What is your ideal screen size?

[peacefulberry]

Wow! It looks like the Windows Phone platform is taking off to great heights, and with the release and rumors of sooo many new devices I thought I'd ask: what is your ideal screen size? (This doesn't have to be your current screen size.)

 

[berty6294]

3.7 inch

 

[TMavC5]

4.5 is perfect.
Sent from my Red Lumia using Board Express

 

[WhippedKream]

4.3-4.5 max. I really enjoy my 8X's form factor which is 4.3 inch and kind of skinny. It's perfect. But a 4.5 inch screen is okay if it's kinda like what Samsung's doing, but the Nokia Lumia 920 was just a bit uncomfortable to me to hold easily

 

[th0mas96]

I think 4.3" is perfect. I can use it with one hand, it shows a lot of content and every point is reachable with my thumb

 

[peacefulberry]

3.7 inch

Did you mean 4.7"? Its ok if you didn't I'm just asking to make sure.

 

[berty6294]

Did you mean 4.7"? Its ok if you didn't I'm just asking to make sure.

Not a chance. I started with the HTC Trophy which was 3.8 inch screen and always thought I wanted larger so I got the HTC 8x and completely miss the smaller screen. 3.7/3.8 inch I really miss and would love that size. If 16:9 I would jump to 4 inch but no more than that.

 

[Coolknight1968]

The size you can read well.

 

[MattMamba2012]

I used to have the iPhone 3G with the 3.5in screen. Too small for me.
Moved on to the HTC HD7s with 4.3 which was a great size. Now I'm on the Lumia 920 which is 4.5.
When I had the HD7s I thought it was a perfect size and didn't want any bigger. Now I'm on the 920 with a bit bigger screen and I think it's excellent. I want to say 4.5 is around as high as I'd go but it seems most flagships are headed toward 5in. Seems too big for me right now but I'd give it a try just to be certain. I definitely will not go above 5, its just too big at that point. Also I will not go below 4.3, its just to small for me.

 

[Rndomuser]

Anywhere between 4" and 5", though 5" feels already too big... Not sure why so many manufacturers are going with larger displays - they are definitely NOT needed on smartphones, all they do is increase the battery consumption (and the overall battery life is still pathetic on ALL of the smartphones).

 

[Slai]

You mean what footprint is ideal for you, or do you really mean screen size?
Take the s3 vs the s4 for instance. The s3 is bigger but also has a smaller screen.
The lumia 800 has a 3.7" screen and is equal in size to the n9, which is a 3.9" screen.
People generally mean frontsize when they discuss screen size comfortability, so I was just wondering which you meant.

As for the poster saying that a 5" screen is useless on a mobile phone: no, it really isn't. Its quite a difference watching a movie on my lumia 800 as opposed to my s3, for instance. Even disregarding resolution. Same with webbrowsing. Any viewing activity, really, improves with a bigger screen.
Now, wether or not the added frontsize that brings is worth the better viewing experience, that's really a personal choice.
For me, Im happy with the size of a 920 (which fits a 4.5" screen but could easily hold a 5" screen with the same frontsize) and the size of the s3, which is why Im happily awaiting my s4.

As for overall batterylife, my s3 could do 6 hours of video and still have half the battery left, and generally held for 1.5 days where my 920 lasts about 0.7 days.
So some phones do well ime.

 

[squire777]

4.5-4.7 with a small bezel is perfect for me. The Titan 2 felt like it was the right size and weight in my hands.

 

[jfa1]

I'm not sure I have played with a note 2 and have kind of thought a WP8 device that size with scalable font size in WP8 would be close to perfect with the right pixel count.

 

[ajua]

I think 4.5" is the sweet spot for everyone. Also, the aspect ratio is important.

Having the 16:9 HTC 8X I can say that I love the AR of its screen. It makes the phone taller for narrower than many others. In smallers sizes than 4.5" it oculd be seen as too narrow, much like the iPhone 5, which IMHO looks too much like narrow.

I have big hands and I can handle a 5" device single-handed with some comfort, but I prefer 4.5" as it would fit almost everyone.

 

[peacefulberry]

Not a chance. I started with the HTC Trophy which was 3.8 inch screen and always thought I wanted larger so I got the HTC 8x and completely miss the smaller screen. 3.7/3.8 inch I really miss and would love that size. If 16:9 I would jump to 4 inch but no more than that.

Oh ok...cool!

 

[peacefulberry]

The size you can read well.

Lol! it seems like mobile device print is getting tinier and tinier! Do you think this is a conspiracy (not really!) to get ppl to buy larger screens?

 

[berty6294]

I think 4.5" is the sweet spot for everyone. Also, the aspect ratio is important.

Having the 16:9 HTC 8X I can say that I love the AR of its screen. It makes the phone taller for narrower than many others. In smallers sizes than 4.5" it oculd be seen as too narrow, much like the iPhone 5, which IMHO looks too much like narrow.

I have big hands and I can handle a 5" device single-handed with some comfort, but I prefer 4.5" as it would fit almost everyone.

I actually find the size and aspect ratio of the iPhone 5 to be my favorite thing about the device! I also have pretty big hands, but big phones are just tedious. I have a 10 inch tablet for my movies and games, no need for a big phone screen.

 

[BIGPADDY]

4.5 is just right not to large so it stretches your fingers, not to small so that you don't enjoy playing games.

 

[sinime]

Idk, I like Virtual keyboard on a 4.5" screen, but sometimes it's awkward getting to the entire screen with one hand... Maybe a 4.3 would be better?

 

[Slai]

Berty: so what do you use your smartphone for when screen isn't a factor?
Sinime: so you'd decide the model of phone based on "some times" when you have to use the phone with one hand instead of the faaaar more frequent times when you're free to use both hands?

This obsession with needing to operate the phone with one hand is sooo weird. Very rarely do you need to do that.

Personally the 1hand-to-2hand ratio is something like 2%-98% in my use.
Don't get me wrong, I onehand a 920 and a s3 with no big problems, even with small hands. Its more in the grip than anything. For instance some people accidentally press the shutter key on the 920 when onehanding it, and say they cant reach the entire screen. If its even remotely possible to accidentally press the shutter key, the grip is flat out flawed.

BigPaddy: what 4.5" device do you mean?