shitty ones. An ultrabook is a crappy computer compared to a similarly sized i7 in a mobile part etc...

I think there should just simply be phones of different sizes but the core components and features are all the same. Same CPU, gpu, expansions, connctions you just get a choice of 3,4,5 inches. Would also be nice to see someone flip flexible screens into a watch like device.

That being said for one of the first times in history I am finally on the right side of a gap in the products. I personally prefer the larger devices and find them more useful.
 
So what I'm gathering is that some like the big ones while most will say that average is fine or even perfect. What are we talking about again?
 
I have an Evo 3D that is 4.3", but I'm finding that to be too small of a screen. My wife has a Note II, which I'm totally loving, but at the same time hate because it's not mine, lol. I told her tonight, "I need a new phone b/c my screen is too damn small." She kinda laughed b/c she has told me the same thing in the past and I just kinda blew it off. Tonight it really bugged me while trying to look at stuff on my phone and seeing hers cause the screen is so much bigger and clear.

If Apple is smart, their next phone should be 4.3", which would suit the average user the best, IMO. They could list it as the 'biggest iPhone yet!" Android phones should start doing the same also. I think that should the smallest any screen size should be, tbh. 4.3" isn't too big, but it isn't too small of a screen either. For me, the smallest screen I'll consider will be 4.8"-5", but I plan to still purchase a Note II still, unless some awesome phone comes out soon that is at least 4.8"- 5" big.
 
Well when they can do no bezels they can make screens up to 4.5/4.7.

My buddy just got a nexus 4 and its awesome but having used the iphone for a month now it defintely fits better in my hand, better use with one hand but the nexus is a better experience (browsing for example)
 
Why not just put 3g and 4g phone ability on a notebook !?!?!

I think the big problem with this is that way to many people do not pay for such access with their notebooks. So no one wants to incur the cost of the chip, they just leave it up to you to put in and expansion or USB modem. Of course the problem with that now days is so many laptops dont ship with an expansion slot, many you cant even get into, so you are stuck with a USB dongle.
 
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