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Samsung Ups Ante In Smartphone Size Wars: 6.3 Inches
New submitter jarold writes to note that Samsung has launched two extra-large cellphones: a 6.3 inch LTE ready version, and a 5.8 inch version. "Branded as Galaxy Mega, one would struggle to fit [either in a] pocket or use it with just one hand. The good thing, it is only 8mm thin and weighs under 200 grams. More portable than a tablet, it comes with a durable polycarbonate body. Unlike most of Samsung's latest smartphones, it does not have a super AMOLED panel. Instead, it has an HD super clear LCD display, which is bright enough to please most users. It features split screen and multitasking between video and other apps."
For a phone that big, users might need to brush up on their side-talking skills.
Stop calling these phones. They are wide-screen monitors.
I heard you're idea's and their definately good.
I know that for a while people thought 4" screens were overkill, too big for people's hands, etc. I'm using a 5" Galaxy now and, while it took some getting used to, it's manageable with one hand (and I don't have large hands).
However, 6.3" just seems like a deadzone. Too big to hold in a hand and use effectively, unless you're Shaq, but smaller than a 7 or 8" tablet like the Nexus 7 or iPad mini, which perform tablet duties pretty well.
Conventional wisdom on device size has been proved wrong time and again over the last few years, so who knows? Maybe what we're seeing is devices for every size. With rumored smart watches on the way, we may have 1-2" smart watches, followed up with 3.5-6" phones, and 7-11" tablets, after which the ultrabook/laptop market takes over. Maybe every device will excel at somethings while providing enough functionality for other basics (email, media) to keep people happy.
Interesting times.
http://uk.asus.com/Tablet/Fonepad/ASUS_Fonepad/
I just bought an Asus Fonepad to replace my ageing Galaxy Note (Which is still a nice phone but too small). The Fonepad is 7" (Nexus 7 sized), and is a completely functional phone, although I haven't had to take a call yet I can imagine you will look a complete idiot.
Jen
People used to say that the Galaxy Note was too big and wouldn't be a best seller and they were blown out of the water after launch day. I'm holding out for this one.
You must be compensating for something if you have a big phone.......
The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity....Calvin
I hate this obsession with thin phones. Like holding a razorblade, just awkward. Give me phone twice as thick and heavy, with the extra volume made of battery!
Are they trying to reinvent the laptop?
Achille Talon
Hop!
Still happy using my Sony Xperia Mini precisely because it's so tiny (88mm by 52mm) I'd love to replace it with something newer/more powerful but it seems nobody is making anything even near this size anymore. I don't even want a 4" screen, let alone these monsters...
I follow Shaquille O'Neal on Twitter and his iPhone does not seem to be the right size for accurate typing :)
I fear that side-talking page has now received more attention than $DEITY ever intended.
Come on Samsung. Put the telephony part in your 40"+ TVs and call it a day. /s
Whether a phone will fit in one hand is up to its width. The 5 inch Galaxy S4 is 69,8mm wide, the 6,3 inch Galaxy Mega is 88mm. The iPad Mini has an aspect ratio of 4:3 instead of 16:9 so it's 134mm wide although it's only 0,7 inches larger in screen diagonal.
Back around the time the Nokia E90 was launched, I predicted a good smartphone would eventually be around 20x9cm with a slide-out keyboard and a large touchscreen; mainly based on the fact that I wanted something that would fit in a normal inner jacket pocket, thought the keyboard was needed and the idea of two screens (on the E90) was stupid.
I hope we'll be moving past 16:9 aspect ratio to 2:1 or something similar in the near future. The keyboard/cover on the MS Surface seems like a better idea than what I could imagine at the time. Maybe a 2014 smartphone will finally be what I wanted back in 2007.
...and I have no problem using it as a phone. I tend to use my little finger to support it underneath when talking on it, but apart from that don't really notice any difference.
I'm still not sure why people want their phones paper thin.
Personally I'd be happy with something twice as thick as a Note if it trebled the battery life, and possibly improved wireless/GPS reception.
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
The poster doesn't appear to be aware of the Sony Xperia Ultra that's been doing the rounds. It appears to be competing more with the 7" tablet part of the market than the mobile, especially as shown paired with the Bluetooth headset.
* http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z_ultra-review-944.php
although I haven't had to take a call yet I can imagine you will look a complete idiot.
I called a friend who was testing some 7" tablet as a phone. I couldn't understand why he kept giggling until I met him and he told me he felt stupid talking into something that size in public. It's kinda funny how people worry less about how comfortable it is to use than what others will think.
I don't care how thin it is, I want a bigger battery.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
And have a phone constantly reminding the self-conscious user that it's thicker than his penis/her cup?
C'mon, that's not going to happen.
Its how you use it !
Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
I'M IN A LIBRARY!!! :-)
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
not a problem man i seen huge battery's made for most phones that you can buy with a replacement backing.my buddy has one and he said he said it goes for days without charge. you will need a rooted phone so reset some power settings so it takes full advantage of the large battery.
...you can just see that in this old commerical (Swedish):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YKbb_AZysE&list=PL297D4F38934324C9
"In the future everything is bigger".
I have an S3 and have seen the S4. Instead of just making the thing bigger, then bigger, I think Samsung should focus on quality and usability. It's almost like they design it w/a computer but never do a physical mock-up to see how usable the units are.
Button placement is just bad: the power button is opposite the volume rocker, so when you (awkwardly) shut it off w/the side button, the tendency is to cancel out the button press by hitting the volume rocker. Dumb. The 4 words I utter most often when using my S3: "F&^%ing P.O.S."
Too thin. Way too thin. Very awkward to hold when talking on it. Double the thickness and use it for a better battery and use some better materials (aluminum).
Cheap, plastic-y look and feel. This is again, really bad. Just looks and feels cheap, especially compared to the newer iPhones and HTC One. You're charging us a small fortune for these things; how about spending more than 2 cents on the case?
Come on Samsung, this isn't rocket science...
If you're on verizon, Motorola makes two current gen phones that fit this description. Razr M and Razr HD. Both have exceptional battery live, and the HD Maxx has ridiculous battery life. Let's just hope the multi-carrier moto-X follows the same pattern.
7-11 noticed they could just make a bigger cup and people would buy it, in a process without end.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
in other news, these are budget versions of the Galaxy S4 series and Galaxy Note series. note the price, the LCD instead of super amoled screen, and the dual core instead of quad core. and apparently cheaper chipset on the phone (only HSPA+ 21, vs 42). no other details about the phones.
the Galaxy S4 is maxed out, nicest hardware you can get. just, not in a large size like this budget big phone. The Galaxy Note 2 is nearly as large, but has Super AMOLED screen, and quad core.
We've been through this a few times. Once upon a time portable stereos were cool, they made them as small as possible. Then people realised the really tiny ones sounded like shit so they got bigger, and bigger until 'portable' needed quotes.
Being quite anti-mobile I'm quite keen on this new trend as quite a few people who use them run out of battery so often they end up giving up and getting over their mobile phone habit so you can engage them in conversation again. It's progress.
http://rareformnewmedia.com/
is not aware that phone size is anything worth fighting about. (I still think they should build phone capability into the iPad Mini).
... It's not the size that counts. It's how you use it...
Seen them here in the Netherlands over a month ago...
Sig?
wha? His analogy was exactly correct, even the ratios are almost exact. 15/23 vs 4/6.3. By math alone, he basically made your analogy comment incorrect.
I'm not suggesting a 6.1" screen - I think it's too big to hold, but I will say that the 4.7" HTC one (larger than my previous HTC rezound/SGS/droid/razr) is visually a lot better than the 4" and smaller preceding phones, as referenced. However, even 4.7 is hard enough to use with one hand, which is a staple of most mobile devices - 6.1" would make that a guarantee in that it would be impossible to do so.
Once you have a larger size phone, it's really, really hard to go back. The difference in UI real estate and functionality is substantial.
Your nonsequitur, however, is not accurate. Nobody is implying you're putting a 23" monitor in your pocket, dumbass.
It was not so long ago that phones were shrinking over time, to the point people were asking how small they could get and still be useful. Now we're facing the *opposite* issue! What I think is happening is actually: phones and computers continue to shrink, so we've merged them. However, we want bigger and bigger screens (as other posters have mentioned). That's the only reason for the increased sizes.
wha? His analogy was exactly correct, even the ratios are almost exact. 15/23 vs 4/6.3. By math alone, he basically made your analogy comment incorrect.
GP wasn't criticizing the poster's math, but the fact that his analogy completely ignores the different use cases between desktop monitors and cell phones/portable electronics. A 15" monitor is a large step backward from 23", yes, but a 6 and a half inch phone is a step backward in portability.
The diagonal size of the screen is completely irrelevant to whether you can hold it conveniently. The width of the larger of the two phones is 88mm (3.46"). If that's too wide to hold, you must have the hands of the Gerber baby-food baby.
Settle down kids, this product is almost certainly designed primarily for a demographic that is the elephant in the room of western culture. Here in America we call them Baby Boomers; you may look down your nose and merely say, "ugh, the OLD." They will go away, children, but not as fast as you or our youth-obsessed culture may like. Be that as it may, aging eyes and fingers need devices that accommodate them and their compromised functionality. And thanks to 401k's and Social Security, their little plastic cards are just as or more valuable and profitable than those held by Gen-x, y, or z. Currently, Madison Ave. continues to treat us as Gen-ZZZ -- they sell us sleeping pills and Depends. Perhaps Samsung will bow to that culture and call these the "GetOffMyLawn Phones".
Development is programmable; Discovery is not programmable. (Fuller)
That meme pretty much bit the dust with the advent of decent bluetooth (or even wired) headsets, or integrated vehicle sets.
If a device is too big to hold comfortably to the ear, you're pretty much an idiot (or, to be redundant, a hipster) to stand there holding it that way if there's a better solution.
At this point, the only significant difference between "tablet" and "phone" should come down to pocketability and how well you can hold it.
Log in or piss off.
I always thought that these stupid 5" or 6" smart "phones" are WAY too big for anyone's hands until my latest oversea visit. I saw lots of young girls carrying these monster phones using them as if they are tablet pc. I only saw a girl making phone call on it using a head phone. That stroke me that these "phones" are too big, it is the i-what-pad or any other 10" tablet pc is WAY TOO BIG for these people.
Cue the "well, my cellphone screen is bigger than your dick!" comments from scorned women.
"...durable polycarbonate body..."
I am sorry, but why are we using terms like this here? Unless this is just an ad...
Saying something has a plastic case probably doesn't sound as good as a "durable polycarbonate body"... Obvious and stupid.
Anyway, the only problem I see with a 6.3 inch smart phone is this:
The only problem with the S3 and it's 4.7 inch screen, or likely the S4 and it's 5 inch screen is the battery.
No matter how you slice it, back lighting and running a screen that big chows down on battery life. One of the only gripes I have with my S3, is that if you actually use it, the battery life is pretty terrible as that screen sucks down all the battery energy in no time flat. Unless they have come up with some super low powered screen, or some transcending battery technology that somehow solves this issue (which I truly doubt they have), you are inherently building a flawed device from day 1. Enjoy your 6 inch cellphone that has a battery life of 2 hours.
This is convergence of Phones, Computers and Self Defense Weaponry. Hitting someone with these phones would probably cause a concussion.
Don't be a Padhole
... 6.3 inches ought to be enough for anybody.
No left turn unstoned.
At the beginning of my current Sprint contract I got a Galaxy SII. It's been a good phone, no complaints. But durring this time I also picked up my first tablet (Asus Transformer Infinity) and I now find I've backed way off on the smart functions and apps on my phone.
I think at this point I'd be happier with a smaller device that acted as a solid 4G LTE hotspot to my tablet (and a new carrier because Sprint lied through their teeth about 4G deployment in my area)
Personally, I think that if you can touch the entire surface of the screen with your thumb while holding the device in one hand then it's still useful as a phone. If not, then it's essentially a tablet.
"polycarbonate" actually means something. "plastic" could be anything from low density polyethylene to Kevlar
We return to the '80 when every one walked around with giant boom boxes on their shoulder. The difference is we will now be carrying cell phones.
I don't think you understand phone sizes. Too big to hold is referring to functionality not "can you put it in your hand". The question is, can you palm a basketball? if so, this phone is fine. If you can't? I'd be guaranteeing that this phone is probably too big for one hand thumb operation.
So while I'm sure you can support a device of any size in your hand beyond what is reasonable, whether you can operate it 1 handed is another story altogether. Phone have been getting wider and wider, although apparently you think only people with enormous hands pick up phones or something.
However, not everyone can comfortably hold a 3.46" wide phone that is 6 inches high, as that begins to get unwieldy. It's not a "simply incapable" issue. The previous generation of phones was around 65mm wide (~2.5 inches) - So that is a pretty significant difference.
C'mon man, get with the times and the JNCOs and PACOs!
Hell, those pants can fit a fucking VCR in the back pocket.
When I was a bad teen (back in the 90s,) we'd wear those to steal stuff like laptops from the mall. Those running display laptops were prime targets. Pick it up (advertised 'feel how light it is') pop it closed and slip into our back pocket, and walk out. You couldn't tel if we even had anything because you were too busy looking at our feet to see if they actually moved (since the legs in those pants were so damned big it looked like you weren't walking at all unless you were a tall person with a long gait.)
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Not everyone is a teenager.
Lawn: off!
Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
Doesn't microscrooge have a patent on 6.3?
A man spends the first half of his life accumulating stuff, the second trying to get rid of it all.
Can somebody mod this guy "insightful" ?
+1 Disagree
New from Samsung... the GALAXY MEGA!
*drops mike and walks offstage*
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I have a 7" Android Tablet that I used to use heavily. I had a Moto Droid 2 smartphone that was nice, but the bigger screen of the tablet was enough of a draw that I'd use the tablet a fair amount for personal browsing.
That all changed when I got my new phone, a Moto Razr Maxx HD. The screen is bigger and sharper than the Droid 2, just enough that the relative usability of the tablet almost disappears, and the fact that my phone already has all "my" stuff on it from earlier today is more of a draw.
My 7" tablet has been charged and ready to go for months, but I haven't picked it up even once since.
There's a balance; I think the Galaxy Note is too big, but I think that the Razr Maxx could be just a few bits bigger. If the Galaxy S3/S4 had the battery life of the Razr, I'd probably bite. However, the battery life of the Razr Maxx is so ridiculously awesome, (especially when traveling) I'd never want to give that up!
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
Instead of trying to decide on "one" device for a phone and debating whether the tablet-like screen size is more valuable than phone-sized portability and ergonomics, the debate should be about why I can't get my "cell" phone number to work on more than one device.
I can (sort of) see why cellular networks may not "work" with two or more devices with the same number, but with VoIP this really ought not be a limitation for secondary and tertiary devices.
If AT&T could make my phone work on whatever device I had (iPhone, iPad(s), even PC) then it wouldn't matter what size device I had. If I wanted easy portability and good ergonomics, I'd take my iPhone. If I wanted a bigger screen but mostly good portability, I'd take my iPad mini and possibly a bluetooth headset or headphones for taking calls. And so on.
Basically, screen size doesn't have to be a permanent choice, it can be a "What works best today?" choice.
I don't see where this hurts anybody -- I certainly wouldn't buy an iPad over an iPhone and an iPad because I could make calls on my iPad, and it's not like cell phone companies aren't looking for Yet Another Thing to charge you for.
It's not always about bigger print, I get a big screen with smaller print so I can scroll less.
I'm 5'9" and I wear almost nothing but jeans and jean shorts most days. I don't wear skin-tight jeans, but neither am I wearing "fat guy" jeans... they fit "right" in my eyes: no struggle to button, but they're far from cargo pants territory.
My Nexus 7 TABLET fits in the BACK POCKET of my pants without struggling to get it in and out. It's actually comfortable there (aside from the weight, which is a bit much and tries to pull my pants down). Now, yes, that's only true if I'm standing up... sitting ain't happening... this "phone" (phablet I guess is the term they invented?) should fit just as well as it's smaller.
I'm a large guy at 6'1" and I also wear comfortable clothing...I currently own a Note II and it will be nigh impossible for me to ever go back to a screen size that is not at least comparable to this one. Larger than the 5.5" that my phone currently offers may be pushing it but for some who use their back pocket or for women who don't store their phone in a pocket, I can see this being extremely useful. For example, my mother is getting older and has difficulty seeing the keyboard on smaller phones so she purchased a Note II and she loves it. She can use it somewhat like a tablet while also easily being able to type, call people, etc.
All I'm pointing out is that for many people, portability is a non-issue and functionality becomes the most critical aspect of their purchase. To each his/her own.
fits in pocket - check (it's actually only about 1cm longer than my 5.1" Note, not wider, a bit thicker)
fits in hand - check
thumb-navigable - 80%:
- I can reach a tad less than half the screen while holding it securely one handed; and that's the area of the screen where most interaction goes on: typing, scrolling dialing...
- I can reach the whole screen one-handed while.. not... holding it securely
- I do have 2 hands, so having to occasionally use the second one is not a catastrophe. My nose is going a bit more unpicked, though.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
I'd never put my phone in my back pocket, for fear of sitting on it. It does in the front, and nobody ever noticed it. And no, it's not being overshadowed nor given extra rooms by having an overly large or tiny neighbour.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
this is not reddit. are you trying to bring down quality on this site?
Too bad for Samsung, since most tech articles are stating that manufacturers are planning to go small again -that the current "SUPER SIZED" effort isn't doing anything - and pointing to sales numbers of Samsung levelling off in the super sized screen category. Great news - because a 6.x" screen on a phone is RIDICULOUS!!! and is now no longer a functional phone (let me hold my netbook up to my ear - how does it look?) Stupid is as stupid does - as long as the stupid buyer bears it