Oct 13, 2011
Why the iPhone’s display size is better than other, bigger options
The iPhone’s display is still 3.5 inches while other varieties of smartphones are increasing their screen size with each new model. This got designer Dustin Curtis thinking…
I’ve been wondering why Apple chose to make the iPhone 4′s screen 3.5-inches when other comparable phones with Android and Windows Phone 7 have larger, more inviting screens. When you first see a phone with a 4-inch or larger screen, it seems like a much better experience.…
[B]ut since switching to an Android phone… I have realized another huge downside of larger screens: when holding the phone with one hand, I can’t reach the other side of the screen with my thumb.
So there you have it. Smartphone displays can’t get any bigger without ceasing to be user-friendly for the average person who wants to be able to walk down the street holding their coffee while also Googling themselves.
(via Redmond Pie)
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I mean, I guess if you’ve got tiny thumbs, this makes sense…
I’ve seen this silly graphic floating around the internet, and I disagree with it. This guy either has the tiniest thumbs around, or just holds his phone weird.
My phone’s screen is the same size as an iPhone, and I can reach a half an inch past the top and bottom of the screen. My brother has a 4.3 inch screen phone, and everything is well within reach on it.
The writers at tested.com would disagree, pointing out that:
1) the initial decision was likely based more on what was available at the time of launch of the original iPhone,
2) that revisions of the phone have kept screen size the same for the sake of consistency and compatibility, and
3) that there are advantages to having larger screens, particularly as the user base for smartphones has shifted to include an older demographic.
If you want to read the whole article it is at http://www.tested.com/news/the-great-smartphone-screen-size-debate/3003/
Has anyone noticed that the radius of the right phone is much smaller than the left? Lastly I think both phones only really use the lower third of the screen for data entry etc.
unless you flip it sideways…then the “Q,” “A,” and “Z” are harder to reach with the average hand.
When I got my phone I opted for one with a smaller screen (not an iphone). The larger screen was very uncomfortable for me. However my husband has a larger screened phone and has no problem with it. That guy must have really small hands…
Really? I can reach the other side of my Evo 4G just fine.
Me too.
preposterous! I only google myself when I drink tea.
Seems like another attempt by Apple fanboys to feel superior in an inferior situation. Throughout tech history, what is the only item constantly getting larger? Screen size (even those cheap VTech kids “laptop” things have larger screens).
I use my fingers to hold my phone while letting the phone rest on my pinky, this gives my thumb plenty of room to use the entire phone without a problem. My wife has much smaller hands than I, and still gets around just fine (4.3″ screen).
Nothing wrong with iPhones, they just aren’t for everyone. Each Smartphone, be it Android, Windows Phone, iPhone, or Blackb-ok not all smarphones-offer great options with specific features that trump each other… Just depends on what you like and which feature you prefer.
Even if this were true, I’d definitely get a larger screen and have to stretch a little bit. Benefits outweigh the stretching, and it’s possible my thumb will get longer in the process.
With smaller screens, you have smaller keyboards, which means more opportunities to screw up while typing.
With bigger screens and bigger keyboards, it’s easier to type. Also, movies are larger with more details. Also, webpages can fit more text. Homescreen can fit more widgets. Etc, etc.
The above infographic is really just an apple fanboy trying to justify a smaller, inferior screen.
I have a 4″ screen and can reach everything comfortably with my not-so-large hands. Although, I think with a 3.5″ screen I’d hold it differently and probably have a bit more of a firm grip on the phone.
seriously….? any excuse to b a follower…
New to smartphones. I have done my share of research. I think the iphone is better for me. Just wish they had a bigger screen 4″ and made more durable.
It must suck to not only be unable to make a point without cheating the size of the green area (notice how the tops are even but the bottoms, not so much), but to also have tiny hands and be a total pussy. Seriously, look at your infographic, the green area on the iphone covers the screen and a huge area at the top that has no purpose. Easily enough to account for the larger screen of the phone on the right, which is why you had to shrink your green area to prove your false point. What a silly reason to make a phone purchasing decision.
Maybe it’s the right size for people with girly hands, but since I have larger hands (as I’m a man), the 3.5″ screen is too small for me
I currently have the Galaxy Nexus, and it has a 4.65″ screen which I can reach the far side of easily with my thumb (of either hands)
Of course, the concept of “Apple are right” is blown out of the water with the iPhone 5 meant to have a 4″ screen – does that mean that they’re going to be shipping thumb extenders? Or maybe they realised that only girls have small hands (or little girly guys), so MEN need larger screens
Basically, this article is saying “the iPhone is for girls, and if you’re a man, the iPhone is too small for you so get a larger one, unless you’re an iPhan, then you’re girly!” :-D