Am I the only one who doesn't like this trend for oversized phone screens?

Totally agree, been saying this for ages. I've got an iPhone 4 (got an upgrade to a 5c on the way) and, quite honestly, I've never seen the need for a bigger screen than that. It's a phone. I need it to fit comfortably in my pocket.

I love the large screens on my Android phones for watching movies and videos, browsing online, reading eBooks; basically most things visual.

However when it comes down to actually using the device like making phone calls, messaging people, having to type on the screen, I find the smaller iPhone much easier to use. Also my iPhone fits in my pockets properly; and I carry two phones, so two smaller ones are welcome.

It's a tough compromise between size and utility.

Love a decent sized screen, 5" is a great size for me, small enough to comfortably fit in my pocket and a big enough screen to surf the web, check emails ect. Funny thing is i used think the ip4 fit comfortably in my hand but after using my Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 i feel like im going to drop my iPhone when i pick it up, it feels like it going to slip right though my hand.

I think there's a market but I don't think we're seeing a move away from the current forum factor but rather an addition too. Look at Samsung, they have the S4 and the Note 3.

I think the iPhone 6 will have a larger variant for those that want a larger screen. I would be one of those that would like a larger screen so I'm hoping it will happen.

I agree that some phone screens are too big, but I also think the iPhone screen is too small. A bigger screen option for the iPhone 6 would be nice.

sammy-boy said:

I don't know if its just me getting stuck in my ways, but I'm finding the current craze for huge phone screens getting quite annoying.

Admittedly the extra screen real estate is very nice but adds bulk to the phone and more drain on the battery, battery tech hasn't seemed to have kept up with the advances in other mobile tech. However I find screens much larger than 4 inches harder to use one handed, and find 3.5-4 inch LCDs are a great balance between usability and portability.

I see some of the larger phones being used for calls and think people look vaguely ridiculous, reminds me of the 'sidetalking' method of phoning someone on the original Nokia N-Gage!

Am I the only one that would like to see the premium models in a range include a smaller screen option, or are there similar like-minded souls?

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This is totally inaccurate. The larger phones, Galaxy Note 3 etc actually get GREAT battery life... much much better than iPhones. Why? The larger housing allows for a larger battery and the battery drain due to a larger screen is not affected linearly. Take a look at the iPads. They get crazy good battery life.

Also, of note, what is bad with choice? Vendors make phones people buy. The problem with Apple has always been no choice but now they may have to alter that because other vendors are forcing them to. I think it's a win win for everyone.

I think phone calls are a remnant of the past, an unsociable relic that has no place in today's age. How many phone calls are truly private? I mean talking about things you wouldn't talk about if the person had walked up to you? I think FaceTime is the way forward, it's as if someone walked upto you and said hi. How many times have you seen a disgruntled look from someone waiting in a cue as someone answered their phone? But not if someone walked upto them. So FaceTime would fix this because it'd be like they walked upto the person. People in the cue would be more relaxed seeing the other person and hearing the other side of the conservation just like they'd walked upto say hi. And if the person was about to get served in a line or at a restaurant the person calling would see the situation and shut up and wait as if they were there.

If you were designing a phone just having voice makes no sense and the only reason video chat wasn't invented first was due to limitation. FaceTime calls should be the norm because like I say how many calls are that private? And if they are you would just say I can't talk now and the person calling would see why, you'd then say let's chat private and either walk away or put it in prehistoric mode aka voice chat as if you were there in person but whispering in each other's ears.

It's not that phones need to change its us, the way we use them, that needs to change.

I agree with the op. I could take a phone slightly larger than the 5s though. Maybe 4.3 to 4.5 inches with small bezels, that way phone would be only a tiny bit larger than current 5s. That would be perfect. Kind of like Moto X but even a little smaller.

I'm not for the all-in-one solutions, so I want a smartphone AND tablet, not something in the middle.
No matter what fandroids say: a 5.5" device is not handy ! During summer I walk around with a t-shirt and jeans nd I don't want a device I can't fit in my pocket.

But I have to admit that 4" is a little too small for internet browsing "on the way", and this is something I do with my iPhone. I can live with it, but sometimes I need a little more screen space.
I think the right spot could be around 4.5-4.7" maximum, with a reduced bezel and a thin form factor.
I really hope iPhone 6 will be a 4.5" device. Anything above 5" and I'll be very sad ...

I love the current iPhone. I can hold it with one hand and reach everything on screen using just that hand's thumb. It's perfect. Plus it fits in my pocket and I can go about my normal routine without adjusting how I dress, how I move, or feeling like it will be crushed in half.

I have no desire to carry around a bigger phone or phablet.

I'd rather keep my iPhone and add an iPad for when I'm at home.

sammy-boy said:

I see some of the larger phones being used for calls and think people look vaguely ridiculous, reminds me of the 'sidetalking' method of phoning someone on the original Nokia N-Gage!

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Well, the old Nokia was just a phone.

Phones aren't just phones any more. A large-screen phone is better for most things a smartphone does - web browsing, email, ebooks, games, maps & satnav, watching videos, note-taking etc. - and while they're a tad large for making calls they're perfectly usable for that. They're not great for one-handed texting, but for other typing purposes they're better.

So it really depends on your priorities - if you make a lot of voice calls then you may be better off with a small phone + a tablet when you need it. If making calls is a couple of notches down your list of priorities, then large screens make sense.

As for the thing with "premium" models - its the large-screen phones that can take advantage of faster processors, better graphics and more storage.

As others have said - battery life on phones like the Galaxy Note just isn't a problem - they have space for larger batteries and, at least on the Note, the battery is easily replaceable so you can carry a spare (not that I've ever found the need).

theluggage said:

Well, the old Nokia was just a phone.

Phones aren't just phones any more. A large-screen phone is better for most things a smartphone does - web browsing, email, ebooks, games, maps & satnav, watching videos, note-taking etc. - and while they're a tad large for making calls they're perfectly usable for that. They're not great for one-handed texting, but for other typing purposes they're better.

So it really depends on your priorities - if you make a lot of voice calls then you may be better off with a small phone + a tablet when you need it. If making calls is a couple of notches down your list of priorities, then large screens make sense.

As for the thing with "premium" models - its the large-screen phones that can take advantage of faster processors, better graphics and more storage.

As others have said - battery life on phones like the Galaxy Note just isn't a problem - they have space for larger batteries and, at least on the Note, the battery is easily replaceable so you can carry a spare (not that I've ever found the need).

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If you call Nokia N-Gage "just a phone" you dot know the model he's speaking about

Btw please stop speaking about spare batteries: who carry a spare ? How do you recharge a spare battery ? Opening e closing your smartphones every day ?
The ONLY advantage of an user replaceable battery is For SERVICING: is cheaper and faster.
If you can carry a spare, you can carry a Mophie juice pack: not significantly larger than a spare battery but easier to manage. I carry one with me when I have to stay out for a while 1+ days far from an outlet.

No your not the only one. Your in the majority amongst other people who are happy with the current size or happy with the size of the 4s etc.

Those who wanted a bigger screen have already made that switch to a droid os handset.

I came from an iPhone 4S to a 5. Mainly because of the new design of the handset etc. however if the 5 never came with a new design I would have just stayed with my 4s. Anything bigger than a 5 I wouldn't ever go for. Happy the way my handset is.

abz1981 said:

No your not the only one. Your in the majority amongst other people who are happy with the current size or happy with the size of the 4s etc.

Those who wanted a bigger screen have already made that switch to a droid os handset.

I came from an iPhone 4S to a 5. Mainly because of the new design of the handset etc. however if the 5 never came with a new design I would have just stayed with my 4s. Anything bigger than a 5 I wouldn't ever go for. Happy the way my handset is.

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Please how did you come up with your assertion?

I like the size of my 5s. If the 6 is bigger I might hold off on upgrading. If I want to use a bigger screen I have an iPad.

617aircav said:

Please how did you come up with your assertion?

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Think of this logically. If 95% of iPhone users were not happy with the current form factor of the iPhone 5 and 4s and made how unhappy they were known to apple via apple.com/feedback. Don't you think that apple would have done something by now?

I use my HDTV or large computer monitor or large tablet at home for games, movies. Why in the world would anyone want to watch a movie or play games on a any smartphone is beyond me. Guess I'm an older adult that doesn't look at the smartphone as a toy. 4 inches is very good. I even liked the 3.5 inch iPhone. Serious work or play, than my home TV or computer is the answer.

theluggage said:

Phones aren't just phones any more. A large-screen phone is better for most things a smartphone does - web browsing, email, ebooks, games, maps & satnav, watching videos, note-taking etc. - and while they're a tad large for making calls they're perfectly usable for that. They're not great for one-handed texting, but for other typing purposes they're better.

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I had a Note 2, and the large screen coupled with it's UI made things slower and more difficult to accomplish versus the iPhone. For example, I couldn't navigate this forum and type out a post using just one hand.

Having Siri also makes a larger screen (or a screen period) irrelevant for some tasks.

So it really depends on your priorities - if you make a lot of voice calls then you may be better off with a small phone + a tablet when you need it. If making calls is a couple of notches down your list of priorities, then large screens make sense.

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Is that how they rationalize big phones these days?

As for the thing with "premium" models - its the large-screen phones that can take advantage of faster processors, better graphics and more storage.

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The iPhone and its 4" screen are way ahead of other smartphones when it comes to advanced processors and graphics, so I fail to see your point.

As others have said - battery life on phones like the Galaxy Note just isn't a problem - they have space for larger batteries and, at least on the Note, the battery is easily replaceable so you can carry a spare (not that I've ever found the need).

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Most people are not playing on their phone all day draining the battery every six hours. Charging it at night or every other night isn't a problem. I would rather encase my phone in a Mophie juice pack anyways than fumble with a spare battery.

I love the "phablet" form factor. It feels "just right" for me, I can watch movies and play games without squinting, I can easily type on a portrait keyboard, I can highlight text without checking my nerves, and Android really shines on that screen size.

I don't feel the need for anything between my 5.5 inch Note 2 and my 13-inch MacBook Air.

abz1981 said:

Think of this logically. If 95% of iPhone users were not happy with the current form factor of the iPhone 5 and 4s and made how unhappy they were known to apple via apple.com/feedback. Don't you think that apple would have done something by now?

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No no, this is not how it works in the Apple world.

Apple fans buy what Apple sells, and that's how the system works, and is the thing that's hard for someone to duplicate by others. Brand loyalty above all else.

Like you can have a NIKE T-Shirt and a no name one of better fabric and sewing and people will buy the NIKE one blindly.

Many people now say OMG hate large screens, the iPhone screen is perfect size.

Give it a few years, these exact same people will be using a larger screen iPhone and saying that is perfect also.

It's the way it works.

Remember a smaller tablet than 9.7" was laughed at until it happened.

It happens again and again.... Sad to watch really

It seems that the biggest benefit of having a large screen is that it saves you the money you would've otherwise spent on a tablet. It wouldn't benefit me much though, since I only use my phone for communicating and browsing the web, while my iPad takes over for everything work or entertainment related, simply because of the places Im in when I use them (I.e. Work/not work). Thankfully the iPad air is super portable for a full size tablet, and if find myself without it but feel like watching a movie, I just live with it haha.

Piggie said:

Give it a few years, these exact same people will be using a larger screen iPhone and saying that is perfect also.

It's the way it works.

Remember a smaller tablet than 9.7" was laughed at until it happened.

It happens again and again.... Sad to watch really

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No, these will be mostly android fans that are finally able to buy an iPhone that matches the size of their ego.

"My iPhone's screen is bigger than yours, therefore I must be superior." blah blah blah

deluxeshredder said:

I love the "phablet" form factor. It feels "just right" for me, I can watch movies and play games without squinting, I can easily type on a portrait keyboard, I can highlight text without checking my nerves, and Android really shines on that screen size.

I don't feel the need for anything between my 5.5 inch Note 2 and my 13-inch MacBook Air.

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We have different needs ... I just can't keep a 5.5" device in my pocket.
I hate to keep my wallet in my pocket ( I have a very slim wallet) !!!

And Samsung what just did ? Release a 5.7" device ! and for sure the next will be 5.9" because they have to be "the best" .... it's totally out of my way to see things

I had the opportunity to play with a HTC One Max last week, well the thing looks good in photo but it is UNUSABLE (as a smartphone I mean) in the hand ! It is more like going around with an iPad Mini ....