By Molly McLaughlin on February 20, 2012 in
The end is nigh, critics exclaim. Smartphones are getting too big! The gargantuan Galaxy Note has created a stir in the tech world; measuring 3.3 inches wide by 5.8 inches tall and tipping the scales at 6.3 ounces, the Note is the largest smartphone shipping in the U.S.
Reviewers are pretty much unanimous in saying this smartphone is way too big. Sascha Segan at PCMag.com says "The Samsung Galaxy Note is an unfortunate tweener, satisfying neither phone nor tablet buyers." CNET's Jessica Dolcourt calls it "awkwardly large."
In his column, "The Rise of the Enormo-Phone," Farhad Manjoo also proclaims the Galaxy Note is oversized. But he thinks the smaller Galaxy Nexus, which measures 2.7 inches wide and 5.3 inches tall, is also too large. "Not comically so, and not terminally so, but just enough to be uncomfortable." Some see this trend as one that will continue to grow (pun intended) and predict that the market will soon be flooded with humungous phones.
Let's take a step back. While smartphones, particularly Android smartphones, have been getting bigger, with 4-inch plus screens, none are even close to being as unwieldy as the Note - not even the Nexus. To me, the Galaxy Note is an experiment, like many we've seen before. For years now, manufacturers have been trying to create the ultimate "in between" device, with varied amounts of success.
Remember the UMPC? (Probably not.) That stands for ultra-mobile PC, and it looked like a cross between a smartphone, an eBook reader and an enormous calculator. The UMPZC did not catch on. Netbooks were the next attempt to create a device between smartphones and laptops, but these have given way to tablets like the Apple iPad that offer portability, connectivity and a spacious screen.
The Samsung Galaxy Note, while big for a smartphone, is not quite tablet-sized -- it has a 5.3-inch screen -- and in a somewhat retro move, comes armed with a stylus. Samsung touts its doodling power, and even hired an artist to draw caricatures at CES. CNET's Dolcourt had a chance to chat with artist Kathy Bailey, while getting her own caricature drawn and concluded that "the Galaxy Note holds real appeal for digital artists." This makes me wonder if Samsung is dipping its toes into the realm of artistic tablets, like those sold by Wacom.
So, while the Galaxy Note is probably too big for most, I disagree that smartphones in general are growing too large. I happen to own a Galaxy Nexus, having recently upgraded from the Motorola Droid (the original model). When I took it out of the box, it did look surprisingly large - especially next to my Droid, which has a 3.7-inch screen. However, the Galaxy Nexus is significantly thinner and lighter, so it actually "feels" smaller. (The Droid is half an inch thick and weighs 6 ounces; the Nexus is 0.37 inches thick and weighs 5.1 ounces.) I find the Galaxy Nexus comfortable to hold and easy to use with one hand while riding the subway, or otherwise multitasking. It doesn't bother me when talking on the phone, and though I don't often keep it there, the smartphone does fit nicely into the pocket of my jeans just as well as my Droid did. (I almost always carry my phone in my purse, where there's plenty of room.)
I like the big screen, which makes gameplay more enjoyable, and it's also easier to read emails, surf the web and read eBooks. Mashable reviewer Peter Pachal says the same about the Galaxy Note: "Reading, however, is a better experience than almost any phone, letting you get through lots of text in emails and articles before you need to scroll." I'd add that it also means you have more room to increase the font size.
But maybe it's just me that doesn't mind the trend toward large smartphones. Manjoo references a study that determined the average hand size (based on width) for men (3.3 inches) and women (2.9 inches), and my hands are apparently bigger than the average female's and the average male's. (I'm also about the same height as an average male.) So I'm more worried about tech getting SMALLER.