Bigger Screen - but, Much Less Usable Area!

[DeetzSw]

While the diagonal of the display is "more", what concerns me is that the usability of the area is much less.

Consider the real strength of the Note line is the use of the S-Pen. Taking notes and drawing or writing we have LESS real space unless in horizontal mode - this is not my preferred orientation.

If you align the FLAT (non infinity) area - comparison from NOTE-4 to rumored NOTE-8 yes it's taller, but the writable area in width is compromised. Take a look at the attachment. the lower left display area is aligned discounting the "curved" portion of the NOTE-8 - you can't write on curved surface without difficulty... The width is 6.5mm narrower - that's ALOT!

I don't write TO-DO lists that are 25 items long! I write in sentences and paragraphs for inclusion in reports and analysis - and the NOTE-4 (my current device) is better at that.

I want a NOTE-8, but I'm somewhat concerned. How about you all? Do you like the direction that the Note line is headed with aspect ratios?

It's narrower PLUS the infinity display narrows the width even more -

Deetz

 

[bonerp]

I don't think the note series is following the right path - ie S8+ with a pen is not what I want. The screen is narrowing for the worse.

 

[BigMosley]

I currently have the V20 and I am getting the Note8 because of the water resistance, better screen and much better camera. I have both Note 7's and had the Note 4 prior to that so I need the Note back in my life!

 

[Super Chimp]

I have a Note 5 & wish they had stayed with that screen ratio rather than the narrow one of the S8, it just looks a bit odd on a Note.

 

[teegunn]

The reason they are narrowing and lengthening the phones is to accommodate people with smaller hands mostly IMO. I also prefer a slightly shorter and wider display. 16:9 with basically no bezels would be ideal. But everyone is going to 18:9 for most of the newer phones. Samsung is going 18.5:9 which is even taller and more narrow. For now, this is the ratio that most phones are adopting - taller and narrow. Maybe in a few years that will have proven to be not as popular and phones will gravitate back to a bit shorter an a bit wider. Who knows.

 

[galaxys]

Also prefer the shorter wider display...

 

[DeetzSw]

My point is not only that it is narrow, but with the curvy edges of the "infinity display" it limits the usable area even more.

It's FAKE NEWS - reporting a screen size for the sake of numbers - you can't use the edges - nice for photos and videos, but not much else. Have you plugged in your 4TB hard drive only to discover you've got 3.6 of usable space after formatting? Same thing.

The display is not bigger - just squished around to fit narrow Asian girl hands - does not help me with the functionality or "productivity" that Samsung espouses. It

 

[DeetzSw]

the flat is 6.53 on both sides for the reduction of flat width.

 

[esdwa]

It's obvious,
those giants makers including Samsung and HTC are pushing toward narrower screens because it saves on screen material cost during manufacturing. Note that 6.2in dia screen with 16:9 proportions has larger surface area by almost 9% vs. same diagonal screen but with 18.5:9 ratio This means with the last one more screens cut from single AMOLED wafer, means lower cost. But same diagonal spec. for marketing purposes. I won't be surprised if in 2-3 yrs some will start to push even further toward 2.35:1 (21:9) ratio marketing skinny phones as providing unique "cinematography experience". Same crap happened over a decade ago with laptops when all makers shifted from 4:3 screens to 16:9.
I had a chance to use S8 for couple weeks and experience was dreadful. Note 5 which I use now is probably last Samsung phone I owe.

 

[DeetzSw]

I understand -
Plus:
Asians and women with narrower hands
Less scrolling, able to see more per page
Better spec's
VR may be better field of view
Con:
S-Pen has less writable area, you write on the "flat"
More scrolling, doc's that "word wrap" end up being longer, so more scrolling.

All that said, the writing and drawing is what the Note series is differentiated about.
It would make more sense to have more flat area.

Deetz.

 

[vadimo]

I see people refer this design as been catered to please mainly Asian people. In China now, most people I meet small or big have large display phones, iPhone + range size is almost baseline for most of phones, It seems no one cares that you need two hands to use phone.

The Note 8 design I believe is more for western people as massive phones are still turn off for majority.

Comming from note 3 I am not finding issues with the width, I use s note! I find that curved edges are better for writing when phone is flat on table as it's curved and writing hand can rest on display easier as oppose to having flat edges which is less comfortable.

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[henklbr]

It's FAKE NEWS

Please STOP with this STUPID "Trump" phrases!

 

[roaduardo]

It's FAKE NEWS

Oh, man. Tell me this bit here is just some sarcastic satire and not being serious. Hope you're not one of those folks. LOL!

 

[Limeybastard]

It's obvious,
those giants makers including Samsung and HTC are pushing toward narrower screens because it saves on screen material cost during manufacturing. Note that 6.2in dia screen with 16:9 proportions has larger surface area by almost 9% vs. same diagonal screen but with 18.5:9 ratio This means with the last one more screens cut from single AMOLED wafer, means lower cost. But same diagonal spec. for marketing purposes. I won't be surprised if in 2-3 yrs some will start to push even further toward 2.35:1 (21:9) ratio marketing skinny phones as providing unique "cinematography experience". Same crap happened over a decade ago with laptops when all makers shifted from 4:3 screens to 16:9.
I had a chance to use S8 for couple weeks and experience was dreadful. Note 5 which I use now is probably last Samsung phone I owe.

I agree. It's all about the costs. I prefer 16:9 ratio.

And to add insult to injury they made the Note 8 narrower screen curved!

Not really Note anymore is it ?

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[krabman]

It isn't about costs, the screens are actually more costly to produce, not less. It's about differentiation, style, and profit. Phones are getting good enough that the hardware is in many respects becoming a non factor. The phone industry is getting ready to enter the "appliance" stage. You don't really check the compressor on your new fridge, compare BTUs per square inch of burner, on stoves, etc. You look at the gross size, styling, durability/perceived reliability. The hardware under the hood is for most people generic, doesn't matter. Most of you should be old enough to recall this happening with laptops. Not to long ago laptops sold for much greater margins but as they got better for most people they became good enough, it became a value question, a styling question, rather than a hardware question. In the laptop industry however there was really only one operating system that mattered, windows. This made differentiation difficult when pricing was crucial and the result was the proverbial race to the bottom. Outside of the boutique systems for gamers most laptops move for a very low margin and it's a difficult business to compete in. They have become appliances.

Those happy people that make phones don't want this to happen to them so they are trying to create value and increase profits with style and differentiation before the performance factor becomes totally meaningless. They are also trying to wall you into their garden and for phones these things are related. When you know the clock is ticking and the hardware will soon become a non factor style and brand can still sell and is a way to avoid the low profits after the race to the bottom is complete. By locking you into their orbit they also act to make it so their value to you becomes higher because a move means hassle. Then they have the value add of harvesting your information and selling it. Remember Apple made 4 billion dollars last year serving google ads. Thats whats called free money and everyone likes free money.

So thats why, it's not really about right or wrong for the user, it's about holding profits up for the OEMs. If they make a same old same old boring slate they cant add value for style, they cant win brand recognition, they cant get the profit that those things bring. It's always about the money.

 

[fragtion]

I find the narrower phone much more comfortable/"natural" to hold in my hand & overall less fatiguing to work with - so while I completely agree that narrower display contradicts most of what the Note series should stand for, by compromising effectiveness of the stylus from a professional writing/note-taking standpoint, I have to say that I still welcome this change, all things considered. Obviously this is something Samsung takes very seriously and would not have have overlooked. Yeah the cost-factor is a major consideration, but I'm sure there were many other practical factors which weighed in favour of the new design.

I also don't want to come across as naive in saying this, but given how expensive the Note 8 actually retails for, does the "cost savings" argument really even hold much water, any more than it being a convenient excuse? The fact is, Samsung could have put nearly any price tag on this unit and it clearly wouldn't have made much difference to their sales at the end of the day. People are prepared to pay a fortune for this device, just because it's "the new Samsung Galaxy Note" -- so there urgency for Samsung to take cost-cutting shortcuts couldn't have been all that great. Then again, I suppose when we consider how much the Note 7 disaster must have cost them, I suppose anything is possible after all

Granted, we all have our preferences though, and I can totally understand why some prefer 16:9 form factor and might even be disappointed/angered by this trend. You could certainly argue that anyone looking for long/narrow flagship offering could just buy the S8+ such that Samsung should have left the Note 8 form factor untouched, leaving customers with more variety in this regard instead of conforming everything to this new fashion trend... but it is what it is, and the overall sales figures will speak the loudest in the end. Can't wait to see what the future of this space holds though

 

[blackangst]

I use a Note5 for work, and Note8 for personal. I prefer the screen of the 8 much better.

My point is not only that it is narrow, but with the curvy edges of the "infinity display" it limits the usable area even more.

It's FAKE NEWS - reporting a screen size for the sake of numbers - you can't use the edges - nice for photos and videos, but not much else. Have you plugged in your 4TB hard drive only to discover you've got 3.6 of usable space after formatting? Same thing.

The display is not bigger - just squished around to fit narrow Asian girl hands - does not help me with the functionality or "productivity" that Samsung espouses. It

This is way off topic, but me thinks you need to do some reading on how HD capacity is figured, calculated, and reported. Its not the same thing. At all.

 

[Limeybastard]

I find the narrower phone much more comfortable/"natural" to hold in my hand & overall less fatiguing to work with - so while I completely agree that narrower display contradicts most of what the Note series should stand for, by compromising effectiveness of the stylus from a professional writing/note-taking standpoint, I have to say that I still welcome this change, all things considered. Obviously this is something Samsung takes very seriously and would not have have overlooked. Yeah the cost-factor is a major consideration, but I'm sure there were many other practical factors which weighed in favour of the new design.

I also don't want to come across as naive in saying this, but given how expensive the Note 8 actually retails for, does the "cost savings" argument really even hold much water, any more than it being a convenient excuse? The fact is, Samsung could have put nearly any price tag on this unit and it clearly wouldn't have made much difference to their sales at the end of the day. People are prepared to pay a fortune for this device, just because it's "the new Samsung Galaxy Note" -- so there urgency for Samsung to take cost-cutting shortcuts couldn't have been all that great. Then again, I suppose when we consider how much the Note 7 disaster must have cost them, I suppose anything is possible after all

Granted, we all have our preferences though, and I can totally understand why some prefer 16:9 form factor and might even be disappointed/angered by this trend. You could certainly argue that anyone looking for long/narrow flagship offering could just buy the S8+ such that Samsung should have left the Note 8 form factor untouched, leaving customers with more variety in this regard instead of conforming everything to this new fashion trend... but it is what it is, and the overall sales figures will speak the loudest in the end. Can't wait to see what the future of this space holds though

I find the more narrower a phone more of a being ripped off / short changed nickel and diming like OP does , especially when it's a "Note". I'm allowed to air my views ? Being easier to hold in the hand is perhaps true, but this is the makers justification for cutting corners to increase revenue but still charge a premium.

Karma already came and bit Samsung in the ass ref: the N7 fiasco, it will continue to do so should they keep abusing their position ethically and their clients. I remember Samsung when they were chasing Apple clients for customers, as soon as they got what they wanted figures wise they put the middle finger up on the folks who made them bigger than Apple.



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[herpi]

I have a Note 5 & wish they had stayed with that screen ratio rather than the narrow one of the S8, it just looks a bit odd on a Note.

The same to me, I have both the 5 and the 8 here on the table, and I prefer the 5.
Also wearing it in my shirtpocket it extends too much.
No need either for a software home button. I really see not much advantage for a larger screen.
Was completely happy with the note 5. I bought the 8 because more memory. I use dual SIM so no SD card.
Disppointed? No, but still...

haha,
Huib

---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 PM ----------

I agree. It's all about the costs. I prefer 16:9 ratio.

And to add insult to injury they made the Note 8 narrower screen curved!

Not really Note anymore is it ?

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I was using the note in a public bus today. I feel a little bit embarrased with this screen. I cannot hide it in my hand, so everybody sees I have this huge thing.

Huib

 

[pool_shark]

I noticed how much I liked the Note 2 when I brought home the Note 5.

Embarrassed by the size, no way.
I'm at a disaster recovery exercise and I've had my large screen phone in my hand all day.