Bigger is better, say phone users

So what do you think is the perfect size? An inch or so bigger than you’ve got at the moment? Then join the club.

A survey from research firm Strategy Analytics has found that almost all smartphone owners in the US and UK want a device with a screen larger than their present one.

“Almost 90 percent of existing smartphone owners surveyed chose a prototype smartphone with a display larger than their current device,” says Paul Brown, a director in the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice. 

“This trend is driven by increased mobile web browsing capability, as well as engaging video and gaming experiences.”

The ideal size, says the company, is between  4.0 and 4.5 inches – which the company describes as the ‘sweet spot’. However, thickness is also important, and a larger screen size is only seen as desirable if the device is also thin.

As Kevin Nolan, vice-president for the User Experience Practice, warns, “In order for smartphone owners to adopt larger devices, it is important for handset manufacturers to ensure that mobile devices are not too heavy and that the devices remain thin enough for purses and pockets.”

Perhaps because of our delicate little hands, women seem to prefer slightly smaller devices to men.

And Android owners like something a little bigger to play with than iPhone owners, many of whom think 3.5 inches is plenty.