Wow, this thing is small.

[Tinmania]

Meh, phones like the note are embarrassingly huge. I don't know why some are so against small phones, personally I like them small, but I do weird stuff on them like make calls and other "phone" type stuff. Don't get me wrong I'm not putting down larger phones, I tried to like them, the note was truly embarrassing but that was personally to me, others can handle it just fine and I give them credit.

I'm certainly not saying apple is the best phone, if they ever were. But some of us like phone first type phones and if apple does go larger I hope they at least keep a smaller model available. If I need a bigger screen I simply take my iPad or windows tablet along.

Then you'd be happy to know my note 2 makes phone calls a heckuva lot better than any of my iPhones ever did. The sound quality is superb.

Of course it does just about everything else better than my iPhone but I was not expecting it to best it in call quality.



Mike

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

I don't know why some are so against small phones,

For the same reason I am against small TVs and small computer monitors. The more screen real estate you have to work with, the easier it is to work with. The easier it is to play a game rather then squinting at some small objects and trying to not have your hand be in the way all the time. Now naturally there is an upper limit to that...you can't realistically have a 15 inch device with you. But perhaps someday we will have devices that can project an image from them holographically or something. Then, given a choice, would you still want your image to be really small?

 

[Tinmania]

I used the iPhone since day 1, and now currently use a Galaxy SIII, and a Nexus 4. However, it would be a really hard transition to make going back to the iPhone, and the 3.5 inch display.

Well then you have nothing to worry about… Because it now comes in a great big 4 inch display!




Mike

 

[blackhand1001]

Why? Because you prefer a larger screen?

I am very happy with the size of the iPhone. Pre-5 and the 5. I have small hands and I don't read books on my iPhone. I read them on my Kindle.

I held a Galaxy S3 in my hands and could not comfortably use the phone with one hand, which is pretty important to me when it comes to a phone.

I have an iPad Mini and recently purchased a Nexus 7 to get more familiar with Android, so I could see if I truly prefer Apple or i'm just using it because that's what I have.

All this stuff about the best phone or best OS or whatever is silly. The best is relative. Everyone doesn't want to customize. Everyone doesn't want a big screen. Everyone doesn't want a plastic-y phone.

If you like Android phones more than Apple phones, by all means, use them and love them and spread the gospel, but to put down other peoples' opinions on something as relative as a phone preference as delusions is a pretty delusional statement in itself.

People who are pro-Apple in this way are ridiculous as well. I don't give a crap what OS you like.

I got crap from some friends for buying the Nexus 7 to try out Android. So strange to me.

Its not enough to just hold a galaxy s3 in your hand. You need to actually use the OS. You'll find that while in iOS reaching to the top left corner is pretty much necessary and a common task, in android that corner is rarely used due to the presence of a dedicated back button. You'll find that when you actually use the phone that you can use it perfectly fine with one hand despite the fact that its larger than the iphone. I have no problem one handing my galaxy nexus. Neither does my mother who also has one.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Wait, so now, a phone size (3.5") that was large when first released in 2007 compared to most smartphones, and still is the predominantly available screen size on the VAST majority of iPhones in use, is something you're embarrassed to use now

Times change?

 

[Irishman]

Times change?

For you.

 

[ChrisTX]

Well then you have nothing to worry about… Because it now comes in a great big 4 inch display!




Mike

Touché I Forgot they made the display longer.

 

[onthecouchagain]

For you.

And, apparently, for the OP. You seem incredulous that times can change for other people.

 

[F123D]

For you.

So I guess its safe to say you're still using these?

 

[panda bear]

Its not enough to just hold a galaxy s3 in your hand. You need to actually use the OS. You'll find that while in iOS reaching to the top left corner is pretty much necessary and a common task, in android that corner is rarely used due to the presence of a dedicated back button. You'll find that when you actually use the phone that you can use it perfectly fine with one hand despite the fact that its larger than the iphone. I have no problem one handing my galaxy nexus. Neither does my mother who also has one.

I held it and I used it. Scrolled through apps, typed, texted, swiped through Flipboard, browsed through the app store, etc. I didn't use it in my daily routine, no, but I held it long enough to know that it's bigger than I would want.

If Apple made a bigger iPhone and that was the only option, yeah i'd probably get it. But if there was a smaller option, like what is currently available.. i'd get that one without question.

Glad your Galaxy Nexus is working out for you and your Mother, though.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Really can't wait to see what the s4 brings this year. Getting less and less tolerant of the nexus 4.

 

[g4manimac]

I remember being so happy with the size of the razr and the way it slid in and out of my pocket so easy when driving etc...etc...etc.....Phones kinda went toward really small for a while untill the tech made small screens obsolete.Ive got a really old pantech flip phone in my closet about the size of todays batteries.

 

[Beeplance]

Really can't wait to see what the s4 brings this year. Getting less and less tolerant of the nexus 4.

Your interest in devices seem very short IMO. The Nexus 4 was released what, 2 months ago?

Or perhaps the prospect of a greater device on the horizon?

 

[onthecouchagain]

The battery life should be much much better considering the sacrifices being made. The deviceul is uncomfortable to use and I've come to dislike the glass (feels like owning an iPhone 4s again. Have to be so careful with the glass panel). I swear its easier to use an s3 one handed than it is to use the nexus 4. Reaching across to the corners of the screen is difficult. That's not as true with the s3 nor with the galaxy nexus.

In fact, I really miss my galaxy nexus. Probably the best phone ive ever owned.

 

[tbayrgs]

Your interest in devices seem very short IMO. The Nexus 4 was released what, 2 months ago?

Or perhaps the prospect of a greater device on the horizon?

I agree with couch, in fact my patience ran out after only one month with it. It's a beautiful phone but poor battery life and a crappy camera really did it in for me (lack of LTE didn't help either). So happy I picked up a Note II--first Android phone that has convinced me to switch permanently from an iPhone, which is being prepped for sale as I type this.

 

[Beeplance]

The nexus 4 disappoints on many levels. 4.2 is problematic. The battery life should be much much better considering the sacrifices being made. The deviceul is uncomfortable to use and I've come to dislike the glass (feels like owning an iPhone 4s again. Have to be so careful with the glass panel). I swear its easier to use an s3 one handed than it is to use the nexus 4. Reaching across to the corners of the screen is difficult. That's not as true with the s3 nor with the galaxy nexus.

In fact, I really miss my galaxy nexus. Probably the best phone over ever owned.

I see... Hope the GS4 is your salvation!

 

[onthecouchagain]

I agree with couch, in fact my patience ran out after only one month with it. It's a beautiful phone but poor battery life and a crappy camera really did it in for me (lack of LTE didn't help either). So happy I picked up a Note II--first Android phone that has convinced me to switch permanently from an iPhone, which is being prepped for sale as I type this.

Yes I forgot to mention too that the camera of he nexus 4 is severely lacking. The camera software too can sometimes be painfully slow.

I really don't know what the deal with 4.2 is. It's really unbelievable that Google hasn't sent out a patch yet

Another thing that bothers me is the buzzing from my earpiece. Annoying.

 

[chewietobbacca]

Yeah a lot of it is psychology but it's been the same way with computer screens

People thought I was crazy getting a 24" 1920x1200 screen 5 years ago.... today you'd be hard pressed to find any with lower resolutions or smaller screens.

Same with getting my 30" 2560x1600... people thought I was crazy, but once I got used to it, anything smaller just didn't seem very useful

Likewise, I thought the Note 2 might be a bit absurd.... but now, it's just been so useful and such a blast to use I cant imagine using any phone < 4.5"

 

[spinedoc77]

Then you'd be happy to know my note 2 makes phone calls a heckuva lot better than any of my iPhones ever did. The sound quality is superb.

Of course it does just about everything else better than my iPhone but I was not expecting it to best it in call quality.



Mike

I'm sure it does, but i just could never get the note to work at all one handed, even with the nifty tool Samsung provides to skew the dialpad. For simply dialing a phone nothing beats a small phone, even though at 4" I'm having a hard time seeing why the iPhone is being called "small", but heck I'm old enough to remember when just having one line of text on a cell phone was a dream come true.

The note was also decent at tablet functions but nowhere as functional as a full tablet. I get that many consumers are willing to compromise to get both devices in one, but many consumers are also not willing to compromise.

Btw i wasn't impressed with the notes call quality, part of the reason i keep my iPhone, and trust me I'm FAR from an apple fan boy, is the call quality. Certainly call quality is subjective for each individual though.

----------

For the same reason I am against small TVs and small computer monitors. The more screen real estate you have to work with, the easier it is to work with. The easier it is to play a game rather then squinting at some small objects and trying to not have your hand be in the way all the time. Now naturally there is an upper limit to that...you can't realistically have a 15 inch device with you. But perhaps someday we will have devices that can project an image from them holographically or something. Then, given a choice, would you still want your image to be really small?

No i get it and i agree, its just that i play games, web crawl, watch video, etc on my tablets. Going from 4 to 5" doesn't seem like any palpable difference, but going to 7-10" does, but then you look like the guy from trigger happy tv with the huge phone. Its just a compromise to me that I'm not willing to make, I'm certainly not against it, i just hope some small phones survive and we still have that choice, at least until folding screens become a reality and there is no more need for this discussion!

 

[Gaugerer]

When considering screen size you also need to look at screen resolution.

My Nexus 4 displays information better than the Note even though the screen is smaller. For example, I can view two charts together from the CMC Markets Website and see the detail very clearly which I could not do on my Note.

 

[Tinmania]

When considering screen size you also need to look at screen resolution.

My Nexus 4 displays information better than the Note even though the screen is smaller. For example, I can view two charts together from the CMC Markets Website and see the detail very clearly which I could not do on my Note.

What you wrote makes little sense. The Nexus 4 and Note 2 have nearly the same pixel dimensions. The Nexus 4 has only 48 more pixels in length but as far as height it is robbed of pixels because of the on-screen nav buttons (which I grew to abhor).

That doesn't even take into account the fact that the Note 2's screen is so much larger, physically.

I currently have both a Note 2 and Nexus 4 and while I like the Nexus I would never choose it over my Note 2 due to screen (and certainly not battery life). What I like about the Nexus is that it is pure Android and not contaminated by a carrier and/or manufacture. (That said I am not disliking touchwiz.)




Michael

----------

Btw i wasn't impressed with the notes call quality, part of the reason i keep my iPhone, and trust me I'm FAR from an apple fan boy, is the call quality. Certainly call quality is subjective for each individual though.

You might have gotten a defective Note 2. The volume and clarity of the one I have (AT&T) simply blows my iPhone out of the water. I would go as far as saying it has the best sound quality--yet loud!--for voice calls of any phone I have ever owned. And I have had a mobile phone since 1993.

Please note (no pun intended lol) that I am only comparing the Note 2 to my iPhone 4S. I simply will not get an iPhone 5.

BTW: I would never put you in the Apple fanboy camp, even though I don't use that term. (If anything I have used it for myself, jokingly, in the past to friends and family.)


Michael

 

[spinedoc77]

What you wrote makes little sense. The Nexus 4 and Note 2 have nearly the same pixel dimensions. The Nexus 4 has only 48 more pixels in length but as far as height it is robbed of pixels because of the on-screen nav buttons (which I grew to abhor).

That doesn't even take into account the fact that the Note 2's screen is so much larger, physically.

I currently have both a Note 2 and Nexus 4 and while I like the Nexus I would never choose it over my Note 2 due to screen (and certainly not battery life). What I like about the Nexus is that it is pure Android and not contaminated by a carrier and/or manufacture. (That said I am not disliking touchwiz.)




Michael

----------



You might have gotten a defective Note 2. The volume and clarity of the one I have (AT&T) simply blows my iPhone out of the water. I would go as far as saying it has the best sound quality--yet loud!--for voice calls of any phone I have ever owned. And I have had a mobile phone since 1993.

Please note (no pun intended lol) that I am only comparing the Note 2 to my iPhone 4S. I simply will not get an iPhone 5.

BTW: I would never put you in the Apple fanboy camp, even though I don't use that term. (If anything I have used it for myself, jokingly, in the past to friends and family.)


Michael

Yeah its possible, it wasn't bad or anything, it just wasn't as good as my then 4s or current 5. I really really tried to like it, spent a week using it. Part of the issue maybe was that having such a huge slab against my face just felt so incredibly unnatural, even worse than cellphones in the early 90s, and those were bad. I have a headset and I use it, but for very important phone calls I prefer the actual phone on my ear. Once again I don't mean to disparage your choice with my personal use, but its just an example why some of us prefer a smaller phone.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Wow, this thing is small.

That's what she said!

 

[Sedrick]

That's what she said!

/thread

 

[Zerilos]

So, this post will be a general response to the trend towards larger screen sizes in smartphones.

I wonder if people are starting to shop for phones in the same way they do for HDTVs? For example, if you have two TVs that are the same price, but one is 50" and one is 60", many people will opt for the larger of the two, the perception being that they're getting more bang for the buck.

It seems people are beginning to see value in larger phones, for similar reasons.

Thoughts?

You don't carry your tv in your pocket and hold it to your ear or ever need to send a text on it using just one hand. TV to phone comparison just does float.