2013: THE RISE OF THE ANDROID 5” PLUS HANDSET

2013: THE RISE OF THE ANDROID 5” PLUS HANDSET

Lenovo K900 with 13MP camera and Intel processor.

Greetings, Synapse Circuit Readers... Who could have predicted that the handset would go beyond 4.8”? I remember thinking that the 5” Dell streak was too big at the time, but I thought that the large screen made for great mobile web browsing. Unfortunately for Dell the Streak was a bit of a disaster. Oh, and come to think of it... Didn’t Toshiba release a 5” handset? Anyhoo... A lot has changed since then. It appears that the 5” Android handset is the new 4.8”! 

Again, I have to applaud Samsung for turning the 5” Android handset game around with the Galaxy Note in 2011 and now many manufacturers are about to drop a 5” plus handset on us very soon! I am so used to my Note II now that I don’t think anything of it. Ok, it does help that I have a protective case for it which makes for better handling when taking photos / videos.

I think Dell ought to stop crying about getting burned with the Streak and enter the market again! The market is never too crowded if the product is right!

WOMEN
I have a female friend, Corinne, who decided to opt for a Galaxy SIII Mini instead of the full blown thing. Corinne, despite my best efforts, got the SIII Mini saying that her small hands could not cope well with the 4.8” of the SIII. The deal was sweetened by a “free” Galaxy Tab 2 7”! It’s not a horrendous deal by any means, but the amount she’s paying for the monthly rental means that she could have bought a newer tablet with cash – if she had it upfront! But the costs will be spread out over a 24 month period. Corinne is one of growing minority of women who aren’t aware or even care about the technical specifics of a handset beyond being able to access email, social networks, YouTube and free texting / calling apps. I don’t think Corinne is aware of the lack of full HD video recording on the SIII Mini! I tried to tell her! Oh, well...

But it is great to see that there are so many women in my neighbourhood and in my travels around London who own a 4.7” plus handset! The women I have seen either own a HTC One X, Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Note and Note II! All the women I have seen have a snazzy protective case (that makes for better handling). I think this is fantastic!

I really wouldn’t have thought that these large handsets would appeal to women, but they certainly do! The large handset appeals to all races, height and body type! The user appears to be aged from 21 – late 40s. It’s hard to tell sometimes...

LENOVO K900
The K900 features a 5.5-inch IPS screen and Intel's latest dual-core Z2580 processor - the first processor of the upcoming Clover Trail+ family.

At 6.9mm, the K900 matches the ZTE Grand S in thinness and weighs in at 162g. It's made from a composite of stainless steel alloy and polycarbonate in a unibody mould. The rear camera array does not protrude from the case, as it's been optimized for size with a new sensor and layout.

The K900's camera takes 13 MP pictures using the Sony Exmor BSI sensor and Lenovo has also equipped the K900 with an F1.8 lens. Should the image quality holds up, this could make the K900 a replacement for the level entry point and shoot digital camera. The 2 MP front camera features a 88 degree wide viewing angle, good for squeezing in everyone with the front.

According to Lenovo, the K900 is one of the first smartphones in the world to combine a 5.5-inch IPS display with 1080p full high-definition resolution performance at 400+ pixels-per-inch, all under the touch-capacitive Gorilla Glass 2. I think the features are great! I am curious about the software features in addtion to Android 4.1 or 4.2 Jelly Bean. Samsung has definitely set the benchmark of performance since the introduction of the SIII! The K900 doesn't have a stylus and the battery capacity is yet unknown. But I think that if the price is right the K900 could be a huge seller this year!

The design reminds me a little of the Galaxy SII!

Also to come...

HTC Butterfly
ZTE Nubia Z7

HTC Butterfly; it looks great! Could this be my next upgrade?

The ZTE Nubia looks like another contender...

And, of course, the world is expecting the Samsung Galaxy SIV which is said to feature a 5” full 1080 x 1280 HD screen and 13MP camera! Does this rule out the flexible Youm screen? Somehow I think the flexible screen devices will come in 2014! It would be nice to see the flexible screen on Galaxy Note III towards the end of this year, but I don’t see that happening somehow! From what I have seen from Samsung’s CES, they have prototypes that are going through rigorous testing. The prototypes sure looked awe inspiring! Nice big clear screens... Mmmmm... Mind you, it was rumoured that the SIII and Note II would feature the flexible screen but there were problems. You just never know with Samsung.

The SIV is slated for a May 3 release and I reckon there’ll be more manufacturers that will be releasing their 5” handsets before that pivotal Galaxy SIV date to get a head start!

Now will Apple increase the screen size of the iPhone further? Could they go against their “Hand Science”? It would be funny if they did!

YOU! 
What do you think of these 5" plus handsets?

Thank you for reading!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT NEW FORMAT
Synapse Circuit Readers! Just to let you know that I am busy working on a new format... Bear with me! I hope to get it up online in time to coincide with the end of this month... In the meantime please check out the Interactive PDF right here:
Synapse Circuit Dot Com!