I have a confession to make: my favorite phone at the moment isSamsung Galaxy S9. Yes, the one from 2018. I'm testing the 6.9 inchGalaxy S20Ultraand runs Android 11 on 6.3 inchesPixel3XL, but nowadays when I want to relax with my favorite phone, I reach for the Galaxy S9 and its 5.8-inch screen.
In short: I'm tired of big phones.
We have gained 6.67 centimeters in recent monthsOnePlus 7T Pro, 6,8 inchGalaxy Note 10+, 6,8 inchLG V60, and the 6.9-inch Galaxy S20 Ultra, all of which are extremely bulky. It has reached the point where the 6.5-iniPhone 11 Pro Maxis on the small side (which is probably why Apple is).It is rumored that it will exceed the size of its largest flagshipto 6.7 inches this year).
Ben Patterson/IDGBut at least Apple makes an iPhone smaller than six inches. If you want a decent Android phone that can actually be used with one hand, your options are basically a 5.6-inchPixel 3aor a Galaxy S10e. Galaxy S20beginnerat 6.2 inches and rising from there, almost half an inch larger than the Galaxy S9 from just two years ago. Take a look at how phone sizes have increased over the past three generations:
Galaxy S9:5,8, 6,2Galaxy S10:5,8, 6,1, 6,4, 6,7Galaxy S20:6,2, 6,7, 6,9
LG G7:6.1LG V50:6.4LG V60:6.8
Galaxy Note 8:6.3Galaxy Note 9:6.4Galaxy Note 10:6,3, 6,8
OnePlus 5T: 6,0OnePlus 6T:6.4OnePlus 7T:6.6
In short, premium Android phones have skyrocketed in the last two years and are now simply too big, especially when you take into account the ever-increasing screen ratios. The Galaxy S20 Ultra barely fits in my pocket, and its enormous size makes it difficult to use, even with two hands. Case in point: I've been experiencing issues with the autofocus that are at least partially due to the fact that I couldn't keep it steady while taking a photo.
Christopher Hebert/iDGAnd I have pretty big hands. My wife wouldn't even consider the Galaxy S20 Ultra, effectively depriving her of access to the best camera features just because she doesn't want a phone with a 6.9-inch screen. Choosing between screen sizes is one thing, but forcing buyers to choose a phone that's downright inconvenient to get the best features is just wrong. And besides the fear of missing out, they are simply too heavy, fragile and clumsy.
Bigger isn't always better
I simply don't understand why Samsung ditched the 5.8 inch model with the launch of the Galaxy S20. It's the perfect size for most people, big enough to get the job done, but not too big that you can't use it with one hand. But if you want an S20, you'll need a phone with a screen of at least 6.2 inches with a noticeably larger body than the Galaxy S10e.
Daniel Masaoka/IDGA half-inch screen size may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference. Compared to the Galaxy Note 10+, the S20 Ultra is only 4.6mm larger, but for the impact it had on my grip and accessibility, it might as well have been a foot. For comparison, the Galaxy S20 is 9.5mm larger than the S10e, so jumping from 5.8 inches to a 6.2 inch screen also gets you a significantly larger phone, which for many will cross the line into usable to unbearable.
But phone manufacturers don't seem to care about that. I'm willing to bet that next year's Galaxy S30 will start at 6.4 inches, with the top model getting closer to 7 inches. Usability has essentially been lost in the race to be the best, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In any case, with the advent of folding technology, phones will push further into mini-tablet territory.
The uncertain future
Flip phones may still be new and interesting, but we're far from mainstream.The Galaxy Z Flip is definitely a big step in the right direction, but with mediocre cameras, emerging user interfaces, and uncertain form factors, foldables are still in the experimental phase and likely won't be for a while.
But even if foldable phones magically became durable and affordable, the only real problem they solve is the pocket. Whenever you want to useGalaxy foldyou're still left with a gigantic screen, and in any case, foldable phones will soon become as big as today's non-folding handsets. This brings us to a crossroads: there's only so much edge that can be trimmed, and if phone screens continue to grow in size, we'll be looking at Galaxy Tab A-sized screens in a few years, folded or not.
And it's all a big distraction from the truth: the evolution of smartphones has stalled. Folding screens and space zoom cameras aside, we've had something of a lull in smartphone innovation, even as screens have gotten bigger. I admit that Samsung's Galaxy S20 120Hz panels are nothing short of remarkable, but aside from brightness and speed, my Galaxy S9's screen is very good. While we're all waiting for the next big breakthrough, whether it's foldable screens, everlasting batteries, or next-generation AI, phone makers are trying to convince us that bigger screens are the single most important thing we need, and that power users will work harder work smarter with more pixels.
Michael Simon/IDGAnd as a result, small phones have become shorter. Phone makers have reserved some features for their biggest phones due to space and battery limitations, but now even 6.2-inch phones lack the features of their larger screen counterparts, whether it's better displays, faster connectivity or more powerful cameras.
Phones used to have so many new features that people wanted to upgrade every year, but the push for more screen is making people hold onto their phones longer. Part of the reason is obviously the price, but that's just a consequence, not the cause. The bigger problem is that phone makers are reserving their best features for phones with the biggest screens, essentially forcing consumers to buy more phones than they would like.
So they wait, which only leads to bigger phones. Phone makers are so caught up in a race to improve each other that none of them seem to think about what could actually make them better. And a 7-inch screen is not.
