"It’s no secret that phones are taking up a big part of our lives. As they do, they seem to be getting bigger and bigger. But not everyone wants phones to be large. Not everyone wants all the new features that phones claim to have." --Maia Cavagnolo, 8th grade
It’s no secret that phones are taking up a big part of our lives. As they do, they seem to be getting bigger and bigger. But not everyone wants phones to be large. Not everyone wants all the new features that phones claim to have. Information, opinions, and facts are what you’ll find in this article, and from there, hopefully you’ll feel informed enough to make a decision about phones for yourself.
So why are phones growing? Well, one big reason is us. As you probably know, phones started out big, then got small, but are now growing again.
Is Bigger Actually Better?, an article by Rhodri Marsden, says, “over the next 15 years [phones] started to shrink, and by the turn of the century you could buy a clamshell phone smaller than the palm of your hand. Then, despite our hands remaining very much the same size, phones began to grow again.” Really, it’s our fault.
“We use [phones] to watch videos, and as a general rule, we try to watch things on the biggest screen we can set our eyes on.” That was Bertel King in their article Phones Keep Getting Bigger—and it’s our Fault.
“There are probably some benefits [to having a large phone], but it seems like there’s a lot of costs too,” States Brian Cavagnolo. He also said it’s very important for his phone to fit in his pocket. “It’s where my phone is 90% of its life.”
Hayley Schoeneman, an eighth grader in Visual Arts, agrees, saying “Having my phone be able to fit in my pocket is possibly the most important thing I would look for in a phone. If my phone can’t fit in my pocket, I question if it’s worth it to buy a phone when I could get a computer instead. After all, if I can’t carry my phone around without bringing a bag, it kinda defeats the purpose.”
Just as Schoeneman said, the reason why people who don’t like phones growing is because they’re just plain too big. “A large screen means a large phone which I find inconvenient. Large phones are more difficult to carry around, as they often can't fit in a pocket,” Schoeneman remarks. Cavagnolo says “the average [phone size] is getting higher and higher which makes it harder and harder for me to find a phone that fits neatly and comfortably in my pocket.”
Of course, there are upsides to having a large screen. In an article by NewsWatch, called The Benefits of Having Mobile Phones with Bigger Screens, they explain how “with a bigger screen size, you don’t have to experience more fat-fingering your way through smaller menus.”
Cavagnolo feels similarly, saying “I won’t write emails on my phone because the keyboard is just too [small].”
It seems many people agree that small phones are too small. “The iPhone 13 Mini, despite being loved by the press, sold only a fraction of the regular iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple expected the phone not to sell as well as its regular model, yet sales figures still under-performed even those lowered expectations,” King says. People just seem to like bigger phones, and so companies make them bigger.
NewsWatch also points out that “as the screen size increases, so will the battery life to support the increased mobile device use.” This is another of the main reasons phones are getting bigger. “Smaller phones don’t have enough room to fit all the new things people want phones to have. Tap to pay requires an NFC chip, phones have GPS and accelerometers, wireless charging requires a magnetic coil, and you need a light bulb for your phone’s flashlight,” says King. People are relying on their phones to do everything; and that requires a bigger battery size.
Marsden sums this up into a neat little sentence. “Phones [are] doing more stuff. Streaming video, gaming and navigation demanded more screen real estate.” More screen real estate requires more battery—it’s a cycle.
But what is actually better: bigger or smaller? With bigger phones, your phone’s battery will last longer, you’ll be able to watch videos more clearly, and you’ll have space for new features. But with smaller phones, you’ll be able to fit it in your pocket, it’s cheaper, and it’ll keep you from being constantly on it. Well, my friend, that is something you have to figure out yourself.
So why are phones growing? Well, one big reason is us. As you probably know, phones started out big, then got small, but are now growing again.
Is Bigger Actually Better?, an article by Rhodri Marsden, says, “over the next 15 years [phones] started to shrink, and by the turn of the century you could buy a clamshell phone smaller than the palm of your hand. Then, despite our hands remaining very much the same size, phones began to grow again.” Really, it’s our fault.
“We use [phones] to watch videos, and as a general rule, we try to watch things on the biggest screen we can set our eyes on.” That was Bertel King in their article Phones Keep Getting Bigger—and it’s our Fault.
“There are probably some benefits [to having a large phone], but it seems like there’s a lot of costs too,” States Brian Cavagnolo. He also said it’s very important for his phone to fit in his pocket. “It’s where my phone is 90% of its life.”
Hayley Schoeneman, an eighth grader in Visual Arts, agrees, saying “Having my phone be able to fit in my pocket is possibly the most important thing I would look for in a phone. If my phone can’t fit in my pocket, I question if it’s worth it to buy a phone when I could get a computer instead. After all, if I can’t carry my phone around without bringing a bag, it kinda defeats the purpose.”
Just as Schoeneman said, the reason why people who don’t like phones growing is because they’re just plain too big. “A large screen means a large phone which I find inconvenient. Large phones are more difficult to carry around, as they often can't fit in a pocket,” Schoeneman remarks. Cavagnolo says “the average [phone size] is getting higher and higher which makes it harder and harder for me to find a phone that fits neatly and comfortably in my pocket.”
Of course, there are upsides to having a large screen. In an article by NewsWatch, called The Benefits of Having Mobile Phones with Bigger Screens, they explain how “with a bigger screen size, you don’t have to experience more fat-fingering your way through smaller menus.”
Cavagnolo feels similarly, saying “I won’t write emails on my phone because the keyboard is just too [small].”
It seems many people agree that small phones are too small. “The iPhone 13 Mini, despite being loved by the press, sold only a fraction of the regular iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple expected the phone not to sell as well as its regular model, yet sales figures still under-performed even those lowered expectations,” King says. People just seem to like bigger phones, and so companies make them bigger.
NewsWatch also points out that “as the screen size increases, so will the battery life to support the increased mobile device use.” This is another of the main reasons phones are getting bigger. “Smaller phones don’t have enough room to fit all the new things people want phones to have. Tap to pay requires an NFC chip, phones have GPS and accelerometers, wireless charging requires a magnetic coil, and you need a light bulb for your phone’s flashlight,” says King. People are relying on their phones to do everything; and that requires a bigger battery size.
Marsden sums this up into a neat little sentence. “Phones [are] doing more stuff. Streaming video, gaming and navigation demanded more screen real estate.” More screen real estate requires more battery—it’s a cycle.
But what is actually better: bigger or smaller? With bigger phones, your phone’s battery will last longer, you’ll be able to watch videos more clearly, and you’ll have space for new features. But with smaller phones, you’ll be able to fit it in your pocket, it’s cheaper, and it’ll keep you from being constantly on it. Well, my friend, that is something you have to figure out yourself.