Why do ALL new phones have to be 4+ inches?!?!?!?!


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As headline, why does new phones has to be 4+ inch?

I am the kind of user who sees the mobile phone as a MOBILE phone....

With that I mean a phone you can use with one hand, easy to stuff in even small pockets. Like the iPhone is. Well until the iPhone 5, but that is another discussion..

I feel like I am being PUSHED by all other phone makers to buy an iPhone, if I want a phone which isn?t bad and has a lot of the same features as the new phones, I HAVE to choose an iPhone. But I do not want an iPhone.

For ALL other makers, a small phone equals a cheap feature-less phone. I am not talking small as in a 3 inch but the 3.5 to 3.7 inch, which phones were some time ago. My dream phone would be a Nokia Lumia 800 with Windows Phone 8 and a front facing camera. Same size, same shape and perhaps a better display (hate that pentile, but another story). As Neowin has written in its rumors, the phone which will be replacing the 610 will be?.. 4 inch?!?! I mean don?t they go lower than that?! And HTC with their new Windows Phone 8 devices is also 4 inch? I mean is it illegal to make a phone smaller than 4 inch now a day, or is it impossible to make phone so small anymore, because Apple has done a fine job with it? I would love to have a phone with Windows Phone 8, but I don?t want a bag size phone with that, so I am looking at an Android. Which I must choose because I do NOT want an iPhone, and I do not want a handbag. So I am stuck in a dilemma. Big phone and Windows Phone 8 (thinking ONLY 4 inch [HTC 8S]) or the right size phone and Android and less features, not that I don?t like android but I just want Windows Phone 8 so much more!

Please leave a comment with your thoughts and your perspective of this, but this is just my point of view, and don?t make it an Windows Phone vs. Android vs. iOS thing.. it?s not.. Really.. it?s not!

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Welcome to Neowin!

In America bigger is better :D More and more customers want larger screens so the carriers/manufactures supply the demand.

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You can get lower end handset that will have smaller screen? There's bunch of samsung models (Galaxy S <insert name>, Ace, mini, Focus.... etc) LG, ZTE, Huawei all have them.

I had the best experience using Galaxy S 4G with jellybean, great battery life.

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I'm not sure why the higher-end handsets have been becoming bigger and bigger, but I enjoy the larger sizes more (I've even been hoping for a Nokia Windows Phone with the same size screen as the Samsung Note). It's still a mobile to me because it's easy to carry around in my pocket; it just means I can see news articles and videos a bit better. Perhaps the majority of people who buy higher-end handsets prefer the larger screens, and it's therefore better for the companies to only make higher-end devices in those sizes? I'm not sure; that's just a suggestion :)

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It's obvious that you are not interested in high performance and flexibility in your phone then - there still are small, compact phones with small screens that are simply used as a phone, for calling and texting.

A lot of consumers these days use phones for many things, such as playing games, watching tv, editing pictures and viewing websites. And you do kinda need a larger screen for these things. If you had all those features and a sub 4-inch display, it would be extremely irritating to do those things.

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You can get lower end handset that will have smaller screen? There's bunch of samsung models (Galaxy S <insert name>, Ace, mini, Focus.... etc) LG, ZTE, Huawei all have them.

I had the best experience using Galaxy S 4G with jellybean, great battery life.

That was what i meant, they would be lower end.. and i kind of want a higher end, but they dont make them small any more..

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That was what i meant, they would be lower end.. and i kind of want a higher end, but they dont make them small any more..

Galaxy Y or Pocket are the good high-end 2.8" phones.

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I have almost the same problem, actually I'm using a nokia e52 that is almost perfect for my use, but due to some little glitch and the craving for something more modern I'm searching a better phone, but can't find. 0_0

Almost a week of battery life, comfortable size, low weight, real keys, wifi and turn by turn gps is what I need but can't find in a single new phone.

Only hope is the next gen motorola pro+ with jb and maybe at least 2 days of battery life

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I have never owned a smartphone but I agree with the current size of phones. I think they are a really good size for the functionality and everything.

I am planning on getting a lumia 920 when it comes out and I know I will love the size of it. Although I think at the moment they are a perfect size, they really dont need to push it any further.

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there are still bunch that have smaller screens. for example: lumia 920 vs the 820.

the 920 is a 4.5" what are you talking about?
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Quite simply because that's what the market demands. But there are still phones coming out that are smaller, it's just less common now. Research showed that the majority of people want a large screen on a phone.

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Was just wondering that the other day - saw this too on Gizmodo.com

http://gizmodo.com/5944598/when-did-small-phones-become-crappy-phones

I don't need a 4.8+ phone. The Galaxy S3 at 4.7 seemed too big to me. I'm like why can't i get that phone but in a 4-4.3" size! 3.7" yeah ---- guess they have some decent ones but I loved the 4" of the original Galaxy S devices. I still feel like 4.3 is a little too big sometimes.

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It has actually nothing to do with any of what any of you have said (on the Android side of things)

ICS introduced on screen keys for back, home and menu. If those on screen keys weren't there, guess what would happen: Smaller screen to make room for physical buttons.

You guys had 5" inch phones a long time ago; Except now the screen takes up more space.

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I have the Desire (Bravo) at the moment, and it's as big as I'd want to go. The screen is nice and highres compared to the lower end (new) phones, but the new upgrades like the 'One' all get longer, like near 130mm. Not Jean friendly!

The One V is classed as small... no way... 120.3 x 59.7 x 9.2 mm

There's no way I would feel comfortable calling anyone on a Galaxy S3 either, it's huge.

I read the article above, I agree completely. I want the ultrabook of mobile phones.

My current laptop (when new) was the same. It's a 13inch, but it's still got a HD+ screen and a high spec 2.4GHZ Core Duo. It's about 4 years old now, so it's low end in comparison. But it's still compact.

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