My Brother says Android will go down in size to iPhone 4 by end of 2014

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Zorachus

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My Brother, is an iPhone guy, mainly for it's smaller size, says he wants to go Android, he really likes the Nexus or Galaxy S3 phones, but says they are way too large, and is a big turn off to a lot of people. And also says the home button on bottom front of the iPhone, is a very important feature to have, you can turn the phone on with one finger while sitting on the desk, to check things. He said most Android phones you need to press the side button to turn on, and while phone is sitting on the desk, that is really a two hand operation.

The big thing he said, which I LOL'd big time, he said will make a $50 money bet right now on this statement; "By the end of 2014, all top end Android phones like the Nexus 6 and Galaxy S5, will realize they have gotten way too large, and will go back down to the proper size and width of the iPhone 4." He didn't say or expect screen size, but said the WIDTH, he said by end of 2014 top Android phones will go down to iPhone 4 WIDTH. He knows the screen size will always be larger on Android compared to the iPhone, but says they are mainly way too wide, and will shrink the width by end next year.

My opinion is that NO WAY will this happen, Android phones in 2013 will be larger than their previous 2012 version. Of course they will reach a point to stop growing in size, can't keep getting bigger year after year, but NO WAY do I see them going backwards to iPhone 4 WIDTH by end of 2014.

Opinions ?
 
Has Android really left the 4" screen size or is your brother just not aware of anything else besides the latest model?
 
kuyaglen said:
Has Android really left the 4" screen size or is your brother just not aware of anything else besides the latest model?
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He is shopping for the newest high end Android phones, like the Nexus 4, and Galaxy S3, they both pretty close in szie with 4.7" & 4.8" screen size respectively, bit much larger and WIDER than his iPhone 4, which is a big tun off for him, the extra width.
 
I wish they would stop getting larger and larger. I really liked the screen size of my galaxy s and my raze maxx is as big a phone as I can use comfortably. If the bezels were to get smaller I could deal with a larger screen but that is the only way.
 
I personally like my Nexus size @ 4.7", it's not too large like the Note 2, and not small like like the iPhone 5.

I had the Galaxy Nexus too, and now the Nexus 4, I find this size very comfortable, just right.
 
Zorachus said:
I personally like my Nexus size @ 4.7", it's not too large like the Note 2, and not small like like the iPhone 5.

I had the Galaxy Nexus too, and now the Nexus 4, I find this size very comfortable, just right.
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I find that my iPhone 5 is too small. But that's what my wife wanted.... *sigh*.
 
Zorachus said:
And also says the home button on bottom front of the iPhone, is a very important feature to have, you can turn the phone on with one finger while sitting on the desk, to check things. He said most Android phones you need to press the side button to turn on, and while phone is sitting on the desk, that is really a two hand operation.
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The Galaxy line (SII, SIII) has a physical centered home button that when pressed turns the screen on.
 
I'd love to see more phones in the form of the Razer M. Big screen, small bezel that hits the sweet spot, IMO.

ModMyi.com just posted some concept pics of the iPhone 6.

10qcvbr.jpg


http://modmyi.com/content/10187-iphone-6-concepts-surface-speculating-future.html
 
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The size race will obviously reach some sort of zenith. Whether screen size will decrease after that point is questionable.

The handset industry was driven on minimizing size for an incredibly long time, up until some manufacturers started to push greater screen sizes (at which handsets began to increase in size). It isn't out of the question that the industry will return to that line of thinking — that phones need to become smaller, thinner and lighter in order to be more marketable to consumers. The question is whether the trend in larger phones has been consumer-driven or marketing-driven. Realistically, it's probably a combination of both, which means there's potential for a large shift in thinking relatively quickly.
 
My opinion on phone sizes in near future. I think this year 2013, we see Android phones go even larger, and in 2014 the iPhone 6 will get larger too, and maybe a little bigger for Android again too.

But come 2015, I think we will plateau, and stop. Possibly seeing the size go back down. I think by 2014 most Android phones will be 5", but that may backfire, and come back down to the 4.7" / 4.8" size in 2015.

But by no means, do I see top Android phones, going all the way back down to 4", no way, maybe 4.5" at the smallest. And I see Apple reaching that size too, possibly the largest iPhone @ 4.5". By 2015, most smartphones will all be pretty much the same screen size.
 
I didn't know all Android phones had 5" screens. Aren't there a bunch of different sizes? That's the great thing about Android, choice. If you want a monster sized screen like I did, you buy the Note 2. If you want something almost as big, get the DNA. Something smaller, Galaxy S3. Want something smaller than that, there are plenty there as well to choose from.

Guess I can't blame your brother. "Choice" isn't a concept iPhone fans are familiar with. :D
 
all it's going to take for a huge shift to occur in the "bigger is better" thinking is a phone that will come along that has some killer feature, or killer app that also happens to reduce or go to the smaller form factor.

Suddenly everyone will "have to have it" and big will suddenly be old and ugly.
 
These bigger pbones are still very new and so the market is just finding out what is "too much". It's like the SUV size wars in the late 90's. They kept getting bigger and bigger and people kept buying them. Then Ford came out with the Excursion and it stopped. It was gianormous and nobody wanted it. The Expedition/Tahoe size was where the limit was and they're still around to this day while the Excursion lasted only a couple years.

I think we're there now. I think the GS3 size is as big as most people will want and the Note 2 is as big as the people who want a big screen will go. Any bigger and this thing won't fit in a pocket and who wants a phone you have to carry around in your hand?

I'm sure the next generation will push the size envelope as the Note 3 is rumored to be near 6" but I predict it won't sell like hot cakes like the Note 2 is. That's when things will settle in and phones sizes will range from the iPhone to the Note 2 for a while.
 
Now my Brother complaining about another Android OS issue, compared to iPhone, he is asking, on a Nexus 7 tablet he's trying "How can I move the cursor to the 'end' of an input box, like in Google search page...? If you have a long sentence in there, seems impossible to move to the right"

He says again "See, on my iPhone browser, If I'm on Google and I want to add more to my long search screen, the minute I tap the box it places the cursor on the far right. That way if u need to add or delete stuff from the end, u can do it"
 
iphone 4 is just way too small, have one for my company phone. Takes me 5+ tries sometimes to get it to recognize pressing the right spot in emails and stuff. Always calling the person below or above my intended call in the recent call list. I don't play any games or watch video on it. Just no reason to with the Note II as my personal phone.

The S3 and Note 2 also both turn the display on by pressing the Home button I believe, at least they do on my current ROMs.
 
Zorachus said:
Now my Brother complaining about another Android OS issue, compared to iPhone, he is asking, on a Nexus 7 tablet he's trying "How can I move the cursor to the 'end' of an input box, like in Google search page...? If you have a long sentence in there, seems impossible to move to the right"

He says again "See, on my iPhone browser, If I'm on Google and I want to add more to my long search screen, the minute I tap the box it places the cursor on the far right. That way if u need to add or delete stuff from the end, u can do it"
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Does your brother hit himself over the head with a giant rubber dong for kicks, too? Goodness. I'd think you were trolling if you were part of [H] any shorter amount of time...

If he does not want to learn the hardware or the software and just likes to complain, take the N7 away from him.
 
Rune75 said:
Does your brother hit himself over the head with a giant rubber dong for kicks, too? Goodness. I'd think you were trolling if you were part of [H] any shorter amount of time...

If he does not want to learn the hardware or the software and just likes to complain, take the N7 away from him.
Click to expand...

No I am not trolling. Been cheer leading the Nexus phones to him for a couple of years. He's tried a HTC One X last year, returned it after two days, complaining it's not as good as iOS. Nitpick issues, that I never once think of.

Now I am pimping the Nexus 4, to replace his two year old iPhone 4, he's almost about to do it, but then comes up with more details he says Android lacks in, compared to his iPhone 4 :rolleyes:
 
3.5 inch screens (a la iPhone 4) will never be in vogue on the high end android phones again. I'd say 4.5 inch is the smallest they will settle on until there is a game changing way that phones are made. Then everything is tossed out the window. Until then 5-6 inch phones will be very common at the top of the pile. Yes, I include 4.7-4.99 in the 5inch category.
 
If he has a lot of money invested in the apple app store, then that's the big reason to stay with it and not move to android.

As for the iPhone 4 form factor, smack him upside the head. Ask him "Does apple make a 3.5 inch phone any more?" (Nope) Let him know he is in the minority. The world has moved on without him... People like to watch more than a square of video. 16:9 is tasty.
 
There are Android phones that come in every imaginable size, including ones that are small enough to make your friend happy.

The reason why those models aren't the most popular, is because people prefer bigger phones.
 
GotNoRice said:
There are Android phones that come in every imaginable size, including ones that are small enough to make your friend happy.

The reason why those models aren't the most popular, is because people prefer bigger phones.
Click to expand...

Or, more accurately, they're crap budget models and not high-end phones. The smallest high-end Android phones are in the 4.5"+ range, with many pushing nearly 5". There really isn't a choice with Android if you want a good phone. You either go big or go with the competition that does offer a choice for a smaller device without giving up high-end features and support.
 
Im more concerned with how he thinks it takes 2 hands to run an android phone on from the desk..... I cant remember ever needing that with my GNexus (with it having the side button) ......


Otherwise - I also think he is a bit of an idiot/ridiculous for saying android will shrink down to the size of the iPhone 4 when Apple is even making their screens bigger....
 
onedestinazn2 said:
That left one seems so odd. Short and pudgy, might as well market it as Snooki size :)
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Dimensions:
iPhone 5: 4.87 inches x 2.31 inches
iPhone 4: 4.5 inches x 2.31 inches
iPhone 5 screen dimensions: 3.48" x 1.96"
iPhone 4 screen dimensions: 2.91" x 1.94"

Ratio of height to width:
iPhone 5: 2.11
iPhone 4: 1.95
iPhone 5 screen: 1.76
Golden ratio: 1.618
iPhone 4 screen: 1.5

A 2.31" wide smartphone with golden ratio would be 3.737 inches tall.

That really short concept iPhone posted earlier in this thread (see below), according to the original blog it came from, is 96.5mm x 59mm, or 3.8 inches x 2.31 inches. My suggested golden ratio iPhone would be slightly shorter than that, so I guess that was what the blog author intended to be a golden ratio iPhone.

Golden ratio rectangles are supposed to be the most attractive ones. Why doesn't that work here? Is it the display that needs to be golden ratio? Notice that the iPhone 4 and 5 screens bracket the golden ratio pretty closely compared to the dimensions of the whole phone. By the way, I don't agree at all with the home button being moved to the side, so if you moved the home button back on the front, that would leave you with three rows of icons (instead of four) and the dock row on the display, but then the display would be way lower than golden ratio.

0007.jpg
 
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Small is not ideal when you are dealing with high resolution devices.... who wants a 4" 1080p screen. Reading text would be horrible on something like that. I have a LG Quantum and 480*800 on 3.5" is just ok and on my old KM900 arena with that res on a 3in screed is redonkulis....
 
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They won't all go down to iPhone 4 size, that's ridiculous. However, I think there may be more Android running phones available in a smaller size. It is ridiculous that the best Android devices are all in the 4.5"+ range, all while having lower performance and less LTE/wifi battery life than the much smaller iPhone 5.

It is a surprisingly limited choice there given that diversity is supposed to be one of the advantages of Android hardware. I'd like to see more high end Android phones available in smaller sizes, not compromised product lines like the Samsung Galaxy Mini. Those would ideally be just as capable as products like the GS3, etc.

Maybe part of the problem is that Samsung/HTC/etc can't get that level of performance and battery life into a smaller chassis, but they should be able to at some point. The march to larger phones and phablets is shutting out people who want more reasonably sized devices.

blitzkommando said:
Or, more accurately, they're crap budget models and not high-end phones. The smallest high-end Android phones are in the 4.5"+ range, with many pushing nearly 5". There really isn't a choice with Android if you want a good phone. You either go big or go with the competition that does offer a choice for a smaller device without giving up high-end features and support.
Click to expand...

Nailed it.
 
I am on the other side of the fence. I currently use an iPhone 4 and had a galaxy SII before that. I loved the larger screen on the SII and would probably go bigger. I hated the Android software however (hence the switch back to an older phone). If I could run IOS on a galaxy SIII formfactor phone I would be happy.
 
No, just no @ OP's brother. The only thing that might happen is 4.3" phones will start getting higher end specs, since many of the smaller screen phones still have much lower specs than the larger screen ones.(obvious reasons, but wtf that Galaxy 4" screen one is a piece of shit specwise)
 
I think 5.5" is the max I'd want a phone. I love my wife's Note II, but anything bigger is a big no, IMO. I'm sure someone will try a 5.7" or something to test the limits, but at 6" and bigger you might as well just have a tablet.

I don't think iPhone can really go much bigger. I think they'll try a 4.3" model, which would be an improvement for them, but it is still tiny as hell (mandatory that's what she said). I'm sure Apple lovers will rejoice over it, and they may even push 4.5", but that would be their max. I could never see them doing a 5" phone or bigger, because at that phone what is the phone of the iPad Mini? They would lose sales on that, IMO.


As far as Android phones going back to 4", I don't see it happening. They already have phones that are 4", although they aren't the highest end models. Hell, I'm glad they aren't 4" b/c I can't stand 4.3" on mine. 4.8" is the minimum screen size I'll consider; maybe 4.5". I don't own a tablet either, so I could easily be happy with a Note II and it pretty much double as a tablet for me.
 
I would take that bet in a heart beat. he is already wrong, since the iphone 5 is LARGER then the iphone 4. I have a 4.65" samsung galaxy nexus and its smaller then id like. Especially after handling the galaxy note II. I want the biggest possible screen, smallest bezel, thin and light. My current 4.65" phone is so thin and light that i literally have to guess which pocket it is in. I do think 5" will be the zenith but to me its also the sweet spot.

I wanted an Iphone 4s before i got my galaxy nexus , but ultimately felt it was way to small. Smaller onboard keyboard makes it harder to type. Smaller screen makes it harder to surf and read.
 
Well I have to give my iPhone loving brother credit, for purchasing the Nexus 7 tablet last month, his first Android device. He was so close to picking up the new iPad.

And even more shocking, my brother said he really likes the stock Android OS on the Nexus 7, said it looks great, nice widgets, nice customization, etc...said he's more impressed than he thought he would be. So I said ok, time to ditch your two year old iPhone 4, and get the Nexus 4, if you like the Nexus 7 so much, the N4 is the phone version of that.

But now he comes up with all these little nitpick issues on Android phones;

- Said he likes the front button at the bottom of the iPhone, nice to turn on with one finger, while phone sitting on the desk. I said the Galaxy S3 and new S4 has that, but he said ok, doesn't like their hardware key setup on the S3, he rather still have the thumb button, and software on screen keys, like the Nexus 7. ( I suggest a custom ROM like CM0.1, on the S3 will still allow the hardware center button to turn on the phone, but also give you software keys on screen, like a Nexus, he doesn't want to root and destroy his new phone, ugh :rolleyes: )

- Then he complains about the width of Android phones, like the S3 size, saying too wide, and hard to type on, being that wide.
 
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Your brother sure is stubborn. Why won't he just abandon free will and assimilate into your preferred mobile OS culture?
 
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