How big is too big for a phone???

[Speed Daemon]

I was reminded of an early 80's relic

What's next? Return of Rubber antennas?

Rubber antennas? Is that like the "rubber gun squad"?

Actually that phone first appeared on the cover of Popular Science around 1975. But because cell sites were few and far between, even in Chicago, which was the old AT&T's first test area for AMPS phones, those 600mW handheld units weren't practical until the early '90s. By then, Motorola had it's much more stylish and portable MicroTAC:

I had one of these, and it worked great in Chicago. With its slim battery pack, it fit into a jacket pocket nicely. The extended battery pack made the phone look a bit...pregnant, but was actually more comfortable to hold. The stowable steel whip antenna is a feature that's sorely missed on newer phones that are after all, still radios.

BTW, I found a photo of my old 30# luggable:

The Italian styling looked trick, but 2/3 of the base was made up of a very heavy lead-acid battery pack.

 

[argedion]

This might be pushing it a little

 

[Speed Daemon]

But think of the battery life!!!

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

And the speaker quality with 15" subs...

 

[Speed Daemon]

The Boom Box, reinvented.

 

[nickdalzell]

The phoombox?

 

[OverByter]

I think that the screen has become too large for a phone when it requires a second mortgage to finance a replacement.
OB

Rubber antennas? Is that like the "rubber gun squad"?

Actually that phone first appeared on the cover of Popular Science around 1975. But because cell sites were few and far between, even in Chicago, which was the old AT&T's first test area for AMPS phones, those 600mW handheld units weren't practical until the early '90s. By then, Motorola had it's much more stylish and portable MicroTAC:

I had one of these, and it worked great in Chicago. With its slim battery pack, it fit into a jacket pocket nicely. The extended battery pack made the phone look a bit...pregnant, but was actually more comfortable to hold. The stowable steel whip antenna is a feature that's sorely missed on newer phones that are after all, still radios.

BTW, I found a photo of my old 30# luggable:

The Italian styling looked trick, but 2/3 of the base was made up of a very heavy lead-acid battery pack.

I had that same luggable phone, even with the huge battery it took over twice as long to charge as it did to deplete it, back in the day before plans, it cost about $100 a month just for your number and $1.00 to $1.25 a minute in or out. How can you say that the MicroTAC was sexier than the DynaTAC? No way dude, that brick just exudes sexy.
OB

 

[Speed Daemon]

I had that same luggable phone, even with the huge battery it took over twice as long to charge as it did to deplete it, back in the day before plans, it cost about $100 a month just for your number and $1.00 to $1.25 a minute in or out.

That brings back memories! I recall my one and only $1500 cellphone bill (that's one month of charges) from the rates back then. And that battery pack! IIRC I tried to use a "hot spare", but the darn thing was NOT made for easy swapping of battery packs! I think that's what led me to return mine. That, and Ameritech being a lot worse than Cellular One.

I never had the original Motorola brick phone. The one that I did get was about the same size and weight (and construction) as a Motorola police radio. It was built like a tank, but its 600mW power just didn't cut it in the 'burbs. I returned that, and went back to a "bag phone".

 

[OverByter]

Lol, Ameritech was my carrier.
OB

 

[Speed Daemon]

Lol, Ameritech was my carrier.
OB

Ameritech was mine until both the landlines and cell sites went down during a thunderstorm. A friend of mine who's Chief of Police in my home town bought a cellphone for the village's sole police cruiser, and was all "what did you get me into?" when the thing failed to work when he needed it to communicate with village officials. The switch to Cellular One made us both happy.

Decades later, I found a T1 PRI box in my building's phone closet marked "cellular One", long after that brand had vanished. Turns out it was hooked up to an AT&T cell site! :laugh: (SBC bought Ameritech before they took the AT&T name, so it's sorta ironic.)

 

[DragonSlayer95]

In my eyes, the Galaxy Note 8 is a tablet, not a phone. I have an htc one x and it have a 4.7 inch screen. That is my limit, I think so. More bigger is hard for me to carry.

+1

My gs3's 4.8" screen I believe is my limit, could care less about the note 2 for its screen size alone. Much less thinking about having the note 8 for a way oversized phone

 

[jmar]

I like the 4.7 inch screen my phone is rockin'. I would mine the same phone size with a bigger, say, 5 inch screen. I like what Samsung did with the GS4. Slightly smaller overall than the GS3 with a bigger, more pixel dense screen. My brother in law has a Note 2 and while that phone is scrumptious, it's too big for my taste. No matter the size, it must be a Nexus. But that is another discussion for another time.

Cheers...

jmar

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

I think I would ideally have a 4.3" minimum to 4.7" maximum on my next handset.

But I have a dirty little secret...
I am...
I mean I have to...

Er...
I am planning on getting the One, S4, or on the outskirts, the "X-phone".

But I think I could go no further. 5 inches seems too far, unfortunately it really seems you have to go big on screen size if you want "big" on specs.

The line between my phone and my N7 draws thin. Now what will I do?!

 

[blackepoxy]

Go for it Tar! Get the new One!!!


I went from 4" dinc2 to a 4.7" One x display.
At first it was clumsy but, I got used to it and now love it. I could possibly see myself with something like the droid DNA, but that's were it draw the line. My friend has the note 2, while it's a very awesome phone, it's crazy big.
I can't see myself now going any smaller than 4.7, now after having one, it just wouldn't feel the same.
Btw, my nexus 4 is confirmed and now on its way.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

I have been holding my nexus 7 up to my head for practice.

 

[dan330]

I have been holding my nexus 7 up to my head for practice.

hahaha... me too...

but honestly... that was too big.. not easy to hold for long periods.
so, it would have to be with a bluetooth/headphone option for long calls.

 

[Speed Daemon]

I can see this coming:

 

[sergey]

I came across this article and had to post it up here. This is hilarious:

Samsung's New 6.3-Inch Phone Is Bigger Than 75 Percent of Human Penises

 

[Hadron]

So is that a phone in your pocket, or....?

Spoiler

Sorry, somebody had to

 

[Speed Daemon]

I came across this article and had to post it up here. This is hilarious:

Samsung's New 6.3-Inch Phone Is Bigger Than 75 Percent of Human Penises

"So big that it's bigger than about 75 percent of the full grown human penises on planet Earth."

Well..if they're including buried human remains... IJS

 

[pasqo83]

I used to think a Galaxy S3 screen was too big but now I have got used to the size. I think It's more of a case of how light and compact can you make the phone feel and still have a big screen. Xperia Z is too blocky even though its only 5inch screen and I'd hate to have the galaxy note (2 and so foth).

It needs to be a case of how convinient can I put my phone in my pocket, on a desk and it not cause attrraction (which the note, xperia z im sure does), put it in my pocket and not feel like its pushing my trousers down, not feel like it's taking up alot of space and how discreet can the phone look.