Supersized screens see growing trend in technology
Spearheaded by the efforts of Samsung and other Android device manufacturers, larger smartphones have established themselves as more than a trend: Big screens are here to stay.
Despite its reputation for building devices that are easy to use with one hand, Apple, too, has started making phones with larger screens.
The Cupertino, California-based company recently introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which have proven so popular they’re still difficult to acquire in store a month after the launch.
Both devices, which feature 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively, are clearly influenced by larger phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy line. For the record, Samsung and other Android manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and LG have been producing devices of this size for years: Samsung’s Galaxy S3 had a 4.8-inch screen back in 2012.
But our phones might get even bigger still: Google’s new flagship Nexus 6 features a gigantic 6-inch display. The device, announced last week, was designed in partnership with Motorola. The device is so large that its internal testing name was “Shamu,” according to a report on The Verge.
Google’s Nexus line traditionally acts as a preview for Android phones to come, so expect the lines between phone and tablet to blur even further.
While Apple still sells the 4-inch iPhone 5s, it remains to be seen if smaller devices will be available with modern specs in the future.
Why do people love these big phones so much?
John Gruber, a technology pundit who often writes about Apple, summed it up in his iPhone 6 review: Increasing the size of a phone “makes it worse when using it one-handed. But it makes it better when using it two-handed.”
Only time will tell if the future of smartphones is in gigantic devices, but as of now, that seems like a pretty solid bet.
Tyler Gold is a senior majoring in information technology and informatics. For tech updates, follow @tylergold on Twitter.
