Don't Super-Size My Smartphone!

New submitter Steve Max writes "Editor Paul Ockenden wonders, 'Has anyone else noticed what's been happening to top-end smartphones recently? They've started to get big – really big. But do people really want that at the expense of carrying around such a huge, heavy lump of tech in their pocket?' The trend for bigger and bigger screens is clear, but is it what consumers want? Is it what you want?"

I know lots of people who hate big phones

[smellsofbikes]

My wife got an HP Veer specifically because it's smaller than a credit card. Most of her clothing doesn't have pockets big enough to fit an iPhone, so she got a dead-end phone with an antiquated OS because she's not going to carry a giant phone around. Her friends all think it's fantastic.

Big Phones? No. Small Computers

[toygeek]

They are small computers with phones built in. Anymore, people use Bluetooth headsets to talk, so hold a big thing up isn't a big deal. And when they text, which people do far more than talk anymore, on average, people want big screens and keyboards. Same goes for web browsing, pictures, etc. So, the trend is to provide a smaller portable computer and communication (and tracking, depending on who you listen to) device.

The focus has shifted.

Re:I know lots of people who hate big phones

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

I keep an old unlocked Motorola Razr V3 for just that reason. If I am going out in the evening, I slip my SIM into it instead of carrying my smartphone. All I need is to be able to send a quick text, make a restaurant reservation, or call a taxi. If I'm in Europe, I'll stick a local chip in it from TIM or whatever for the same use. It fits nicely into the ticket pocket of my jacket without looking like I'm packing a pistol. I suppose if I felt compelled to log everything to Facebook and Foursquare, I might feel differently, but I don't.