6 ms·

Maybe thats why I have not purchased a phone since the Iphone SE came out. Can't stand large phones. I must be alone in this thinking, because so far, no manufa

by _fs 7y ago

Maybe thats why I have not purchased a phone since the Iphone SE came out. Can't stand large phones. I must be alone in this thinking, because so far, no manufactures are going back to small form factors. I want my phone for music, driving directions, calls, a pocket camera, and occasional texts. I do not need or want my phone to be my primary media device. I have an ipad for that.

jolmg 7y ago
> I do not need or want my phone to be my primary media device. I have an ipad for that. It might be partly that I have big hands, so despite smaller phones being more comfortable to hold, big phones aren't that bothersome for me. Maybe because of that, I would never buy a tablet. My phone can do more than a tablet can, so getting a tablet would just be paying twice for no reason. If my phone doesn't suffice for something, that's where my laptop comes in. With a phone and a laptop in hand, a tablet is very much useless to me.
- wlesieutre 7y ago
  I can take handwritten notes and sketches on my tablet while in splitscreen with a second app (slack, browser, mindmap, video lecture, whatever), and can't imagine trying to do that on a phone. Switching to a laptop wouldn't do well for me either, typing notes has never helped me learn or remember anything, and I can't draw on it. With a Surface/Yoga/similar you get the option to draw on it, but I used to have a Surface Pro and it's frankly not a very good tablet. Even if you have a stylus with a big phone, it's more of an equivalent to a moleskine style notebook. Certainly has its uses, but it's not a replacement for a full size pad of paper. I have a tablet, so I would never buy a big phone. If I want a device so big that it requires two hands to operate effectively, I might as well get my iPad out.
  - jolmg 7y ago
    > I can take handwritten notes and sketches on my tablet Touché. I don't need to do that, but I can agree that it's a good use-case for a tablet. > typing notes has never helped me learn or remember anything, and I can't draw on it. For me, the main benefit of typed notes is that you can search them better. I don't imagine you can search for hand-written text among all sketches on your tablet. Also, if I ever needed to take notes on a classroom setting, typing also brings the benefit of being able to do it without having to look down. Or at least, it's easier and faster to type blindfolded than to hand-write blindfolded. You can keep your attention to the front of the room that way. > With a Surface/Yoga/similar you get the option to draw on it, but I used to have a Surface Pro and it's frankly not a very good tablet. Probably not as ergonomic, I suppose. If I ever needed to draw sketches electronically, I would prefer to do it on my convertible laptop simply because the ergonomics of a tablet are not enough to outweigh all other benefits that a laptop bring. Realistically speaking though, when I (rarely) need to sketch or hand-write, I use a paper notebook. Different people have different needs.
    - wlesieutre 7y ago
      > For me, the main benefit of typed notes is that you can search them better. I don't imagine you can search for hand-written text among all sketches on your tablet. You'd be surprised! OneNote's handwriting recognition is a killer feature for this. As an example, searching for "rotation" finds all my notes about matrix transformations https://imgur.com/a/dJ4hTSZ https://imgur.com/a/dJ4hTSZ > Also, if I ever needed to take notes on a classroom setting, typing also brings the benefit of being able to do it without having to look down. Or at least, it's easier and faster to type blindfolded than to hand-write blindfolded. You can keep your attention to the front of the room that way. It's true that you can keep your attention off the computer while touch typing, but my experience is that I'll just zone into typing what I hear without processing it, and end up not internalizing anything as a result. I don't think I'm alone in that: https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-... >Probably not as ergonomic, I suppose. If I ever needed to draw sketches electronically, I would prefer to do it on my convertible laptop simply because the ergonomics of a tablet are not enough to outweigh all other benefits that a laptop bring. Realistically speaking though, when I (rarely) need to sketch or hand-write, I use a paper notebook. Different people have different needs. I use paper a lot too, but the iPad strikes a great middle ground for supporting memory better, being able to search back through things, keeping everything organized and accessible across years worth of data, and giving me more free-form input than I have with a keyboard (for diagrams, graphs, tables, etc). You also get great apps that support things you can't realistically do with paper, like Procreate's perspective assist tools. It's like working at a full size drafting desk with a big straightedge packed into something that you can toss in a backpack. Like computers, it has more potential for distractions than paper, but when I really want to focus on something I'll just put it on airplane mode.
- wpietri 7y ago
  For me the big difference is that a tablet is a good consumption device, while a laptop is a good production device. I have a Galaxy Tab 4 which is much better for me for reading, watching video, and playing (some) games than either my laptop or my phone. It's when I need to write, code, or research something that I reach for the laptop.
jonas21 7y ago
I think there is demand for smaller phones -- it's just that not that many people are willing to give up a large display for it. That's why we're starting to see manufacturers coming out with foldable phones.
toohotatopic 7y ago
How about an Apple Watch with Cellular option? That's as small as it gets.
- sjg007 7y ago
  I'm seriously considering that but I am not sure you can make it your only device. Doesn't the watch require an iPhone?
  - toohotatopic 7y ago
    For registration. Why would you have a cellular option if you also have to carry the phone?
- canuckintime 7y ago
  User experience (Battery life, apps etc) is very poor if you try to use the Apple Watch as your only device
CalChris 7y ago
I too prefer my SE to any of the current offerings. I don't want a big phone. I really don't want one. But recently I got a used 32GB Kindle Paperwhite for $100. I was deciding between it and an iPad Mini ($400) but then saw a review saying that the PW was purpose built for reading, which is exactly what I wanted it for. Now I download PDFs of docs, decks, papers and check out e-books. It is purpose built as a reader and rocks at that. So now the SE is even less likely to be replaced by a mega-phone.
creddit 7y ago
I was the same way for a while. I used the SE and swore I could never use one of the huge phones. Then I got an iPhone 11 Pro after I realized people weren't really designing with the small phone in mind and that it wasn't the future. It took ~2wks but now I can't believe I was using the SE for as long as I did. The larger format is superior in my experience after having forced myself to give it a go.
- wyre 7y ago
  I would agree that a larger screen is superior but that doesn't mean that is it preferable for everyday usage. I've used phones ranging from 2.5" screens (Unihertz Jelly) to 6.6" screens (Honor Note 6) and it depends on what the phone is going to be used for. I think a larger phone will generally coincide with increased media consumption on the phone and not everyone wants that. It was great being able to comfortably read books on my Note 6, but I didn't like how big it was when all I might need one day is calls and texts. It depends on use case and I think its a fair sacrifice to make trading screen size for portability, especially when I want to cut down media consumption on my phone.

by _fs 7y ago

jolmg 7y ago

> I do not need or want my phone to be my primary media device. I have an ipad for that. It might be partly that I have big hands, so despite smaller phones being more comfortable to hold, big phones aren't that bothersome for me. Maybe because of that, I would never buy a tablet. My phone can do more than a tablet can, so getting a tablet would just be paying twice for no reason. If my phone doesn't suffice for something, that's where my laptop comes in. With a phone and a laptop in hand, a tablet is very much useless to me.

wlesieutre 7y ago
I can take handwritten notes and sketches on my tablet while in splitscreen with a second app (slack, browser, mindmap, video lecture, whatever), and can't imagine trying to do that on a phone. Switching to a laptop wouldn't do well for me either, typing notes has never helped me learn or remember anything, and I can't draw on it. With a Surface/Yoga/similar you get the option to draw on it, but I used to have a Surface Pro and it's frankly not a very good tablet. Even if you have a stylus with a big phone, it's more of an equivalent to a moleskine style notebook. Certainly has its uses, but it's not a replacement for a full size pad of paper. I have a tablet, so I would never buy a big phone. If I want a device so big that it requires two hands to operate effectively, I might as well get my iPad out.
- jolmg 7y ago
  > I can take handwritten notes and sketches on my tablet Touché. I don't need to do that, but I can agree that it's a good use-case for a tablet. > typing notes has never helped me learn or remember anything, and I can't draw on it. For me, the main benefit of typed notes is that you can search them better. I don't imagine you can search for hand-written text among all sketches on your tablet. Also, if I ever needed to take notes on a classroom setting, typing also brings the benefit of being able to do it without having to look down. Or at least, it's easier and faster to type blindfolded than to hand-write blindfolded. You can keep your attention to the front of the room that way. > With a Surface/Yoga/similar you get the option to draw on it, but I used to have a Surface Pro and it's frankly not a very good tablet. Probably not as ergonomic, I suppose. If I ever needed to draw sketches electronically, I would prefer to do it on my convertible laptop simply because the ergonomics of a tablet are not enough to outweigh all other benefits that a laptop bring. Realistically speaking though, when I (rarely) need to sketch or hand-write, I use a paper notebook. Different people have different needs.
  - wlesieutre 7y ago
    > For me, the main benefit of typed notes is that you can search them better. I don't imagine you can search for hand-written text among all sketches on your tablet. You'd be surprised! OneNote's handwriting recognition is a killer feature for this. As an example, searching for "rotation" finds all my notes about matrix transformations https://imgur.com/a/dJ4hTSZ https://imgur.com/a/dJ4hTSZ > Also, if I ever needed to take notes on a classroom setting, typing also brings the benefit of being able to do it without having to look down. Or at least, it's easier and faster to type blindfolded than to hand-write blindfolded. You can keep your attention to the front of the room that way. It's true that you can keep your attention off the computer while touch typing, but my experience is that I'll just zone into typing what I hear without processing it, and end up not internalizing anything as a result. I don't think I'm alone in that: https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-... >Probably not as ergonomic, I suppose. If I ever needed to draw sketches electronically, I would prefer to do it on my convertible laptop simply because the ergonomics of a tablet are not enough to outweigh all other benefits that a laptop bring. Realistically speaking though, when I (rarely) need to sketch or hand-write, I use a paper notebook. Different people have different needs. I use paper a lot too, but the iPad strikes a great middle ground for supporting memory better, being able to search back through things, keeping everything organized and accessible across years worth of data, and giving me more free-form input than I have with a keyboard (for diagrams, graphs, tables, etc). You also get great apps that support things you can't realistically do with paper, like Procreate's perspective assist tools. It's like working at a full size drafting desk with a big straightedge packed into something that you can toss in a backpack. Like computers, it has more potential for distractions than paper, but when I really want to focus on something I'll just put it on airplane mode.
wpietri 7y ago
For me the big difference is that a tablet is a good consumption device, while a laptop is a good production device. I have a Galaxy Tab 4 which is much better for me for reading, watching video, and playing (some) games than either my laptop or my phone. It's when I need to write, code, or research something that I reach for the laptop.

jonas21 7y ago

I think there is demand for smaller phones -- it's just that not that many people are willing to give up a large display for it. That's why we're starting to see manufacturers coming out with foldable phones.

toohotatopic 7y ago

How about an Apple Watch with Cellular option? That's as small as it gets.

sjg007 7y ago
I'm seriously considering that but I am not sure you can make it your only device. Doesn't the watch require an iPhone?
- toohotatopic 7y ago
  For registration. Why would you have a cellular option if you also have to carry the phone?
canuckintime 7y ago
User experience (Battery life, apps etc) is very poor if you try to use the Apple Watch as your only device

CalChris 7y ago

I too prefer my SE to any of the current offerings. I don't want a big phone. I really don't want one. But recently I got a used 32GB Kindle Paperwhite for $100. I was deciding between it and an iPad Mini ($400) but then saw a review saying that the PW was purpose built for reading, which is exactly what I wanted it for. Now I download PDFs of docs, decks, papers and check out e-books. It is purpose built as a reader and rocks at that. So now the SE is even less likely to be replaced by a mega-phone.

creddit 7y ago

I was the same way for a while. I used the SE and swore I could never use one of the huge phones. Then I got an iPhone 11 Pro after I realized people weren't really designing with the small phone in mind and that it wasn't the future. It took ~2wks but now I can't believe I was using the SE for as long as I did. The larger format is superior in my experience after having forced myself to give it a go.

wyre 7y ago
I would agree that a larger screen is superior but that doesn't mean that is it preferable for everyday usage. I've used phones ranging from 2.5" screens (Unihertz Jelly) to 6.6" screens (Honor Note 6) and it depends on what the phone is going to be used for. I think a larger phone will generally coincide with increased media consumption on the phone and not everyone wants that. It was great being able to comfortably read books on my Note 6, but I didn't like how big it was when all I might need one day is calls and texts. It depends on use case and I think its a fair sacrifice to make trading screen size for portability, especially when I want to cut down media consumption on my phone.