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Why all Smartphones will Eventually be the size of the iPhone 6 Plus

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booksbooks

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Aug 28, 2013
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Something is about to happen so read on...

We've seen how well larger screened phones from Android have sold. Especially the Galaxy Note and even the smaller yet larger than iPhone Galaxy S series.

Like many of you, it was a tough decision to jump up to the Plus right away from an older iPhone (5S) because the screen size and device size is so much larger. The 4.7" iPhone 6 is a much smoother transition to be sure. But I believe that the 6 is a cop out of sorts (hyperbole intended). Here are my predictions and why if you're debating the 4.7" iPhone 6 or the 6 Plus, why you should make the leap to the Plus, the Mike Tyson of smartphones:

  • Samsung ushered in the larger screened smartphone with Note and it's sold a ton. All Android handset makers have been transitioning to making large screened phones. People are buying them. The market has spoken;
  • Having a larger screen is so much better for more applications, including movie watching, surfing the Web, etc. But here's something even more tangible: for instance, the Volkswagen Golf with the in-dash flat screen head deck... I held my Plus up to it: It's effectively the exact same size! I use a car mount and my iPhone 6 Plus acts as my flat screen head deck. It's big enough to serve this purpose. I was stuck in traffic the other day and fired up Netflix. Blow away;
  • Going from the previous point, convergence in technology is what wins out. We had mainframe computers, then personal computers, then laptops. We had Palm Pilots and flip phones and MP3 players and point and shoot cameras. They converged into a smartphone. We had large tablet computers and small smartphones. Now we have a convergence: Phablets. A device that may just replace the need for even a tablet. It seems inevitable that jumbo smartphones are the future and will replace small smartphones and even tablets for people in some cases. Smartphones, even jumbo ones, fit in our pockets and go everywhere with us. Tablets don't;
  • Here's probably the kicker: the coming smartwatches. If you're a Plus owner think about this. The smartphone watch is an extension of your phone. It will enable you to not have to pull out your phone as much. Your phone is going to serve as a bit of a mainframe for that thing on your wrist. When you need the phone, you really need something with a large screen that is powerful. You already will then have something with a small screen that fills the gaps. I believe that the Apple Watch coupled with the iPhone 6 Plus will be a one-two punch that will further serve to make obsolete smaller smartphones like the iPhone 6.
 
Surf Monkey said:
No, but the industry follows an overall size trend.
Click to expand...

But they will not all be one size. They will not all be 5.5 inch screens. Most people in fact do not want phones that big. That's why the Samsung GS5 outsells the note, and the 6 will outsell the 6 Plus. Anyway, iPhone had the one of the smallest screen at 4 inches, the rest were already ahead of Apple. People prefer choice, not a one size fits all model.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
617aircav said:
The size trend has steady been established. It's not new. There will be large phones and smaller phones. One size will never fit all.
Click to expand...

I didn't disagree, however size trends are significant whether you choose to recognize it or not. It wasn't that long ago that the race was for the smallest phone possible and the 3.5 inch iPhone was considered gargantuan by the industry.
 
Surf Monkey said:
I didn't disagree, however size trends are significant whether you choose to recognize it or not. It wasn't that long ago that the race was for the smallest phone possible and the 3.5 inch iPhone was considered gargantuan by the industry.
Click to expand...
I agree that size of phones have become bigger. Is it a cycle? Will they become smaller when new technology comes along? Carrying a device is just a transition to newer technology. Occular implants, etc in the future will make carrying such big devices meaningless.
 
Nilay at the Verge tried to say this about the iPhone too on the Vergecast. It's complete nonsense. A phablet would be a nightmare at the gym or on the beach. Plus I need to quickly use my phone with one hand often.
 
darngooddesign said:
I can't operate the Plus with one hand so I will never buy a phone of that size.
Click to expand...

Which is great for you. Many others have no problem operating it with one hand. The point isn't so much that every single phone ever made will be 5.5 in the future, but that the trend will be towards bigger screens as supplimentary small wearable screens become more mainstream.

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wxman2003 said:
I agree that size of phones have become bigger. Is it a cycle? Will they become smaller when new technology comes along? Carrying a device is just a transition to newer technology. Occular implants, etc in the future will make carrying such big devices meaningless.
Click to expand...

The assumption being that everyone will want surgical implants. Pretty big assumption. Not one I'd make.
 
Well I say they will be 4.7" and bigger but not all will be 5.5" or bigger.

Also my 6 will do everything with the watch that the 6+ will. It's also outselling the 6+ at least 3to1. Which I know is because of the supply constraint at least some...

But at the end of the day the 6 will still outsell the 6+
 
booksbooks said:
Why all Smartphones will eventually be the size of the iPhone 6 Plus
Click to expand...

bridesmaid11.gif


God I sure hope not, that would really suck :(

Personally I don't think it would happen since manufacturers are always looking to corner different niches of the market. For example there aren't many compact phones with flagship specs, so Sony came out with the Z3 compact to corner that market.
 
"Why all Smartphones will Eventually be the size of the iPhone 6 Plus"

Surf Monkey said:
Which is great for you. Many others have no problem operating it with one hand. The point isn't so much that every single phone ever made will be 5.5 in the future, but that the trend will be towards bigger screens as supplimentary small wearable screens become more mainstream.
Click to expand...

Your thread title shows that you think all smartphones will be 5.5", not that they are just going to get bigger.
 
I really, really like my 6 Plus. That being said, if Apple comes out with a phone with a 5 to 5.5-inch screen in a smaller casing, I will be all over that phone in a minute. There will always be those who prefer smaller screen sizes but I do believe the sweet spot trend is moving toward a larger screen and, like it or not, we can thank Android innovation, not Apple, for that trend. After using my 6 Plus for a week+, I understand the enthusiastic response the Note has received and readily admit I am embracing the form factor I once ridiculed.:eek:
 
Surf Monkey said:
Which is great for you. Many others have no problem operating it with one hand. The point isn't so much that every single phone ever made will be 5.5 in the future, but that the trend will be towards bigger screens as supplimentary small wearable screens become more mainstream.

----------



The assumption being that everyone will want surgical implants. Pretty big assumption. Not one I'd make.
Click to expand...

Don't even need implants. Chip could be embedded on a contact lens. Could be embedded under your skin. Could be a foldable wafer thin screen. In 20 years, I would venture to say all of these devices will look silly and we will wonder why we carried such beasts.
 
wxman2003 said:
Don't even need implants. Chip could be embedded on a contact lens. Could be embedded under your skin. Could be a foldable wafer thin screen. In 20 years, I would venture to say all of these devices will look silly and we will wonder why we carried such beasts.
Click to expand...

Know why people almost always place their predictions 20 years in the future? Because practically ANYTHING can happen by 20 years from now.
 
darngooddesign said:
"Why all Smartphones will Eventually be the size of the iPhone 6 Plus"



Your thread title shows that you think all smartphones will be 5.5", not that they are just going to get bigger.
Click to expand...

You guys are taking the title too literally. This is an Apple site. The title is really in reference to jumbo smartphones/phablets. The Plus is a reference. Chill out.
 
While I don't disagree that the iPhone 6 may be the smallest its going to be I doubt very seriously that the Plus will be the minimum size. Just because Apple finally stepped up and made larger phones does not mean that everyone wants phablet size phones. They just filled a market niche that up until now have ignored.

The majority of Android users I would think use S5 size phones which are basically the same size as the 6. And they have been selling larger phones much longer than Apple and their entire market is not using the Note. Why the need to force everyone to buy larger phones just because one segment of the market prefers them? You Plus users need to get over yourselves and your "we are the smart trendsetters" attitude.
 
Hal~9000 said:
Image

God I sure hope not, that would really suck :(

Personally I don't think it would happen since manufacturers are always looking to corner different niches of the market. For example there aren't many compact phones with flagship specs, so Sony came out with the Z3 compact to corner that market.
Click to expand...

Hah that lady kinda looks like my wife and she would likely have the same response. One of the few times I've seen her upset is when I told her earlier this year that Apple was moving to big screen sizes.
 
There will never be only one size smartphone. Just look at the diversity of laptops out there.

But yeah I do believe the future belongs to the smartphone. They certainly are more personal than a pc will ever be and they will continue to grow more powerful until they are even powerful enough to replace a laptop. Need a bigger screen? Just plug an external monitor into it. Isn't that just ideal? One device for everything.

If someone told me I would be paying my bills on a phone 10 years ago I would've laughed in their face, yet that is the world we live in today. Who knows what will be capable in 20-30 years when the smartphone generation (the ones growing up with them right now) starts dictating the course of technology.
 
Every smartphone will eventually be the size of the 6 Plus? Most consumers are NOT interested in a smartphone the size of a toaster! Bigfoot (6 Plus) may be right for SOME, but certainly not the majority of consumers. Glad to see that some of you are tipsy from Apple's Kool-Aid.
 
Aren't your last 2 points a bit contradictory?

You are saying phablets make senses because they are turning two devices (phone and tablet) into one single device.

But then your are saying smart watches will be great companions for them, I.e. They will create the need for your to acquire a second device.

To each their own but personally if I have to have 2 devices I prefer having a 9 in tablet for really comfortable use at home and while traveling, and a more pocketable phone.
 
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