When do you think the industry obsession with ever-larger phones will cool down?

[Ramses]

I think they are flat out of innovation at the moment, and they have to come up with something to sell next year's model, so.. Bigger screen it is till they can fold or bend or project or be stuck in one's eye as was mentioned.

 

[Red Storm]

I think they are flat out of innovation at the moment, and they have to come up with something to sell next year's model, so.. Bigger screen it is till they can fold or bend or project or be stuck in one's eye as was mentioned.

Bigger screen = better web browsing, typing, emailing, gaming, picture and video watching (this also includes social media like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and so forth). There is a reason why it's become more and more popular, it improves the experience of so many of the things people use their phones for.

 

[Midwayman]

I think phones are approaching physical limits in for screen size and still fitting in a pocket. Resolution is approaching the point where its pointless to get more. Cameras are already past being able to use any more megapixels. I think we're rapidly approaching a pretty mature market for phones. Incremental SOC improvements and battery life seem to be where there is really a lot of room.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I think they are flat out of innovation at the moment, and they have to come up with something to sell next year's model, so.. Bigger screen it is till they can fold or bend or project or be stuck in one's eye as was mentioned.

Totally explains why screens have been getting bigger since day 1.

 

[mikeymikec]

I think phones are approaching physical limits in for screen size and still fitting in a pocket.

IMO the Nexus 5 already reached that point, yet they're going for another inch seemingly.

 

[Zaap]

The next phase is just losing the distinction between phone/phablet/small tablet/large tablet.

I just want all my devices to eventually do the same things including texting and phone calls with my primary service....and switching seamlessly between them at the push of a button. In the car, walking around: I use my phone. At a desk or just lounging I just want to use whichever tablet is within reach. They should all be phones as well as entertainment/communication devices. Service shouldn't just be locked to one device thought of as "a smartphone".

 

[Ramses]

Totally explains why screens have been getting bigger since day 1.

Remember HTC tried a 3d screen/camera a few years ago.
It didn't work for the TV industry especially well either I don't think.
So, back to bigger and bigger.

I'm sympathetic, I really am, it's some folks jobs to make stuff sell every year. I'm like everyone else, I want a small device in my pocket, and it to magically become a tablet when I take it out and use it. They'll figure something out eventually. IMO wearables and such are stopgaps, even Google Glass type things. Which is OK and I'd like to play with Glass, but it's all holdover till some tech matures enough to really innovate again rather than just shrink the existing.

Which is what modern cell phones are though aren't they? Shrunken computers we carry around.
Not a lot of new there really.
But it's progress.

 

[Ramses]

The next phase is just losing the distinction between phone/phablet/small tablet/large tablet.

I just want all my devices to eventually do the same things including texting and phone calls with my primary service....and switching seamlessly between them at the push of a button. In the car, walking around: I use my phone. At a desk or just lounging I just want to use whichever tablet is within reach. They should all be phones as well as entertainment/communication devices. Service shouldn't just be locked to one device thought of as "a smartphone".

That's software pretty much isn't it? No reason we couldn't have that now really that I know of.

 

[blairharrington]

Phones will never end up in our eyes. Come on people.

I still think there is a market for 4"-4.5" smartphones. I wouldn't be surprised if we get an iPhone 'Mini' at some point coming in at 4".

Bezels play a part in this of course, but basically there are 3 size levels for smartphones. 4"-4.5", 4.6"-5.3", 5.4"-5.9". I see a market for all 3 levels for years to come.

 

[Ramses]

never say never

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Contact_Lens

 

[Zaap]

That's software pretty much isn't it? No reason we couldn't have that now really that I know of.

Yeah its possible but its still mostly a hodgepodge of disconnected services/software and hardware.

I can't just take my Note 12.2 to the office with me and use it as my cellphone on my Verizon account without bringing my cellphone with me. But IMO cell service on all these devices should be as simple as having wifi on every device is. Just sign the new device into your cellular service account, and pick up any device thats nearest to you to make/take calls, text etc from anywhere, completely independent of the other devices(or outside connections) or needing any "permission" from the service provider.

 

[Ramses]

Technically possible is better phrasing. A lack of technology isn't preventing it from happening.

 

[MongGrel]

Plus one more! Prediction - tablets will start having phone capability.

Surprised they haven't all ready.

I do not have one, half thought some did, if they don't yet will be next.

Next we'll have little holographic AI assistants following people around with tablets or GUI contact lens blue tooth interfaces maybe.

Just a matter of time.

 

[bononos]

Bigger screens are not simply a useless fad. They are better for typing, browsing, reading, watching videos, holding a bigger battery. And old folks like my parents have turned their noses up at smaller phones, bigger is better for shaky fingers and old age farsightedness. Its Americans who are used to iphones are playing catchup with the rest of the world.

.....
I still think there is a market for 4"-4.5" smartphones. I wouldn't be surprised if we get an iPhone 'Mini' at some point coming in at 4".

Bezels play a part in this of course, but basically there are 3 size levels for smartphones. 4"-4.5", 4.6"-5.3", 5.4"-5.9". I see a market for all 3 levels for years to come.

Some newr 4.7-5" phones are small and pocketable because of slim bezels. Maybe belt cases and holders will come back for the phablets.

 

[jacktesterson]

I recently went to a iPhone 5s from a OnePlus One due to work giving me an unlimited use phone.

While I like the iPhone more than I anticpated, I miss the screen size all the time. Wish I had the 6+

 

[blairharrington]

Maybe belt cases and holders will come back for the phablets.

Come back in fashion? If so, no. No. Never.

 

[blairharrington]

I recently went to a iPhone 5s from a OnePlus One due to work giving me an unlimited use phone.

While I like the iPhone more than I anticpated, I miss the screen size all the time. Wish I had the 6+

5.5" back to 4" is an enormous step back. In the brief moments I help my uncle with his iPhone 5S I can't stand looking at his screen too long. And I'm using a 4.7" screen daily.

 

[mrochester]

The next phase is just losing the distinction between phone/phablet/small tablet/large tablet.

I just want all my devices to eventually do the same things including texting and phone calls with my primary service....and switching seamlessly between them at the push of a button. In the car, walking around: I use my phone. At a desk or just lounging I just want to use whichever tablet is within reach. They should all be phones as well as entertainment/communication devices. Service shouldn't just be locked to one device thought of as "a smartphone".

That's sort of the way Apple are heading with hand-off and continuity.

 

[Revolution 11]

The future for hardware will be less buttons, smaller bevels, basically a more "efficient" use of the phone size. The display will take up a increasing fraction of the front surface area of the device.

Once this has been achieved, the next step is modularity, which leads to commoditization of phone components, much like the IBM PC platform. If your display and case are perfected in design and size, you don't need a brand-new phone every 2 years. Just replace your CPU/Storage/Battery as Project Ara allows.

I do think that Project Ara will be limited in popular uptake until the "Golden Ratio" of display size and device size has been discovered. Still a few more years until that....


Of course, my projected path of innovations can be disrupted by better wearables. If Google Glass is compact and stylish enough, it can basically replace the smartphone in all its functions and the smartphone would be a small dongle in your pocket. Or a smartwatch could be the dongle which handles all the processing for Google Glass or Google Contacts.

Apple, you listening to me. Hire me if you want more of my genius.

 

[notposting]

When we just have implants directly in the brain -- nothing so primitive as ocular implants (outside of cool zooming, thermal, etc sensors).

That stretchy display thing from the "space janitor Iceman kills the robot kitty and bangs Trinity all the way home" movie would be cool though.

 

[jhansman]

Really, it depends on what you use your phone for. My SG4 is perfect for me because I
a) call/text people, and b) play music with it. That's it. No social media, no web browsing, no games (well, OK, solitaire). So, for me, a bigger screen holds no appeal.

 

[Raduque]

We're in a bit of shift right now as physical buttons are starting to get phased out slowly and that's making an impact in the screen to physical size ratio. Motorola an LG are moving that way. Google themselves are pushing huge to dump physical buttons. That will let 5" screens fit into phones that were previously the size of 4.5" or smaller. My 4.7" Moto X isn't that much bigger than a 4" iPhone 5s.

I think we'll see things eventually settle into a buttonless, small bezelled design in that 5-5.2" range for many of the phones.

I hate this trend. Software/on-screen buttons are so wasteful of screen space. You've got a 5.5" screen, and you really end up having a 5.2" screen because of the wasted black bar. Put those damned things where they belong, BELOW the screen, and give me 100% of all my pixels and screen size.

 

[Red Storm]

I hate this trend. Software/on-screen buttons are so wasteful of screen space. You've got a 5.5" screen, and you really end up having a 5.2" screen because of the wasted black bar. Put those damned things where they belong, BELOW the screen, and give me 100% of all my pixels and screen size.

You can tweak things to have the buttons go away when not needed.

 

[mikeymikec]

You can tweak things to have the buttons go away when not needed.

Yup, my Nexus 5 does this when I'm using the Kindle app.

 

[poofyhairguy]

You can tweak things to have the buttons go away when not needed.

Yup. Use the App Settings module for Xposed and you can force any app into immersion mode.