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iPhone 4 vs. Samsung Infuse 4G
- Thread starter blairh
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Agreed. 90% pocket. This should be the primary influence in dictating the form factor of a pocketable mobile device. Apple has achieved balance with the current size.
The iPhone is no small nugget in a pocket as it is. Imagining the Samsung in my pocket seems absurd.
Apple's main target market is the average consumer. Not a tech geek. They don't target people who watch movies all day long on their iPhone. (Hense why they have the iPad for those specific needs)
The average consumer is perfectly happy with a 3.5" screen, and the majority of people will say the smaller (Phone build wise) the better. Not the opposite.
The average consumer is perfectly happy with a 3.5" screen, and the majority of people will say the smaller (Phone build wise) the better. Not the opposite.
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one who actually likes the size and thinks it is a good balance between usable screen size and pocketable device size (In response to the above replies).
I'm all for retaining the shape of the current iPhone (WxHxD) however I completely disagree that 3.5" is the sweet spot. I find it to be entirely too small at this point.
What I do see happening in future iPhone models is that the screen will get bigger but the dimensions of the phone itself will remain intact (aside from potentially getting thinner). If the iPhone 5/4S has a 4" screen however is not any bigger than the current iPhone 4, no one will complain.
A lot of people who say that 3.5" is the right size or that they don't want a bigger screen are afraid of bigger phones in total size (like a Droid X, or in Steve's words "hummers") which the iPhone will clearly never become. It's just a question of increasing the screen size but keeping that current form factor in place. That's the natural evolution of the iPhone.
What I do see happening in future iPhone models is that the screen will get bigger but the dimensions of the phone itself will remain intact (aside from potentially getting thinner). If the iPhone 5/4S has a 4" screen however is not any bigger than the current iPhone 4, no one will complain.
A lot of people who say that 3.5" is the right size or that they don't want a bigger screen are afraid of bigger phones in total size (like a Droid X, or in Steve's words "hummers") which the iPhone will clearly never become. It's just a question of increasing the screen size but keeping that current form factor in place. That's the natural evolution of the iPhone.
Blair:
You have a good point, but I think technically it would be impossible to fit a 4" screen in the same iphone size, unless the aspect ratio is changed. The bezel is needed as there has to be a place internally to hold the screen and sides of the phone.
You have a good point, but I think technically it would be impossible to fit a 4" screen in the same iphone size, unless the aspect ratio is changed. The bezel is needed as there has to be a place internally to hold the screen and sides of the phone.
You could fit a 5" screen on the current iPhone if technology allowed for it. That's the distance diagonally from corner to corner on the iPhone 4.
I really don't think fitting a 4" screen on the current iPhone 4 would be difficult or affect the current height and width. Of course we'll just have to wait and see. Apple knows exactly what it's doing. They will increase the screen size over time and keep the form factor that has been with us pretty much since the original iPhone (sans thickness of course).
Thats because you have no idea how it is put together and are just measuring the face. If it would work then why would all the other phones make their phones overall size bigger along with the screen?
If iPhone gets at least a 4" screen, the whole phone will be a little bigger too. Pretty sure it will get wider. Jobs may opt to only make it 3.7-3.8" and try to keep it very close to the same overall size.
Right, how many flips do you see these days? Sorry, I dont agree with you on that. I wanted a bigger screen and i pretty much never watch movies on mine. I mean i have before but didnt care for it on such a small screen.
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Everyone has their own opinions and that's fine.
Flip phones aren't really made much anymore (And rarely ever advertised), and the majority of people want smartphones these days. (Since it's the new big thing) People don't want to carry around big devices, but they do still want a smartphone and Apple has done a very good job giving the consumer both.
I wouldn't consider you as an 'average consumer' as you're on a forum about iPhones. The majority of iPhone users are not on forums, and really don't care, nor (Probably) know much about the competition of Apple. They purchase an iPhone and in 2 years when there contract is up, they'll either upgrade or keep using that same device.
I don't ever see Apple increasing the size of the device, at least not anytime soon. The phone will just keep getting slimmer and slimmer (possibly smaller) but maintaining that 3.5-4" screen. (That is if they find a way to use a 4" screen with the current body size)
If you want a bigger screen, there are other options besides the iPhone that may satisfy your needs more. It won't be with Apple, but you still have options.
Apple would be silly to increase the screen size of the screen to 4.3" and make the device a lot bigger to attend to the 'geek' target market. When in reality, they only make up for a small percentage of their total sales. A possibly bigger device could push people away. We all know Apple is one of the best at marketing, so I'm positive they could sell it, but at what cost? Apple has already thought about all these options, and they do what's best for everyone, not just a specific target market. So under that, I wouldn't place any bets on a bigger phone. We could possibly see a jump in screen size from anywhere between 3.6-4 inches but that's as far as it will go.
You say that only the geeks buy the 4.0 or larger screens..yet android is tearing apple a new one in growth and most of the android growth is coming from screens bigger than apples 3.5inch. The truth is most iphone users would love a larger screen. In fact most iphone/apple users would love to have 1 main thing...CHOICE. Why does apple have to limit their phone to just 1 size? Make a 3.5, a 4 and a 4.5. Give customer something they want. Choice. Many android users were once iphone users. And i would guess that every android user has tried out the iphone several times. Why do you think so many people are choosing a non apple phone? Its probably has something to do with choice. Customers want widgets. Customers want different form factors. We get bored with the same thing day in and day out forever. The way apple has treated the iphone has been to try to convince customers they dont need something until apple decides to give it to us. Remember the original iphone not being 3g? Remember the original iphone not being able to send MMS without jailbraking ans using swirly mms? Remember the camera on the original iphone. Or the camera on the 3g? Or 3gs? Remember wanting different wallpaper on the iphone? Remember wanting folders on the iphone?
Tech evolves. Apple is going to be forced to evolve by the competition. They will make the changes or their product will be the ones for the "geeks". The iphone will become a niche product if they are not careful. Lose the arrogance and give customers choice.
I know you will say you have choice....white or black..
But the choice people are starting to make is to android.
Just me .02 rant.
Lose the arrogance and give customers choice.
I know you will say you have choice....white or black..
But the choice people are starting to make is to android.
Just me .02 rant.
I don't really want to comment on the rest because I don't want to start a discussion, but what I will say is the consumer does in fact have a choice. Yes Android could be one of those choice, another being the blackberry. If the iPhone doesn't fit your needs, purchase something that does. You have the ultimate choice in the end, and you can't blame Apple for being 'slow' on doing things. They release a phone almost every year, which is reasonable. They want to fully saturate the market. If a phone was released every 4 months, consumers may decide to wait another couple months before making the purchase which will effect sales.
Comparing Android to Apple is unfair and not a true comparison as Android has multiple different companies using their OS. Apple creates everything themselves and they only allow their software on their phones. A more fair comparison would be Apple to Samsung in the mobile industry for example.
I remember a few months ago everyone wanted an iPhone 'Mini', which I found sorta funny as how people are now complaining about how the screen is to small and they want bigger.
If you're not satisfied with the iPhone, and Apple... YOU have options and YOU can make your own choices on what you buy. It's your money, and you purchase what suits you the most.
You also have to remember that making the iPhone bigger (I.E being 4.3 or 4.5 inches) you start to cut into the iPad's sales. If you already own a decently large screen, is there really a need for the iPad? All these little things could possibly affect the outcome number of sales... and believe me... I'm sure they know that, as any company in sales would know every detail about the market.
At the end of the day, it's a phone. Buy which one is best for you, and in a year or two, that phone will be history. Mine spends about 80% of the day in my pocket, so for me, a bigger phone would not be ideal.
I will say that 3.5 is starting to be on the small side even for your normal consumer.
My mom and my sister who both own iPhones 4 like the screen size of my Atrix and both commented on how they wish their phones screen was slightly larger. My phone is just a hairs bit bigger than their phone and still very pocketable.
It is smaller than the Samsung Blackjack in the past which a lot of people loved so that goes to show you that the phone size can increase with out an issue. Blackjack had a lot of normal common people who loved them.
Now I am not a normal person but more of a tech junky so I do not fall in that group of larger size but my mom and sister do fall in the group.
The sweet spot is 4-4.3 inch. 3.5 inch is consider small. You can easily get to 4in in size with out any real increase in the size of the phone. The iPhone has a huge amount of wasted space on the front.
When moms and sisters even think the iPhone screen is too small, Apple better wake up.
I'm very confident that Apple can (and will) eventually fit a 4" screen on the current form of the iPhone. I don't think it will be any wider than what we have now. In fact I bet they could even reach 4.3" or 4.5" and not get any bigger. The key is they have to eliminate most of the top and bottom black bezel to do so. You are convinced that a larger screen absolutely means a larger phone, and I disagree. Like I said before the current iPhone measures 5" from one corner diagonally to the other. Now I don't expect a 5" iPhone screen anytime soon, but I absolutely expect a larger screen as the natural evolution of the phone itself.
And to everyone else saying 3.5" is the "right size", I'm sorry but you're wrong. It may be sufficient for you right now, but like I said before in previous posts, the screen will get bigger in due time and the iPhone will retain the current form factor. They will not follow the trend of larger phones. If someone wants a larger phone, they have plenty of non-Apple options. With respect to Width/Height/Depth, the only dimension that I see changing in future iPhone's is depth. I think we all agree that the current iPhone is very comfortable to hold and use, even with one hand. Apple won't mess with that.
Played with this and this is a nice nice device although it is HSPA+ 14Mbps. I saw 12Mbps in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That pretty fast!
I travel from Dallas to Los Angeles monthly, both 4G LTE cities
With the fact that apple will not have a LTE iphone until mid 2012/2013, i find this unacceptable since us folks in the big Cities have LTE now, it is super fast and unlimited thru VZW and even when a LTE iphone i am sure apple will figure out a way to gimp the LTE radio somehow in order to create a buzz for the 2014 iphone................
Android currently is the only option for us folks in big major cities that want LTE and as of lately Android is becoming a pretty darn good option.
Not having LTE 4G in the iphone 4S/iphone 5 will hurt apple in the long run and will cause Android to continue growing and gaining more market share!
First and foremost, I believe that I'm what some people call an Apple Fan Boy -- though I'm way far from being a boy. I've used Apple products since the first Mac 512. I broke my Sprint contract 2.5 years ago so that I could buy an iPhone 3G (yes, I didn't go for the first iPhones). I also waited until the iPad 2 was released because I wanted the cameras and the HDMI connection.
Two and half years with the iPhone 3G marked the end of my love affair with iPhones. I have now owned the Samsung Infuse 4G for 2 weeks and cannot believe how easy it was to make the switch. The apps I had in the iPhone are in this Android phone. The size is not an issue for me at all. I can handle it with one hand just fine, and I have regular size hands. The screen, well, everyone already said it here. Nothing to add. The phone is so light and thin that I find myself feeling my pants pockets throughout the day to make sure I have not dropped it. Even when I wear jeans, the phone fits nicely and comfortably.
First impressions...
Calls sound better than on the iPhone. I have the same people calling from their same phones and locations and providers, but on the Infuse, the sound I hear is clearer than before.
Some apps work better, it seems. I use Orb Live a lot to stream my large music library. On the iPhone the app used to time out and stop very often. On the Infuse it has not happened once yet.
Jailbreaking is so much easier. Also, installing apps from third-party vendors is not an issue. Even if AT&T blocks an app, you can still install it but turning the phone to airplane mode and downloading the app via wi-fi. I've done that. It works.
I'm still an Apple fan boy who will wait for the iPhone 6, if Apple decides to embrace 4G technology.
Of course this note is not intended to flame anyone. I'm just sharing my first-hand impressions with other fellow Apple aficionados.
Peace.
I've used Apple products since the first Mac 512. I broke my Sprint contract 2.5 years ago so that I could buy an iPhone 3G (yes, I didn't go for the first iPhones). I also waited until the iPad 2 was released because I wanted the cameras and the HDMI connection. Two and half years with the iPhone 3G marked the end of my love affair with iPhones. I have now owned the Samsung Infuse 4G for 2 weeks and cannot believe how easy it was to make the switch. The apps I had in the iPhone are in this Android phone. The size is not an issue for me at all. I can handle it with one hand just fine, and I have regular size hands. The screen, well, everyone already said it here. Nothing to add. The phone is so light and thin that I find myself feeling my pants pockets throughout the day to make sure I have not dropped it. Even when I wear jeans, the phone fits nicely and comfortably.
First impressions...
Calls sound better than on the iPhone. I have the same people calling from their same phones and locations and providers, but on the Infuse, the sound I hear is clearer than before.
Some apps work better, it seems. I use Orb Live a lot to stream my large music library. On the iPhone the app used to time out and stop very often. On the Infuse it has not happened once yet.
Jailbreaking is so much easier. Also, installing apps from third-party vendors is not an issue. Even if AT&T blocks an app, you can still install it but turning the phone to airplane mode and downloading the app via wi-fi. I've done that. It works.
I'm still an Apple fan boy who will wait for the iPhone 6, if Apple decides to embrace 4G technology.
Of course this note is not intended to flame anyone. I'm just sharing my first-hand impressions with other fellow Apple aficionados.
Peace.
Coming from a Droid X which has a similar size screen, after awhile you really don't notice the size anymore and consider it a average size screen. However, when you grab a iPhone or other smartphone with a smaller screen, it seems unbearably small.
This effect goes away though, sold my X to get a an iPhone 4.
A big reason I switched to an iPhone was because of the stability of the OS, but thats a whole other story
My 3GS & 4 are not that stable with the latest update. I lose network connectivity and have to go into airplane mode and back out to make it work again. It does it if it's jailbroken or not. The phone is just plain slooooow.
Frankly I'm sick of Apple controlling everything and not fixing things they should have - notifications for one.
I'm off later today to go see if our store has an Infuse. Worst case, I give it back in 30 days and keep using the 4 and see how iOS 5 is this fall.
I am debating this question for the last week. Infuse or iPhone 4. I just switched to AT&T and have the white 4 right now. I am seriously considering getting the Infuse. I have major trouble reading some of the font sizes in some of the apps on the iPhone, and in some parts of the OS. I use reading glasses, but I don't want to uses them every time I have to look at my phone. That gets old really quickly. Ugh.
At the very least I would wait for the Samsung Galaxy S II (not the Infuse) which will be announced for the U.S. on Aug 29th...
Android needs a Netflix streaming app in the worst way
SuperAMOLED+ at 4.5 inches is absolutely beautiful though...
Er, Netflix is available for Android. I have it on my Infuse.
On a related note, if you trust Consumer Reports, you should see its latest issue. It rated the Samsung Infuse 4G as the #1 choice for AT&T customers.
