The Galaxy Note 2 Should Be Bigger

[SomeDudeAsking]

Having used the Galaxy Note 2 for the past few weeks, I feel that it should have an even bigger screen than its current 5.5 inches. I think a 6 inch screen is definitely doable for a future Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note 2 does not at all feel big to me. By itself, it feels like a good size and I would definitely buy a Galaxy Note 3 or Note 4 with an even larger screen. I have no problems fitting it in my pockets or typing on the phone.

It is only when compared to something that is too small like the iPhones does it look big. I still can't believe that I tormented myself with the small screens of the iPhones all these years. It is really jarring when I look back at my iPhone. The iPhone now looks all out of portion with huge bezels.

Having tasted the freedom of the better screens on Android phones and the much more powerful Android software, I can never go back to iOS or the iPhone.

 

[F123D]

I agree, it doesn't feel big and fits in my pocket fine. It's comfortable to hold and isn't tiresome after long periods (even on calls). However, 6 inches? I don't know..

I wouldn't be surprised if next years Note was a 5.7" or something.. but 5.5" is plenty of screen.

 

[strausd]

I have been reading a lot of reviews on the Note 2 and people seem to love it. I have a 4S right now and am making the switch to a Nexus 4. So the screen jump will be huge for me. My plan is that sometime next year, if I like the Nexus 4, I will be upgrading to something with LTE and an awesome battery. I will most likely be going with the GS4 or GN3. The thing I was worried about most was it fitting in my pocket, but it is nice to hear you are having no problems with that.

 

[Ddyracer]

I agree, it doesn't feel big and fits in my pocket fine. It's comfortable to hold and isn't tiresome after long periods (even on calls). However, 6 inches? I don't know..

I wouldn't be surprised if next years Note was a 5.7" or something.. but 5.5" is plenty of screen.

People probably said the same thing about a 4 inch phone. Skeptical they was, and look at the smartphones sizes today.

I like my 3.5 tiny baby iPhone though. Jumping from 3 to 5 or 6 makes more sense to me.

Basically, for me I lose the one handed use with the 4 inch. But a five inch phone gives you awesome real estate so I think in the end it makes more sense.

Keep in mind my hands are a little over 6 inches from wrist to middle finger.

 

[zbarvian]

You've gotta be kidding me. Where do you guys draw the line?

 

[maflynn]

If the 5" phone is not big enough, then I recommend a 7" tablet with skype, you can make calls and have the larger form factor you wish.

Personally for a phone, the Note is too large for my hands and pockets but to each his own

 

[mattopotamus]

People probably said the same thing about a 4 inch phone. Skeptical they was, and look at the smartphones sizes today.

I like my 3.5 tiny baby iPhone though. Jumping from 3 to 5 or 6 makes more sense to me.

Basically, for me I lose the one handed use with the 4 inch. But a five inch phone gives you awesome real estate so I think in the end it makes more sense.

Keep in mind my hands are a little over 6 inches from wrist to middle finger.

I actually find the iphone 5 harder to use with 1 hand than larger android phones b.c of the proportions. Reaching the top right corner is really hard for me.

 

[theluggage]

Having used the Galaxy Note 2 for the past few weeks, I feel that it should have an even bigger screen than its current 5.5 inches.

I think the good thing about the current Note's size is that it still passes the 'shirt pocket' test and is still usable as a phone. Any bigger than that and you'll risk finding yourself picking your wardrobe to match your phone. Too much bigger and you may as well get a 7" tablet.

I think my suggestion for the Note 3 would be to drop the physical Home button and the silly touch-sensitive Menu/Back buttons* and enable the Nexus-style on-screen versions. That might let them cram in a 6" screen without increasing the overall size too much.

(* I like my Note but... 'menu'/'back' buttons that are invisible until after you have pressed them? So sensitive that if you try and hand the phone to someone they will accidentally press 'back' and lose whatever it was you were trying to show them? Please. At least they could have made the Menu button light up whenever there was a menu available).

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Too much bigger and you start cannibalizing sales of 7" tablets. So my guess is we're probably on the outer limit of where phones are going to be as long as the 7" tablet market keeps chugging along.

 

[cynics]

The Note 2 isn't as gigantic as people make it out to be.

It's 1.0x" taller, 0.8x" wider, and 0.07" thinker then the iPhone 5. While comparatively speaking that's big but its not like you need a wheel barrel to move it around. Keep in mind the iPhone 5 is considered a small phone anyway.

Compared to the S3 which I don't own but have used its only mildly bigger. So I could see them making the Note 3 a bit bigger. Hopefully the are able to increase the screen without changing the dimensions too much. The Razr M is the closest we have to a bezel-less phone which is similar and in some dimensions smaller then the iPhone 5 but with a larger 4.3" screen.

 

[theluggage]

Too much bigger and you start cannibalizing sales of 7" tablets. So my guess is we're probably on the outer limit of where phones are going to be as long as the 7" tablet market keeps chugging along.

There might be a niche for a Note 7 tablet, though.

Personally, I still see the 7" format as "too big to be a phone, too small to be a tablet". 5.5" will fit in your shirt pocket, 10" is big enough for a near-full-sized keyboard, 7" is neither. A 7" tablet with s-pen might, however, be interesting - I'm gradually getting the knack of writing on the Note 2 and starting to see it as a viable input method.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

There might be a niche for a Note 7 tablet, though.

Personally, I still see the 7" format as "too big to be a phone, too small to be a tablet". 5.5" will fit in your shirt pocket, 10" is big enough for a near-full-sized keyboard, 7" is neither. A 7" tablet with s-pen might, however, be interesting - I'm gradually getting the knack of writing on the Note 2 and starting to see it as a viable input method.

Maybe. At 1.5" bigger there's not going to be much draw for the tablet over the phone unless the price is in the Nexus 7 levels.....which Samsung just can't hit without being subsidized by Google.

 

[ChrisTX]

There's been rumors, and speculation that the next Note 10.1 will carry phone functionality with it.

 

[theluggage]

There's been rumors, and speculation that the next Note 10.1 will carry phone functionality with it.

Dom Joly will buy one!

Seriously, though - if you had a 10" tablet with phone functionality via a Bluetooth earpiece - so you didn't have to hold the tablet up to your ear (or even take it out of the bag, maybe) then it might start to make more sense.

Imagine the Note 10.1 sitting in your lap, bluetooth in your ear, making notes with the s-pen... It's also one solution to the headache of SIM-juggling or tethering to get phone + mobile data.

 

[Vitrum]

Wow. Just wow !

 

[MF878]

With the rumors of 5 inches exactly for the S4, I think you'll find the Note 3 also gets marginally bigger (5.7 - 6.0) in order to maintain a reasonable difference.

 

[hyteckit]

I think they should have a 6" galaxy note.

From 5.5" to 6" isn't going to change the physical size much.

 

[Diiiiips]

I actually find the iphone 5 harder to use with 1 hand than larger android phones b.c of the proportions. Reaching the top right corner is really hard for me.

Wow.

I want everybody with an iPhone 5 try and reach the right hand corner with it placed in one hand. Ridiculously easy.

 

[mattopotamus]

Wow.

I want everybody with an iPhone 5 try and reach the right hand corner with it placed in one hand. Ridiculously easy.

I'm a lefty so hold it with my left hand. I guess the equivalent would be reaching the top left for you. I cannot do it. Apples idea is that you can reach every part of the phone with 1 hand. I cannot, so the smaller screen is irrelevant

 

[bembol]

6"? Why not, as long as it doesn't get wider which was the problem with the first Note.

The reason why Apple is obsessed with the thumb is because they lock their icons, I can easily use my Note II with one hand.

 

[3bs]

I think the good thing about the current Note's size is that it still passes the 'shirt pocket' test and is still usable as a phone. Any bigger than that and you'll risk finding yourself picking your wardrobe to match your phone. Too much bigger and you may as well get a 7" tablet.

I think my suggestion for the Note 3 would be to drop the physical Home button and the silly touch-sensitive Menu/Back buttons* and enable the Nexus-style on-screen versions. That might let them cram in a 6" screen without increasing the overall size too much.

(* I like my Note but... 'menu'/'back' buttons that are invisible until after you have pressed them? So sensitive that if you try and hand the phone to someone they will accidentally press 'back' and lose whatever it was you were trying to show them? Please. At least they could have made the Menu button light up whenever there was a menu available).

The on screen buttons would take away some of that real estate anyway and on stock OS you can't hide or remove them AFAIK.

The menu and back buttons also light up when you touch the screen on AOSP ROMs and I prefer it that way. I do agree that they are very annoying because they always get pressed when handing a phone to someone.

 

[theluggage]

The on screen buttons would take away some of that real estate anyway and on stock OS you can't hide or remove them AFAIK.

Yes - it would be a zero-sum game, but I think 'soft' buttons would be better - the current "hard" touch-sensitive buttons are the worst of both worlds.

I've only played briefly with "stock" JellyBean, but I got the impression that the menu button got greyed out unless there was a menu to show (that would address one UI flaw of Android). Some clue what the back button was going to do (e.g. the icon of the App it was going to take you to) would be a nice tweak on future Androids.

 

[cynics]

Dom Joly will buy one!

Seriously, though - if you had a 10" tablet with phone functionality via a Bluetooth earpiece - so you didn't have to hold the tablet up to your ear (or even take it out of the bag, maybe) then it might start to make more sense.

Imagine the Note 10.1 sitting in your lap, bluetooth in your ear, making notes with the s-pen... It's also one solution to the headache of SIM-juggling or tethering to get phone + mobile data.

I don't have a Bluetooth to test out but what happens when you pair a Bluetooth and use VOIP on an android tablet? Or an an iPad for that matter?

 

[3bs]

Yes - it would be a zero-sum game, but I think 'soft' buttons would be better - the current "hard" touch-sensitive buttons are the worst of both worlds.

I've only played briefly with "stock" JellyBean, but I got the impression that the menu button got greyed out unless there was a menu to show (that would address one UI flaw of Android). Some clue what the back button was going to do (e.g. the icon of the App it was going to take you to) would be a nice tweak on future Androids.

When you're not using them they turn into faint white dots but they're still occupying space. Don't get me wrong I'm with you, I definitely prefer the on screen buttons! I'm just pointing out that they will take away screen real estate so a 4.7" phone like the Nexus 4 shouldn't really be said to be 4.7".

 

[theluggage]

I don't have a Bluetooth to test out but what happens when you pair a Bluetooth and use VOIP on an android tablet? Or an an iPad for that matter?

I've just got some Bluetooth headphones and it works with Skype. Not sure about the quality of the mic though - but that's probably down to the <£20 headphones (although the audio playback quality is good for the price).

Was going to try it on my iPad but I when I tried to update Skype the App Store threw a wobbly. Not sure what that's about... my iPad is probably having a snit because I've been cheating with that tart of an Android phone.