Nexus 6: Are phablets really that bad? *wordy post, you've been warned*

[dizmo]

Senseless babble is in smaller font.

I've always been a fan of smaller devices, as I imagined the large ones would be too bulky and wouldn't really flow with my day to day life.

I've had my Nexus 5 for the better part of a year, and it's treated me wonderfully. I don't mind the size at all, and the balance of body to screen is great.

 

My dream Nexus 6 would have been the current phone, with a few tweaks;

Steel frame, soft touch back.

5" or 5.2" screen, Edge to Edge glass.

Front facing speakers.

Larger battery, something around the 3000mah range.

Better camera sensor, while keeping OIS.

Newer processor. 805, preferably. It should offer vastly improved camera performance, as well as a wide range of other things.

 

When I saw the Nexus 6 I was immediately disappointed. "The thing has a 5.9" screen? Really? Fuck that" I thought.

 

It's been a few days since I read the announcement, and I've been looking at some of the other phones being released.

One trend that is hard to ignore is the manufacturers push towards larger devices.

 

They usually claim that it's what people want, what they're all buying. However, I think what they fail to realize is that they cram all of the best and most advanced things into the larger "flagship" model phones. So of course techies are going to be more likely to flock to them; we don't have a smaller choice.

I know most companies make mini versions of their flagship devices, however only one company seems to do that properly, and that's Sony.
Not everyone is tech savvy or craves all of the latest tech gadgets. However, when these people go into a store and just want the person there to help them pick one they usually are that kind of person. Their recommendations will generally be for a more premium device.

 

Looking at the four main flagship phones, it's a pretty general size.

 

The G3 comes in at 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 with a 5.5" screen.

The Z3 comes in at 146 x 72 x 7.3 with a 5.2" screen.

The S5 comes in at 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 with a 5.1" screen.

The M8 comes in at 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 with a 5" screen.

The iPhone 6 comes in at 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 with a 4.7" screen.

 

So, if I want a flagship phone, Apple aside, I'm going to have to take around a 10% increase in size. Which seems to grow each year.

Now from what I gather, there aren't a whole lot of people here that complain about the size of the current batch of flagships.
Most people love the M8, and it's one of the largest.

Letter number. Everyone seems to use that variation for their phones.

 

The "Plus sized" phones if you will, come in even larger.

 

The OnePlus One comes in at 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 with a 5.5" screen.

The Note 4 comes in at 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 with a 5.7" screen.

The iPhone 6 Plus comes in at 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 with a 5.5" screen.

 

I'm surprised Apple let that device stay that big. It's huge compared to the G3, even though it sports the same size screen.

Hell the Android 6" phones are smaller.

 

The 6" sized phones.

The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro comes in at 156 x 81.3 x 7.7 with a 6" screen.

The Huawai Ascend Mate 7 comes in at 157 x 81 x 7.9 with a 6" screen.

The Samsung Mega 5.9 comes in at 163.6 x 84.9 x 8.6 with a 6" screen.

 

I've seen quite a few people on here say that their OnePlus, while being large, isn't that bad once they get used to it.

I've held a Note 4 briefly, and I don't mind the size too much.

The size difference between that and a current 6" phone is only about 3mm. Which I would rate as negligible.

 

There isn't much more I could ask from a phone than I currently have with my Nexus 5. Front facing speakers and a bigger battery, and honestly I'd be happy.

It seems like the Nexus 6 is going to be my way to get those two things in a Google device that'll still receive timely updates.

 

The jump from my current phone to another flagship is about the same as a current flagship to the Nexus 6 size wise.

 

As companies push further and further up, bezels can only get so thin. A lot of phones now are at that limit.

Unfortunately I think if we want to keep using flagship hardware, we'll have to conform to larger devices.

I wish manfacturers would take a page or two out of Sharps book. They've just gotten back into the phone game, and have made some very interesting devices.

The Aquos Zeta SH-01G goes on sale next month. 5.5" in a 141 x 76 x 8.9 frame. 3300mah battery. 32gb of expandable storage.

 

In a perfect world, a bunch of people would stop buying huge phones and we'd have a return to a ~140mm chassis height for flagships.

I don't see it happening, though.

I wasn't a fan of Android when it first came out. I tried it, and ended up really enjoying it.

I wasn't a fan of pure touch screen phones until I bought the Optimus G, but it was nice as well.

I hated "large" (by the standards at the time) phones, but I ended up getting used to the size of the Optimus G.

I figure this year I'll give the phablet a real chance.

I suggest the haters try the same. Who knows, maybe we'll actually end up liking it.

At least I'll still have my Nexus 5 to fall back on if I absolutely hate it.

 

I'd love to hear the educated thoughts of the forum users though!

What's your ideal size in a phone? Will you try out the Nexus 6 if it does turn out to be a phablet beast?

As a lover of smaller sized phones, am I really going to hate the Nexus 6?

 

For those of you that are at all interested, this site provides a pretty good comparison of what the different devices look like, side by side, size wise, rendered in their actual size.

http://mobiledevicesize.com

 

On the flat screen the Ascend Mate7 looks way too big. It might feel entirely different in hand, though.

 

[Trik'Stari]

My problem with tablets, generally, is the incorrect name.

 

It's a FUCKING DATAPAD GODDAMNIT >.<

[Toddwjp]

i have small hands, 5 inch is already too big

[dizmo]

My problem with tablets, generally, is the incorrect name.

 

It's a FUCKING DATAPAD GODDAMNIT >.<

I think you mean PADD

I hope the first space travel vessel looks like a Star Trek ship.

[RevoltTrain]

I have huge hands, and the Note 3 is still too big for me. So the Nexus 6 is out of the picture for me. I may upgrade to a M8 in the future around holiday times.

[DigitalHermit]

I like tiny phones... Makes it less susceptible to theft...

[Trik'Stari]

I think you mean PADD

I hope the first space travel vessel looks like a Star Trek ship.

Well, there is that town in Canada trying to build a full scale replica of the enterprise (BEST FUCKING PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT EVER, GO CANADA)

 

And it's a DATAPAD >.<

 

Just like I will get hyped about a "smartphone" when it has the functionality of a Tricorder lol

[cae]

I can't do the phablet thing. I don't think manufacturers should limit their sizes if there's a market for the larger devices, but I voted for the smallest because that's what I prefer. Even something like the Z3 Compact is edging on the larger size for my preference. iPhone 4 is close to ideal sized.

[STRMfrmXMN]

I think manufacturers forget about women sometimes - they have small hands.... Which is why most girls I know who own smartphones use iPhones. I can't imagine the majority of girls I know trying to hold a Note 4 or Nexus 6... I''m a guy with small hands and have to two-hand EVERYTHING I do on a phone as big as a One M8.

 

I'm clapping at Sony as loudly as I can because they managed to make a flagship that wasn't the size of a brick. I wish that Motorola had kept on track with the Moto X  and G instead of making them phablets as well.

 

Anybody else unable to hold a Galaxy S5 with one hand?

[TheRetiredSlave]

I like my One M8 and all that, but I'm definitely keeping my iPhone 5S until there's a compelling ~4" Android phone available.. There are some really nice things about having a large screen phone, but I still find ~4" to be the most comfortable in day-to-day use.

 

And lets be honest here, if I'm going something that absolutely requires a larger screen, then I'm going to use my desktop.

[Kev]

I used a friends phablet to make a call once. It was terrible.

[dizmo]

I have huge hands, and the Note 3 is still too big for me. So the Nexus 6 is out of the picture for me. I may upgrade to a M8 in the future around holiday times.

How big are your hands?

Glove size, if you happen to know it.

 

I like tiny phones... Makes it less susceptible to theft...

Interesting, I never even thought of that aspect!

 

I can't do the phablet thing. I don't think manufacturers should limit their sizes if there's a market for the larger devices, but I voted for the smallest because that's what I prefer. Even something like the Z3 Compact is edging on the larger size for my preference. iPhone 4 is close to ideal sized.

I can't do the smaller screen. I played around with my old 9800 and it was absolutely terrible.

 

I think manufacturers forget about women sometimes - they have small hands.... Which is why most girls I know who own smartphones use iPhones. I can't imagine the majority of girls I know trying to hold a Note 4 or Nexus 6... I''m a guy with small hands and have to two-hand EVERYTHING I do on a phone as big as a One M8.

 

I'm clapping at Sony as loudly as I can because they managed to make a flagship that wasn't the size of a brick. I wish that Motorola had kept on track with the Moto X  and G instead of making them phablets as well.

 

Anybody else unable to hold a Galaxy S5 with one hand?

I've wondered the same thing, but I think that's why most of my female friends have Apple phones.

On the other hand I have a few friends that have Note's, and they're very tiny girls. So, it's really up to the persons preferences, small hands or not. Everyone can adapt.

I love the Z3 Compact! I just wish they'd given it the metal frame that its bigger brother has.

 

I like my One M8 and all that, but I'm definitely keeping my iPhone 5S until there's a compelling ~4" Android phone available.. There are some really nice things about having a large screen phone, but I still find ~4" to be the most comfortable in day-to-day use.

 

And lets be honest here, if I'm going something that absolutely requires a larger screen, then I'm going to use my desktop.

The Z3 Compact is actually only a few mm bigger than the 5s. So really, you get a 4.6" screen in the form factor of Apples 4" screen.

 

I used a friends phablet to make a call once. It was terrible.

I hated the Optimus G before I held it for longer than a few minutes.

It's definitely something you get used to. I'm just not sure if the extreme size of a phablet will be easy to get used to.

[RevoltTrain]

How big are your hands?

Glove size, if you happen to know it.

 

 I don't know glove size (Haven't had gloves in years) 

 

If you've ever seen MKBHD's videos you will see how big his hands are. I'd say mine are about that size if not a little bit bigger.

[DigitalHermit]

Interesting, I never even thought of that aspect!

 

Most thieves are attracted to big shiny expensive-looking things, doesn't matter if it's actually expensive or just looks expensive... I've used an L3 for a long time and nothing untoward has happened... It looks real cheap to the untrained eye...

 

Pickpockets in my country are good enough to grab a macbook air out of your bag in the train without you noticing...

[frostin1990]

I'm so done with smart phones and tablets...

[Thorium19]

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/devices/google-nexus-6/22097/nexus-6-nexus-x-release-date-price-specs according to this, the new nexus, even with it's massive screen may still be smaller than the iPhone 6+. If it is, I may actually get it, but otherwise I'm likely to get a nexus 5 or OPO. This sizing is of course if it has really small bezels, like G3 size bezels, maybe even smaller.

[dizmo]

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/devices/google-nexus-6/22097/nexus-6-nexus-x-release-date-price-specs according to this, the new nexus, even with it's massive screen may still be smaller than the iPhone 6+. If it is, I may actually get it, but otherwise I'm likely to get a nexus 5 or OPO. This sizing is of course if it has really small bezels, like G3 size bezels, maybe even smaller.

Fingers crossed, but I think it's going to be a bit bigger than that.

If you look at the 6" Ascend Mate7, it has an astonishing 83% screen to body ratio. It's still substantially larger than the Note 4. It doesn't have to deal with front facing speakers, either.

I don't think Motorola can shrink the bezels down enough, and include front facing speakers, to make it smaller than the Note 4, or even close to the same size.

It looks to be at least a cm taller than the G3, putting it in at 158mm...same size as the Apple device.

[Thorium19]

Fingers crossed, but I think it's going to be a bit bigger than that.

If you look at the 6" Ascend Mate7, it has an astonishing 83% screen to body ratio. It's still substantially larger than the Note 4. It doesn't have to deal with front facing speakers, either.

I don't think Motorola can shrink the bezels down enough, and include front facing speakers, to make it smaller than the Note 4, or even close to the same size.

It looks to be at least a cm taller than the G3, putting it in at 158mm...same size as the Apple device.

 

That would be just about bearable to me, but I'd much rather have a device the same size as the nexus 5, as that is the optimal screen size IMO.

[Guest]

Nexus 6 seems fine overal, but the QHD killed it for me.

[dizmo]

That would be just about bearable to me, but I'd much rather have a device the same size as the nexus 5, as that is the optimal screen size IMO.

I totally agree, I wish they'd kept it a smaller device.

This push for bigger and bigger devices is stupid. Soon we'll approach the size of tablets.

I refuse to buy bigger pants just to carry a phone.

 

Nexus 6 seems fine overal, but the QHD killed it for me.

What if it still gets excellent battery life?

Android L could make a huge difference in that regard.

[SeriouslyMikey]

I actually regret picking up my Note 2. I find it now, after just over a year of use a real mistake. Everything about it, I love. Apart from the cheap plastic and the screen size. It's great for watching things on, but for anything else, it is just a nightmare. 

[kayodoc]

I'm a big guy (6'3) with big hands so it'll probably be fine for me at 5.9 inches. However, I find the One M8 to be the "golden size" for phones and it just fits great in my pocket. We'll see how I'll feel when my OnePlus One comes in a few days.

[dizmo]

I actually regret picking up my Note 2. I find it now, after just over a year of use a real mistake. Everything about it, I love. Apart from the cheap plastic and the screen size. It's great for watching things on, but for anything else, it is just a nightmare. 

Interesting. Is it just a pain to carry around?

 

 

I'm a big guy (6'3) with big hands so it'll probably be fine for me at 5.9 inches. However, I find the One M8 to be the "golden size" for phones and it just fits great in my pocket. We'll see how I'll feel when my OnePlus One comes in a few days.

I wish the OnePlus was what they originally started saying it'd be, and not the Find 7 clone it ended up being.

[SeriouslyMikey]

Interesting. Is it just a pain to carry around?

 

It's not so much a pain to carry around. It's the fact that I cant touch the other side of the screen with one hand without holding it in an unstable way, in a way that the slightest nudge would cause me to drop it. Even though I have rather large hands. Which is the reason why I got it. After a year of use and getting annoyed at the fact that whenever I try and use it with one hand, either if I am walking and just need to text, I'd like to do it with one hand instead of stopping and using both. I understand that there is a one handed mode, but now I wish I just got the S3, which was the one out at the time, if I remember correctly. 

[dizmo]

It's not so much a pain to carry around. It's the fact that I cant touch the other side of the screen with one hand without holding it in an unstable way, in a way that the slightest nudge would cause me to drop it. Even though I have rather large hands. Which is the reason why I got it. After a year of use and getting annoyed at the fact that whenever I try and use it with one hand, either if I am walking and just need to text, I'd like to do it with one hand instead of stopping and using both. I understand that there is a one handed mode, but now I wish I just got the S3, which was the one out at the time, if I remember correctly. 

Ahhh fair enough. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

I still plan to get one. Even though I'm pretty sure I'll hate it, Nexus's have great resale so I won't lose that much, and I'll know for sure I hate it.