CES 2013 expected to showcase 'embarrassingly large' smartphones - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalclips 


I don't see a problem with adding phone capability to iPads as an option.

As a 'light' voice user on my iPhone, I'd be first in line for a Retina mini with phone capabilities. Either with headphones, bluetooth or speaker, I'd be glad to have a mini with me at all times and don't need or want 2 devices.

Originally Posted by mytdave 
What's really funny is all the iPhone detractors who criticized the original iPhone when it came out, as being too big - with comments like "who on earth is going to hold something that big up to their ear?" Well, back at ya!

So you're saying everyone is always wrong, regardless of the size. That's an interesting viewpoint, in that it's just outright wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

So if it diminishes usability, diminishes quality, increases weight, increases physical size… you want one. Because you want one. 

 

Good thing Apple doesn't operate on the "make it because make it" philosophy.

It would increase usability for people that want a larger display. This is Apple we are talking about so the quality would be the same on any size phone they make. Android companies are able to make 5" phones that weigh less than the iPhone 5, are you saying Apple is unable to ever decrease the weight of their phones in future models? Sure it would increase the size, but why is this necessarily a bad thing? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMac2 

 

You can see by your self the downside of having multiple size and resolution when come to create Apps. With the iPad Mini it was easy to accommodate existing Apps, but on a 4in and 5in screen it become a nightmare of platforms fragmentation like it is on Android where majority of Androids Apps doesn't use well the screen area on Phablet and Tablet.

Devices mature over time and with that comes new display resolutions. Where there is a will there is a way. If anyone can make the transition as smooth as possible for app developers it is Apple. Conversely, most app developers already make apps for both platforms and already are used to dealing with a dozen or more resolutions. Would one more really be the straw that broke the camel's back? Apple has proven time and time again they will do what they want regardless of developer or customer input. If they decide to make a larger phone I doubt they will give too much weight to how this will effect developers. But I would also think Apple are smart enough to work with the developers to make it smooth transition. Perhaps the iPad Mini 2 and a larger iPhone could share the same resolution size. I think 1920x1080 would be perfect for both. 

Originally Posted by gwmac 
This is Apple we are talking about so the quality would be the same on any size phone they make.

Wait, are you talking build quality? Sorry, I meant UX (quality of experience). Should have just said that. 

I bought a couple of days ago an HTC One X with a 4.7 inch screen for someone else. I had to learn how to use it and configure it, so I use it a couple of days. In a word the Android OS sucks! I don't like it. It's ugly, I can not find apps that I need. Google Play store is a mess, full of crappy apps. The OS is confusing, but at least it's functional. But the screen man, THE SCREEN! The screen is BIG, it's HUGE, it's AMAZING! I put side by side my iPhone 4 and this HTC and the useful area of the screen is almost double! Unbelievable! I'm in love with this phone! Now, I just can not stand my tiny iPhone 4. And I'm thinking, why oh why doesn't Apple make an iPhone with a big screen??? I want an iPhone with a big screen! WHY doesn't Apple want to take my MONEY!?! What's wrong with Apple??? Are they stupid, or what???

Dear Apple!

1. Please do not increase the case size again (iPhone-5 is already too big as it does not fit a shirt pocket!)

2. Get rid of the Home button finally (replace with gesture control, maybe utilizing the back side) 

4. Above would be sufficient to make the screen as 5" in diagonal, 1920x1080 (as usual, center the legacy apps in the middle until they adapt)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob53 

[...] I can't see someone holding even the small iPad up to their ear. Of course, with change, the way we talk on a phone will change. Many people use Bluetooth headsets/earbuds so the change has already happened.

I think you're right. I can't even remember the last time I held a phone to my ear. My usage pattern is 90% headset, 10% speakerphone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff 

facetime.

Unfortunately not everyone with whom I have to communicate has that capability. My dad, government agencies, retail stores...

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPOM 

On a side note, everyone credits Samsung for the "phablet," but it was Dell who was first, almost a year before the Galaxy Note. No one bought it.

Maybe nobody knew about them. I didn't know Dell even made a phone at all. Based on the discussion around here, I don't think a lot of others did either.

Actually I think Apple should make 2 new models of iPhone:

The first one should be a 4.5" screen the same resolution as the iPhone 5.  This will make the images on the screen a bit larger for people who have trouble seeing the tiny tiny text on the current models.  This can be done without significantly increasing the overall size of the device (smaller bezels).

The second should be a 3" screen with the same resolution as the 1st couple of generations of iPhone.  This would allow for a smaller phone when everyone else is going bigger, and the resolution would be ideal for the physical size.  Call it an iPhone mini.

In all, Apple would then have a broad range of choices for customers: 3", 3.5", 4", and 4.5".  Multiple colors, aluminum construction like iPad mini.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

Wait, are you talking build quality? Sorry, I meant UX (quality of experience). Should have just said that. 

I meant both. Build quality is a given. User experience will be superior for people that want a larger screen and the same applies for people happy with a 3.5" or 4" iPhone would continue to buy those models to meet their needs. If this were a tiny niche market that would be one thing, but it isn't. Few people thought a year ago the best selling iPad would be a 7.9" model with a relatively poor resolution of 1024 by 768 with a paltry 164 PPI, but it is. 

There is no such thing as a perfect phone. Everyone has to make some compromise when they choose a phone. Until now Apple has taken that ability to choose out of our hands and have told us take it or leave it. That will only work for so long and only while there was no viable alternatives. Android phones used to suck in terms of hardware and the operating system so Apple was relatively safe. But Google and the phone makers have addressed most if not all of those complaints and will give Apple a run for their money in 2013. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

So you're saying everyone is always wrong, regardless of the size. That's an interesting viewpoint, in that it's just outright wrong.

No, that's not what I said.  Try reading it again.  I guess you missed the irony of people who complained about iPhone size buying Android phones 1" or larger than the original iPhone.

Originally Posted by mytdave 
I guess you missed the irony of people who complained about iPhone size buying Android phones 1" or larger than the original iPhone.

1" can mean the difference between a lot of things. Particularly in tech. My point stands: a line must be drawn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwmac 

Devices mature over time and with that comes new display resolutions. Where there is a will there is a way. If anyone can make the transition as smooth as possible for app developers it is Apple. Conversely, most app developers already make apps for both platforms and already are used to dealing with a dozen or more resolutions. Would one more really be the straw that broke the camel's back? Apple has proven time and time again they will do what they want regardless of developer or customer input. If they decide to make a larger phone I doubt they will give too much weight to how this will effect developers. But I would also think Apple are smart enough to work with the developers to make it smooth transition. Perhaps the iPad Mini 2 and a larger iPhone could share the same resolution size. I think 1920x1080 would be perfect for both. 

You're thinking is very PC centric where screen resolution and size have pretty little impact on functionality.  Because of the touch input the size of the UI got a lot to do with the usability, you can't just take an iPad apps and running it on a 4 or 5 in screen without pencil sharpen your finger and the opposite of taking an apps made for a 3.5 in screen and put it on a bigger screen doesn't add much to usability and add to the ugliness of overblown UI.

Beside I never understand the usefulness of 1080p resolution beside viewing video, on desktop computer I much prefer 16:10 or even 4:3 ratio than 16:9 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton 

I get the desire to cram more functionality into smaller form factors, but to cram the same functionality into larger form factors? Why don't these people admit they want a tablet, not a phone?

Yes, they want a tablet.  But they want it cheaper.  Being a phone they can get it cheaper because of the subsidy. If the carriers will subsidize iPad mini or iPad with LTE I bet the sales will exceed iPhone 5.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton 


Odd that the fashionable trend 10 years ago was to make phones smaller and thinner. The assumption at the time was that the most desirable phones would eventually be as tiny as the one used by Derek Zoolander in the 2001 movie of the same title. Strange that now people claim making phones into tablets is so hot. I guess it's some kind of geek pride.

10 years back phones are predominantly for ... phone calls. Rarely the display was an issue. iphone changed it completely with its display. Now it is not that the phone needs to be bigger but only the display (which makes the phone also bigger). Things might change in the future to have bigger displays but smaller phones (projection/flexible displays/google glass kind/etc).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton 

I get the desire to cram more functionality into smaller form factors, but to cram the same functionality into larger form factors? Why don't these people admit they want a tablet, not a phone?

Actually it is the terminology and definition. iphone is like a mini computer not just a phone. Phone is only a 1/100th of what it can do (web/games/music/video/camera/gps/email/calendar). And what does a tablet mean? minimum 7 inch? May be 5 inch tablet with phone capability (for those rare calls). So no need to carry two devices. You can call GS3 as a 4.8 inch tablet with phone. So the terms are quite changed from the past.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedromartins 

... Every 4.5+ phone is a phablet, and they are Apple's competition ...

Indeed.  But if you look into the sales figures you will find that despite the press they get, phones over 4.5" in size are fairly rare.  The large phones are prominent in advertising and in web discussions among tech geeks, but they aren't actually a large part of sales.  Check it out and you will find that even if you look exclusively at Android phones, the majority are iPhone sized by far, and the larger ones don't sell as much as people assume they do.  

*Most* phones (even Android phones) are still 4.5" or less even after several years of the industry pushing this "big ass phone" stuff on us.  It's arguable that large phones are neither super-popular, nor anything more than a fad. I wouldn't say Apple will never make a phone in this size, but it's unlikely to happen soon.  

At the very least, you will see phones and tablets from Apple that support styluses before you will see the debut of a "phablet."

Stylus support is the main trigger for more and different iOS device sizes.  Once they have that, you might then see larger and smaller devices than the current three we have now. 

Anyone foolish enough to think that Apple is coming out with a phablet this year or even next, is probably foolish enough to believe that rot about Apple making "smart watches" also.  

Neither are going to happen.   

Quote:

Originally Posted by mytdave 

Actually I think Apple should make 2 new models of iPhone:

 

The first one should be a 4.5" screen the same resolution as the iPhone 5.  This will make the images on the screen a bit larger for people who have trouble seeing the tiny tiny text on the current models.  This can be done without significantly increasing the overall size of the device (smaller bezels).

 

The second should be a 3" screen with the same resolution as the 1st couple of generations of iPhone.  This would allow for a smaller phone when everyone else is going bigger, and the resolution would be ideal for the physical size.  Call it an iPhone mini.

 

In all, Apple would then have a broad range of choices for customers: 3", 3.5", 4", and 4.5".  Multiple colors, aluminum construction like iPad mini.

I think something like this is likely.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple comes out with a smaller iPhone (3-3.5 inch screen) alongside an iPhone 5S this year, just so that they can have an entry level phone with the lightning connector, and possibly even a lower price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazoobee 

 

Indeed.  But if you look into the sales figures you will find that despite the press they get, phones over 4.5" in size are fairly rare.  The large phones are prominent in advertising and in web discussions among tech geeks, but they aren't actually a large part of sales.  Check it out and you will find that even if you look exclusively at Android phones, the majority are iPhone sized by far, and the larger ones don't sell as much as people assume they do.  

 

*Most* phones (even Android phones) are still 4.5" or less even after several years of the industry pushing this "big ass phone" stuff on us.  It's arguable that large phones are neither super-popular, nor anything more than a fad. I wouldn't say Apple will never make a phone in this size, but it's unlikely to happen soon.  

 

At the very least, you will see phones and tablets from Apple that support styluses before you will see the debut of a "phablet."

Stylus support is the main trigger for more and different iOS device sizes.  Once they have that, you might then see larger and smaller devices than the current three we have now. 

 

Anyone foolish enough to think that Apple is coming out with a phablet this year or even next, is probably foolish enough to believe that rot about Apple making "smart watches" also.  

Neither are going to happen.   

This is true.

The majority of Android sales worldwide are coming from 3 inch phones with specs similar to the iPhone 3G anyway. The most lucrative market (as far as sales) for Apple is the small phone market not the phablet market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwmac 

I meant both. Build quality is a given. User experience will be superior for people that want a larger screen and the same applies for people happy with a 3.5" or 4" iPhone would continue to buy those models to meet their needs. If this were a tiny niche market that would be one thing, but it isn't. Few people thought a year ago the best selling iPad would be a 7.9" model with a relatively poor resolution of 1024 by 768 with a paltry 164 PPI, but it is. 

 

There is no such thing as a perfect phone. Everyone has to make some compromise when they choose a phone. Until now Apple has taken that ability to choose out of our hands and have told us take it or leave it. That will only work for so long and only while there was no viable alternatives. Android phones used to suck in terms of hardware and the operating system so Apple was relatively safe. But Google and the phone makers have addressed most if not all of those complaints and will give Apple a run for their money in 2013. 

Have you considered what Apple would charge for such a phone?

The 4 inch iPhone already cost $649 off contract. I don't think Apple would hesitate to charge $849 or even $949 for a "phablet", and who knows if the carriers will be as kind with the subsidies.

Apple will probably price themselves out of the market and the sales uptick from the new larger phone would be non-existent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasanman69 


There are subsidized iPads.

Yes, but not as much as iPhone.

Nice... I hope the clothing industry catch up and make bigger pockets.

"'embarrassingly large' smartphones"??

Hell, I'd be embarrassed if I had an Android phone!

j/k 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason98 


Have you heard of BT or earpods? LOL

It was a joke.

[right?]  lol