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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
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 :)
Come on Samsung. Put the telephony part in your 40"+ TVs and call it a day. /s
...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.
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.
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...
At this size, doubling the thickness to add a slide-out hardware keyboard probably makes sense, it would be pretty easy to type on compared to a Blackberry. Could probably also increase battery life considerably with the extra space.
Of course I'm looking forward to the day when I can use my 15" laptop as a "clamshell" phone... I'm surprised how close we are to that being some sort of reality.
BlameBillCosby.com
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.
"...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.
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.
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.