I find myself going back and forth repeatedly... from iPhone 3GS to iPhone 5 (++) to iPhone 4s (--) to iPhone 6 Plus (++) to iPhone X (--) to iPhone XS Max (++). Sounds crazy I know, but there are good reasons for my crazy smartphone size rollercoaster ride.
I went from the iPhone 5 to the 4s because I did not like the 5's size and preferred the smaller form factor of the 3GS since that was still usable one-handed whereas the iPhone 5 was not, at least not comfortably.
I then went form the iPhone 4s to the iPhone 6+ because I quit my job and travelled the world extensively for a year during which the 6+ was my only communication device, my only camera, my only computer, etc. The extra screen real estate was hugely beneficial during my travels, and I did not mind its extra size and weight because I wore a pair of travel cargo pants most of the time for practical reasons and thus had cargo pockets to jam it into rather than having to deal with it in my front pockets.
Once my wife and I settled in the US I started loathing its size again (mind you: the size of the case, not the size of the display), and went for the smaller iPhone X with a similarly sized display.
After three years I realized three things:
a) once you cross a certain size threshold it doesn't matter anymore because you won't be using it one-handed anyway, and it won't fit in your pants' front pockets comfortably either
b) unlike five or even ten years ago we use our smartphones for much more these days, and the added screen real estate can be a game changer
c) I rarely ever hold my phone to my ear when talking but use headsets instead, so it spends most of the time on a table or other flat surface
There was thus no legitimate reason for me to value a smaller screen device over a larger one, so when I found a great deal on an iPhone XS Max recently thanks to
@BlueMoose I didn't hesitate and once again went back to the larger screen device with the better camera. Yes, it's clunky. Yes, it's too large to be used comfortably while walking down the street. But for me, the benefits of the larger screen have started to outweigh its downsides.
My wife is in the same boat by the way. After fighting large-screen phones for many years (iPhone 3GS -> iPhone 6 -> iPhone 8) she finally caved and asked me to get her an XS Max as well, and she's loving it. She misses the days of easy one-handed use and the ability to carry it around in her pants' front pockets but has simply started putting it in her back pockets instead. I wonder how long it'll take for her to sit down on it and break it 🤔
