A massive 6.3-inch smartphone from Samsung may be in the works

The Samsung Galaxy Mega will make the Galaxy Notes look normal.

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[Flashlight]

Got a chance to see a working demo unit a few weeks back. It's literally a larger Note II (which tells you a lot of where Samsung is going). They're aiming the device at the younger crowd.

"Kids today", they began, "want to consume mobile content on larger screen first, talk second". It's not going to be cheap. Their market study shows that using a smartphone AND a tablet is now old fashioned. The young demographic wants one device, and consuming content has become the primary concern.

I just hope they bundle some sort of bluetooth headset (which I hate) with it, because everyone will look ridiculous holding it against their face.

I'm decades older than the "kids today" and I can't imagine trying to carry both a phone and a tablet, having to pay extra for tethering or shared data, and having to remember to keep both of them charged.

Around my office the big phones are mostly in the hands of women. Most of the guys have iPhones or something else in the sub 4.5" category. It makes sense to me: the women have bags to carry their phones while the guys have to find a pocket. The trend, however, seems to be away from iPhones and I think economics are driving it. There are always promotions being run by the carriers, but they almost never apply to iPhones. If you want an iPhone you have to choose one of the premium priced plans.

The Samsung Galaxy 4 is selling for $50 more than the iPhone 5. Top Android phones have always cost the same as iPhones, and in this case more.

 

[Putrid Polecat]

As a proud (fellow) citizen of Chicago I'd like to point out that smartphone thefts are up anywhere from 30%-40% nationwide.

Do women carry them in their back pockets there as well? When you have a 6" object sticking out of a pocket that couldn't conceal a phone half that size, its no wonder they get pickpocketed.

Slightly off-topic, but I see this as one of the side effects of subsidized plans. People don't realize exactly how valuable their cell phones are.

Anybody who stores his smartphone, be it large or small, in his back pocket deserves to sit on it and have the shattered glass go up his sphincter.

 

[Sephoroth]

I agree with you, but it's not that clear-cut though: are there any smaller Amdroid phones with top-end specs ? Maybe people buy the specs, and make do with the size ? I know I *want* the extra size, but I know quite a few people who don't.

There were in the last generation of phones (the dual-core Snapdragon S4 ones that started coming out a year ago). But they were only sort of small, at 4.3": the HTC One S (T-Mobile only) and the Motorola Droid RAZR M (Verizon only, with a version released for one of the smaller carriers, I forget which).

Only the RAZR M was properly small, thanks to its slim bezels; it was probably as small as some 4" phones out there. The One S, which I have, has wider bezels and sometimes its width annoys me. Neither has a great screen though (960x540, pentile), and the RAZR M has a crappy camera. That's as good as it gets: mediocre screens, limited carrier availability, and still larger than the iPhone.

From Samsung there's also been the Victory and Rugby Pro which have 4" displays (albeit the latter is a rugged phone) and Snapdragon S4 (albeit not Pro) CPU's. Unfortunately, they share a quite dated WVGA resolution and probably suffer a lack of software support.

 

[SiberX]

Remember when being able to reach all corners of the screen with your thumb without readjusting your grip on the phone while holding it one-handed was a thing in the Android world? What happened? I still have my nearly 2 year old Rezound because of its 4.3" 720p screen. I would gladly pay a hefty premium to get the internals of, say, a Galaxy S4 (or even an S3, for god's sake!) in a 4" - 4.3" 720p screen form factor. It's baffling that none of the manufacturers have realized that there's money to be made here.

This. A thousand times this.

Many of you folks say you want a high-end phone in smaller sizes but are you willing to pay extra for it? Think about it ... you need to use smaller components which cost more, you need to use higher DPI screens which cost more, you need better cooling components which cost more.

And since most of you guys buy subsidized phones, would you pay $400 up-front for 3.5" high-end phone over a $200 for a 5" phone?

I would absolutely pay a premium for it; I half think manufacturers keep pushing these larger form factors because it keeps their engineering costs down fitting the components in (not to say they couldn't do it with a smaller phone, cause they used to just fine).

At this point (I'm now still idling along with my over 3-year old Nexus One) I'd be willing to pay up to about $800 outright for a phone with a similar form factor to my N1 (say, 4" with a thin bezel), 720p screen and modern high-end internals. Either I'm the only one, or Samsung's (and every other android manufacturer's) focus groups are failing to capture a notable section of the market.

 

[pixelstuff]

Samsung is really just ridiculous. Devices are becoming unwieldy and cumbersome, and unfortunately, they're selling, and Android, to the casual users, has become synonymous with Samsung, who's leading the charge, and soon other Android OEMs will foray into that region and it would become the norm, further blurring the lines between tablet and smartphone. I miss the day when 4.3" was big and 4.7" was 'Titan'.

Agreed, I only buy the 4.7 because the 4.3" have crappy specs by comparison. I wonder if the "everyone likes bigger phones" conclusion is just a correlation of the larger phones always having the best specs.

Release identical 4.3", 4.7", and 5.x" phones side by side with the same specs (except screen size) and see which one sells best. Also, a 4.3" phone can be slightly thicker if it needs battery space.

Unfortunately since the manufacturers have screwed themselves with slow updates I also require the 4.3" phone to be an actual Nexus device.

1 - Nexus trumps almost everything else
2 - then better specs trumps lesser specs
3 - then the 4.3" screen size trumps the larger screen sizes.

 

[mattwestcott]

6.3-inch is massive? I can't wait to tell my girlfriend!

 

[hmaarrfk]

I often wish my nexus 7 were my "phone". I very rarely talk on my phone. I probably would not take my phone everywhere as I do now but that could be a good thing. And I'm 49 not in my twenties.

I suggest looking into Google Voice for text and the combination of pbxes.org and CSipSimple (app) on your tablet to enable calling and texting features.

I use it and it works great on WiFi and even on 3G from T-mobile.

 

[chainsawcharlie]

i don't really wear clothing that would support such big phone/pockets.

 

[hubick]

3 pages of comments in, and I don't see a single one sharing my enthusiastic I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS!!! attitude.

6.3" 1080p in landscape mode would be awesome for surfing desktop (not mobile) versions of websites!

I want the biggest screen I can still fit in my hand+pocket, and I currently have a Galaxy Nexus in an Otterbox Defender with PLENTY of room to spare.

If all you haters don't want one, then don't get one!

 

[openaperture]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0uTi2qkgf0

 

[harsaphes]

As a fifty year old living in NYC I have to jump in and say that MAYBE once a week I talk on my phone. Daily use is text and email. My voicemail instructs callers to send me a text or email for a rapid response and to please not leave me a message. All my appointments and correspondence with clients are done without talking on the phone. My friends and colleagues work in the same manner. My weekly call to my parents is with a headset. Galaxy Note 2 user, looking forward to next big thing.

 

[org]

I don't buy the "if customers are buying them that means customers want ever bigger screens" argument.

The thing is, there's not that many options for a very good phone these days that do not imply gigantic screens. For some reason that I fail to understand, the flagship phone has to be the physically biggest phone in the lineup and the smaller phones have to be mediocre.

I liked that HTC tried to change that a bit with the One S. I would have bought it if it wasn't for the pentile AMOLED screen.

 

[obarthelemy]

i don't really wear clothing that would support such big phone/pockets.

G strings are on their way out, mate !

 

[obarthelemy]

3 pages of comments in, and I don't see a single one sharing my enthusiastic I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS!!! attitude.

6.3" 1080p in landscape mode would be awesome for surfing desktop (not mobile) versions of websites!

I want the biggest screen I can still fit in my hand+pocket, and I currently have a Galaxy Nexus in an Otterbox Defender with PLENTY of room to spare.

If all you haters don't want one, then don't get one!

Actually , I tend to prefer the mobile versions of sites.

 

[XRayA4T]

With each new phone release from Samsung, we become more convinced that the smartphone screen size race is less about what consumers want and more about seeing what the company can get away with. Not that the devices don’t sell—both iterations of the Note have sold in the millions—but as the devices become bigger and increasingly unable to fit in a pants pocket, we wonder where to draw the line.

It probably has more to do with many carriers' artificial prohibition on tablets from getting telephone service/SMS/phone numbers.

Many people just want a tablet that can also handle phone calls and text messages. This is perfectly sensible. What is idiotic is a supposed technology site that's clinging to such anachronisms as "voice service = handset." Bluetooth headsets have been around for, what, a decade?

I have a Galaxy Tab 7.7 as my phone. I cam from the original Galaxy S which had become my primary device when not in the office for browsing etc. If I make a call a day that is a lot so I don't even bother with a headset. I just hold the tablet like a phone.

You'd be surprised how large a phone/tablet you can fit into you pockets. I did some test before getting the Tab using a DVD case as the 7.7 is about the same size, just thinner. While the 7.7 is fine for week days it is just slightly too large for weekends. Although it does fit in my jeans pockets it could be slightly smaller so a 6.3" device would suit me even better. Especially if they reduce the large bevels.

Here is South Africa we have a worse issue with the "voice service = handset." You can get Data only contracts or Voice Contracts with bolt on data. Unfortunately the bolt on data is 5 to 10 time more expensive. Or data is already expensive compared to Europe or the US so for a data contract of 1GB costs R99 ($10) but if you want to add data to your voice contract R99 will only get you 250MB. Why data on a phone should be more expensive than data on a tablet only the service providers know.

 

[Azurescens]

That's getting a little too big for a phone, IMHO. At 6'8", I'm a pretty big guy. I have big hands, and my pants tend to have roomy pockets. I have a Note II, which is a great fit for me. But, as much as I love it, even it's pushing the upper bounds of what I can comfortably carry all the time and use as a phone. If I'm going to have to start toting a man-purse to carry my device in, I'll just go with a full sized tablet.

 

[Tundro Walker]

This is how this thread will probably go:

Guy 1: TOO BIG..I don't like. You kids crazy...

Guy 2: Don't like it, don't buy it.

Guy 1: You kids should be happy you have phones, in my time, we didn't even have ears.

Guy 2: We want them bigger and better. We don't use them for talking any more.

Apple Guy: Whatever Apple makes is the right size.

(Guy 1) "I don't see why you kids need bigger, more powerful phones and game systems. The ones you have are good enough."

(Kid 1) "Oh, so the GTO you're fixing up outside is just for looks, eh?"

(Guy 1) "..."

 

[Tundro Walker]

Samsung should do something novel ... separate the phone from the screen.

The phone would just be a small thing the size of a lighter or something you carry around. You can slide it out and plug it into various mobile screens ranging from 4" to 10" as you please ... make your phone into a phone or a tablet as you wish. The screens would be $100-150 each. The phone would be $400.

 

[Shudder]

Oh lawdy lawdy won't someone make me a good 4.3" phone with 2GB of RAM, non awful resolution, and a good processor? I wear jeans for crying out loud. And Men's jeans, at that, and these phones today aren't making sitting down any easier.

 

[BumbleBear]

I'm looking for a smaller Android phone and I find that options are extremely limited. Of course, it has to be featured decently with micro-SD or 32GB internal storage and at least 800×480 resolution... but I can't find it... In fact, all I can find is the Sony Xperia Sola, but its specifications are rather low.

As a case study, anyone know if there any other options available for a smaller phone? That is, not bigger than an Iphone 4 (59mm × 115mm × 9mm -- Ok, it's allowed to be slightly thicker if the battery is removable).

 

[bongbong]

You are all over reacting against the screen size.
Look at the galaxy s4, it has a bigger screen yet its actually the same size as the s3.
The 6.3 screen on the next note can actually fit onto the note II now since the bezels have been reduced.

And as for the people complaining how your finger cant reach the ends of the screens, duh. samsung incorporated a one click feature that allows your GUI to adjust to where your finger can comfortably reach to allow one handed texting!

The article is F.U.D journalism at its best!

 

[lvlln]

Many of you folks say you want a high-end phone in smaller sizes but are you willing to pay extra for it? Think about it ... you need to use smaller components which cost more, you need to use higher DPI screens which cost more, you need better cooling components which cost more.

And since most of you guys buy subsidized phones, would you pay $400 up-front for 3.5" high-end phone over a $200 for a 5" phone?

Easily. I paid $300 WITH CONTRACT for my 4.3" 720p Rezound less than 2 years ago. I would pay double that for a Galaxy S4 with all the same internals and same PPI screen but on 4.3" instead of 5".

 

[GregtheGeek]

As a current owner and heavy user of the Samsung Galaxy Note II I should say that I am extremely happy with the phone.

Yes, it's larger (almost obnoxiously larger) than other phones, but I am a bigger guy (6' 7" tall) and the phone fits me just fine. In just about everybody else's hands the phone looks big and they tend to complain about it being uncomfortable. In my hands it looks and feels like a normal phone. Every other phone I've owned/used has always felt way too small and I have had a hard time using them with my big thumbs.

That being said, I don't see how a larger phone would be a good thing even for me. Any bigger than what I have would be, in my opinion, clunky and uncomfortable. At that point only someone the size of Shaq would be able to use it.

 

[carlisimo]

Many of you folks say you want a high-end phone in smaller sizes but are you willing to pay extra for it? Think about it ... you need to use smaller components which cost more, you need to use higher DPI screens which cost more, you need better cooling components which cost more.

Yeah, I would be. I wouldn't be phased by the out-of-contract price of an iPhone, which I may end up with if Android manufacturers keep doing what they're doing.

I certainly don't need 1080p; anything above 300ppi, non-pentile, would make me happy. I think the screen and battery would be cheaper due to their smaller size, and phones don't have active cooling yet, so there wouldn't be much added cost there, either. I'm not convinced that they should be more expensive. But I'd pay for the phone I want.

 

[IntergalacticWalrus]

I finally decided to drop my good old Nexus One after being always tired of running out of storage space on it. I bought a Nexus 4 to replace it, and man is that fucking thing oversized. But what the hell other choices did I have? The last Nexus phone that's not oversized is the Nexus S, which is no longer supported. The Galaxy Nexus is the same size as the 4. Any other current small phone is low-end garbage.

I'm regretting not having went iPhone instead, as Apple seems to be the last company to actually make correctly-sized high-end phones.

 

[Vulcanus]

Is that a Samsung Galaxy Tahoe II in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

 

[tuatara]

"as the devices become bigger and increasingly unable to fit in a pants pocket, we wonder where to draw the line" Umm, excuse me? What makes you think you have any right or need to draw a line to tell other people what they are allowed to, or should, buy. Remember all the idiots who announced the iPad would never sell. Now think about your post about larger phones.

 

[tuatara]

"as the devices become bigger and increasingly unable to fit in a pants pocket, we wonder where to draw the line" Umm, excuse me? What makes you think you have any right or need to draw a line to tell other people what they are allowed to, or should, buy. Remember all the idiots who announced the iPad would never sell. Now think about your post about larger phones.

 

[Wintersdark]

I'd buy that in a heartbeat. It would fit fine in my pants pockets - admittedly, I'm a large guy at 6'4" but I'm fit and proportioned properly.

What I want? I'd love a tablet, as I'm constantly on the go, but none of the Canadian options have LTE. I'm never near wifi. Also, I want something that can fit in my pocket. The nexus 7 technically fits, but is too big to sit and pretty obvious, so is a little to big (and again, lacks LTE).

I don't ever talk voice on my phones. In 5 years, I have two hours total talk time on all my devices together. All I want is my LTE data connection everywhere (40mbps and 6gb data cap for $70).

So, while I understand this isn't for everyone, it would do for people who decry these hybrid devices to give their heads a shake and understand their use case isn't the only one.

To me, this is the perfect mobile device, and I can't wait to get one.