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Comment by Mongoose | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand the trend in colossal Android phones. I get that having a bigger screen is nice, but it seems to me that if the phone doesn't fit comfortably in your pocket, then you're doing it wrong.

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I was surprised to discover that the phones with larger screens are not much larger; they have less bezel.

I know I've debated with another HNer on this. I like the smaller 3.5" lcd (nexus one, iphone) because I can use it to go workout, and let it fit in my jeans without poking out. I consider anything bigger to be more of a "purseable" phone.

I'm happy I bought a used nexus one instead this week. I'd only want this phone if they improved the camera optics and sold it with pentaband 3G. I'm in the niche "traveler without a point-and-shoot camera" market though.

We used to carry bulkier phones in the 90s. It didn't seem like a huge burden. Smaller is (all else equal) better so phone got smaller. Despite the range in prices before the current android/iphone crop, most people used them for calls and text and little else.

Now, all is not equal.

If it makes sense for pretty much everyone to carry iphone sized phones for the screen, wouldn't it make sense that for some people a bigger screen would be worth it?

Size may be less important to others than it is to you. I pocketed a Treo 650 for a year or two and never had any issues with it. I had an iPhone 4 for a few months and consistently found myself wishing it was bigger. I would probably carry around a phone with a 5-inch screen if it had the same DPI as smaller-screened phones and it wasn't too heavy.

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