A couple of months ago, I was riding the subway when I saw a woman holding [what I now know] is the Samsung Note. If you haven’t seen it in person, the Samsung Note looks like either a gigantic phone or a miniature tablet. As per the critics in the article below, I thought this was an awful idea, but the consumer traction shows that at least so far there’s demand for a phone like this.
So why didn’t other manufacturers design devices like this? I think that at least one reason there is a disconnect is that many consumer electronics devices are designed by men. Like me, I imagine they think about how they could fit a smartphone in their pants/jeans/jacket pocket. For women who carry a purse most everywhere, this might be less of a consideration. Similarly, new consumer electronics devices tend to be designed by younger people. I have been astonished at how many older relatives and friends have asked if they could use their iPads as phones. The larger screen sizes and therefore fonts and spacing are a big reason why older people have flocked to the iPad and other large tablets, and would potentially gravitate toward a phone of this size as well.
So I think we all need to be cognizant of our biases regarding end users/use cases. (Note (pun intended): I still think this phone is ridiculous)
How a Gigantic, 5.3-Inch Smartphone Is Proving Critics Wrong
The Samsung Galaxy Note comes with easy-access note taking software and an S Pen stylus. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired Too big to be a wieldy smartphone, too small to be a generously sized tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note hasn’t received a warm critical reception.
via: www.wired.com
Related articles
- [CES 2012] The Biggest News To Come Out Of CES So Far (Day 1) (androidpolice.com)
- Samsung Galaxy Note Review Roundup: What People Think of the ‘Phone with a Pen’ (ibtimes.com)
