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(Rant) Why can't they make good SMALL phones???

I

ispamforfood

Member
I just got this phone yesterday, and haven't gotten used to it yet, which is to be expected. Fine. I like the speed, features etc... But in all honesty, I wonder just what got into cell phone makers' heads regarding phone size. I mean, sure, some people have bigger hands, thus phones like this are perfect for them.... And others just CANT live without being able to watch hi-def programming on their phone... But what about people with smaller hands, or those who simply like smaller phones? Who are only into occasional video usage? Are we banished to either having a well-powered (speed wise) phone that's bulky and awkward in our hands or smaller, sluggish and underpowered phones? Kind of unfair.

Processors/ram are small enough nowadays that you don't NEED the space of a larger, thicker phone to keep them cool (for the most part)... There's no excuse for this. I hope in a couple of years, when I'm due for a new phone, cell makers will have the brains to give us people who are looking for a speedy but smaller form factored phone the ability to have what we want and can't get today.

I'm going to give this phone a few days to see if I can get used to it.... I just wish I didn't HAVE to "get used to it..." It's all or nothing with smartphones these days: Huge and speedy, or small and uber sluggish. Very disappointing.
 
I'm the 52nd person to view this post, and only the first to reply. That should tell you that you are alone, my friend. :o

After 3 weeks of ownership, I'm finding that I wish the Bionic was just a tad BIGGER. :eek: I'm hoping my next phone will have a 5" screen, seriously. That would be where I would draw the line. Larger than that would then be "too big".

Having said that, I realize that I'm a big dude with large hands. ;)
 
ispamforfood said:
I just got this phone yesterday, and haven't gotten used to it yet, which is to be expected. Fine. I like the speed, features etc... But in all honesty, I wonder just what got into cell phone makers' heads regarding phone size. I mean, sure, some people have bigger hands, thus phones like this are perfect for them.... And others just CANT live without being able to watch hi-def programming on their phone... But what about people with smaller hands, or those who simply like smaller phones? Who are only into occasional video usage? Are we banished to either having a well-powered (speed wise) phone that's bulky and awkward in our hands or smaller, sluggish and underpowered phones? Kind of unfair.

Processors/ram are small enough nowadays that you don't NEED the space of a larger, thicker phone to keep them cool (for the most part)... There's no excuse for this. I hope in a couple of years, when I'm due for a new phone, cell makers will have the brains to give us people who are looking for a speedy but smaller form factored phone the ability to have what we want and can't get today.

I'm going to give this phone a few days to see if I can get used to it.... I just wish I didn't HAVE to "get used to it..." It's all or nothing with smartphones these days: Huge and speedy, or small and uber sluggish. Very disappointing.
Click to expand...

You know, I kind of wish the Bionic was just 4" and not any bigger...

However, I have since gotten use to it and love the phone and all of its power...

Unfortunately the market is driven by purchases, if you don't like the option then don't buy it.
 
I came from the OG Droid. For me bigger is better, because I really appreciate the extra screen estate for Web browsing!
 
Real estate is what is all about, specially with phones becoming mini tablets and extensions of our computers, they will get bigger as we go along, remember the first wireless phones that looked like half a loaf of bread?
 
Well like I said, I get that there should be phones this size for people that want them.... What I DON'T get is why the smaller phones can't be equally as powerful, at least in processor/ram sizes.
 
ispamforfood said:
Well like I said, I get that there should be phones this size for people that want them.... What I DON'T get is why the smaller phones can't be equally as powerful, at least in processor/ram sizes.
Click to expand...

aren't the smallest laptops generally lacking in speed, etc, compared to the 15" and 17" models, also?? the only time the tiny laptops provide great specs is when their prices are EXORBITANT.

Are you willing to pay a huge premium for a tiny phone with awesome specs? Will enough other potential customers similarly make that sentiment clear to the mfgrs? I seriously doubt the latter...
 
It'll come in time. It seems smartphones especially 4G phones, tend to be bigger because 4G is just too awesome not to use it to stream movies and other video media . Vids on a bigger screen like 4 inches and above is just better to most people. Also, LTE radios need to be slimmed down a bit to hopefully help with minimize depth on smartphones.

I think when ICS phones come out they'll be able to make Android phones smaller because the need for home buttons will not be necessary. Imagine the Bionic without the lip and the buttons, that could be what the future holds for Android smartphones.
 
I tend to think that trying to fit in the components for 4G, 3G, EVDO and a Dual Core processor into a single device requires some space. A larger screen will provide more area for components within a given depth. If space is an issue and they tried to use smaller screens, it may end up thicker than most would prefer (sans extended battery) or with a relatively large bezel around the screen. Hopefully, as the technologies advance, smaller components will make their way into the phones and provide manufacturers some flexibility in dimensions.
 
ispamforfood said:
I just got this phone yesterday, and haven't gotten used to it yet, which is to be expected. Fine. I like the speed, features etc... But in all honesty, I wonder just what got into cell phone makers' heads regarding phone size. I mean, sure, some people have bigger hands, thus phones like this are perfect for them.... And others just CANT live without being able to watch hi-def programming on their phone... But what about people with smaller hands, or those who simply like smaller phones? Who are only into occasional video usage? Are we banished to either having a well-powered (speed wise) phone that's bulky and awkward in our hands or smaller, sluggish and underpowered phones? Kind of unfair.

Processors/ram are small enough nowadays that you don't NEED the space of a larger, thicker phone to keep them cool (for the most part)... There's no excuse for this. I hope in a couple of years, when I'm due for a new phone, cell makers will have the brains to give us people who are looking for a speedy but smaller form factored phone the ability to have what we want and can't get today.

I'm going to give this phone a few days to see if I can get used to it.... I just wish I didn't HAVE to "get used to it..." It's all or nothing with smartphones these days: Huge and speedy, or small and uber sluggish. Very disappointing.
Click to expand...

They have a smaller phone. It's called the iphone:p They are only getting bigger so it isnt looking like they will get any smaller anytime soon.
 
ispamforfood said:
I just got this phone yesterday, and haven't gotten used to it yet, which is to be expected. Fine. I like the speed, features etc... But in all honesty, I wonder just what got into cell phone makers' heads regarding phone size. I mean, sure, some people have bigger hands, thus phones like this are perfect for them.... And others just CANT live without being able to watch hi-def programming on their phone... But what about people with smaller hands, or those who simply like smaller phones? Who are only into occasional video usage? Are we banished to either having a well-powered (speed wise) phone that's bulky and awkward in our hands or smaller, sluggish and underpowered phones? Kind of unfair.

Processors/ram are small enough nowadays that you don't NEED the space of a larger, thicker phone to keep them cool (for the most part)... There's no excuse for this. I hope in a couple of years, when I'm due for a new phone, cell makers will have the brains to give us people who are looking for a speedy but smaller form factored phone the ability to have what we want and can't get today.

I'm going to give this phone a few days to see if I can get used to it.... I just wish I didn't HAVE to "get used to it..." It's all or nothing with smartphones these days: Huge and speedy, or small and uber sluggish. Very disappointing.
Click to expand...

While it may be too big for you, did it ever occur to you to buy a smaller phone? While I am quite confident you'll get a gusto with the same specs in the year 2015, you actually did make a conscious decision to purchase this device so where does the problem part come in?

If you were unconscious at the time of purchase, I do apologize.
 
I switched from the enV Touch, which is a 3" screen, and I thought the Bionic was just SO BIG. But then after a month of usage, I'm sort of wishing it were just that .2-.3" bigger.

But I too have large hands.

Also, you do realize that every post will be subject to "that's what she said" jokes? :D
 
I love the big screen. I would have gotten something even bigger if I could have got it with decent 4G coverage where I live.
 
My main complaint is that it's too thick, and the back is not flat. It seems like Moto likes these dimensions because all their Droids are this size, regardless of features.

They could have also made the phone a cm shorter without sacrificing much (move the camera and earpiece lower, and move the capacitive buttons & mouthpiece higher).
 
Iphone 5 is gonna be small like the 4. Go buy it. Or grab a moto razr and throw a 4G radio in it.
 
As said up there, it really is mostly about supply and demand.. probably not 100%, but if the larger screen devices did not bring in the customers, the little guys, Eris and many LG Android phones, etc, would have won out and we'd be seeing the processor technology developing in those things.

There was a time, years ago, when miniaturization was the order of the day: phones were getting smaller and smaller, beginning with "the Brick," that huge Motorola thing, coming out a bit smaller each year.. down to some pretty tiny phones. Then everything changed with smart phones coming along.

I guess the iPhones are to remain around the same size as always, but so did the Volkswagen Beetle in the midst of many other size choices. ;)
 
Who needs 4" screens when you could have 7" screens?!?! I want a tablet for my phone!

Nah, I think the screen is perfect on the bionic. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion and I don't believe it is fair to bash the OP because he/she desires a smaller screen. It's personal preference, people :)

I think some apologies are in order to the OP for expressing his/her opinion.

But on a technical aspect, it's correct that more features in a phone = larger phone. The screen just takes advantage of the additional space needed to pack features into the bionic or any other larger smartphone. Hence why the iphone is small, it doesn't need a large screen to cover its basic features ;)
 
Just FWIW...

I read an editorial on one of the e-zines probably a year ago and the number one request in several surveys about smartphones was more screen real estate. The second most requested was more memory. For all you picky folks, no, I cannot even tell you what e-zine in which I read the article. Nor, any other information. I don't even think I actually read the article except enough to see where the statistics came from. So, to get to the point, Users wanted a bigger screen.

BigRedGonzo
 
A post in the Bionic forum is going to be seen by people who do not mind big screens, so of course there will be not all that many people who respond that they prefer smaller displays.

I did think that one of the strengths of Android is that, unlike the single-device iPhone, it is not a one-size fits all market - that there can be a variety of devices, tailored to a broader market, with plenty of space for everybody. What we get instead is a whole lot of the same.

I also prefer smaller displays, which was why I chose an Eris rather than a OG Droid when they came out. I can't believe that Google and their OEM partners really want to push me to an iPhone, and I prefer not to go that way, but I am a bit resigned to the fact that to stay Android with I'll have to get something bigger than I want (hence, why I am lurking on the Bionic forum) if I want a device that has up-to-date specs.

I cannot believe that we can't have a 4G radio with a dual-core processor in a 4" or 3.7" display Android device.
 
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