Optimal smartphone screen size? 5.5 to 5.7"

Seems like the "phablet" is gaining such popularity that the term may be disappearing as more people start expecting smartphones to have screen sizes in the 5.5 to 5.7" range. The latest Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 fit those dimensions and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5" display.

I'm still a fan of the traditional active digitizer pen, so that's why I'll continue with the Samsung Galaxy Note series (as long as they continue to support the S Pen). I'll pass on the Note 5 for now since I'm a big fan of the removable batter and microSD card slot that I currently have on my Note 4. The newer Note 5 has gotten rid of these features in exchange for a smoother, nicer overall design.

Here's the key question that I'd like to see answered someday: if the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were priced equally, which would be more popular? Right now, the 6 Plus is $100 more, so I'm sure that deters many potential customers who would prefer the larger screen but is perfectly willing to settle on the smaller iPhone 6.

Samsung GALAXY S5

The Samsung GALAXY S5 is the latest flagship smartphone that Samsung has released into the market. I'm still an iPhone user, but if I had to purchase an Android smartphone today, I'd get the S5.

It features a unique battery-saving feature (the screen goes into grayscale mode and disables unnecessary functions) which sounds like it's something that every smartphone should have. How many times has your smartphone run out of power? Or, maybe you've been very close: 5% or 10%. Well, the Samsung "Ultra Power Saving Mode" could be something we see in other gadgets like tablets and laptops.

The S5 also includes a heart rate sensor, although I'm not entirely sure that you're going to get more accurate readings from the S5 compared to using a standard Heart Rate app on your iPhone (placing your finger over the camera and the LED flash lights your finger). Samsung is moving aggressively in the personal fitness and health market, so S Health may gain traction quickly since Samsung also has the Gear Fit - a wearable activity tracker / smartwatch that has a nice color display. I'd like to play around with the Gear Fit, but I don't have a compatible Samsung smartphone or tablet that will work with it. Samsung is building a closed ecosystem for their fitness gadgets.

For health care users, perhaps the most promising feature of the S5 is the fact that it is water resistant when you close the micro USB cover. I don't see other smartphone manufacturers trying to add water resistance to their feature list, so it's nice to see Samsung taking the lead on this one.

Will the smartwatch replace the smartphone?

As technology advances, I find myself wondering if the smartwatch will ultimately replace that smartphone that we put into our pockets. Add a Bluetooth earpiece and some Google Glass - type of visual aid, and you don't really need a smartphone. You can do all your mobile computing through a tiny digital device that you simply wear on your wrist. Plus, the smartwatch can monitor your physical activity and give you quantitative data on your fitness each day.

The first generation of smartwatches will emerge in 2013 from major smartphone OEMs like Apple, Samsung, and others. These devices will probably rely on your smartphone for essential functions, so they won't be designed to replace your smartphone. However, eventually we'll start seeing models that will have full cellular capability. Once the smartwatch phenomenon really takes off, the days of the traditional smartphone may be over.

Samsung announces the Galaxy S 4

Today, Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 . This is a very fast, thin, Android smartphone that has a large 5" display. The line distinguishing phone vs. tablet is getting blurry. Is this a phone, a tablet, or a phablet? The Galaxy S 3 had a 4.8" display.

The Galaxy S 4 also uses motion and the built-in accelerometer to control the phone. Seems like self-tracking fitness gadgets like Fitbits will face some competition from Samsung.

I look forward to getting my hands on an S 4 so that I can see how it feels and performs.

The next Samsung Galaxy smartphone is coming

On March 14, Samsung will reveal the next Galaxy smartphone. What will it look like? Right now, their top-end smartphones are the Galaxy S3 or the Galaxy Note 2 (which also supports the S-pen). Will they announce a Galaxy S4, or a Galaxy Note 3?

S3, S4 - remind you of cardiac auscultation?

What is the ideal smartphone screen size?

I've used many different types of smartphones over the years and I have often wondered, "what is the ideal screen size for a smartphone?" At first, 3.5" seemed like a standard size. Then, we saw a flurry of Android smartphones with screens larger than 4" and I got used to the new size. Now, I find myself drawn to try devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note II that has a screen size of 5.55" and this is a "phablet" device which is a cross between a phone and a tablet. If a phablet is the right compromise, then maybe that's the right type of device that I need.

I'm also still a pen-based user (because I like to scribble notes), so larger devices that support an active stylus pen are attractive to me. Verizon currently offers the LG Intuition that has a 5" screen, but this device seems a bit too blocky to me. The Samsung Galaxy Note II is coming to almost every major wireless provider, so I plan to test one when it comes to Verizon. While I wait, I'll continue to use my iPhone 5 (which is a great phone, but the screen is still a bit too small for my taste).

My review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint

For the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to test the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on the Sprint network. As I've been using this device, a question that kept coming up was this: Will Apple's patent lawsuit against Samsung block U.S. sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? I'm not sure that we have a definitive answer here. Currently, the Galaxy Nexus is being sold on most major wireless networks and these networks are also selling the newest member of the Galaxy family: the Samsung Galaxy S III. 


The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a beautiful screen and the phone is remarkably thin. Previously, I mainly used an HTC Thunderbolt and I recently switched to the iPhone 4S. The Galaxy Nexus was a refreshing change from the iPhone because of the large screen (4.65" vs. 3.5" on the iPhone). Plus, Android 4 (also known as ICS or Ice Cream Sandwich) is much more refined than previous Android versions. There's an updated version of Android called Jelly Bean (it's 4.1).


When it came to using a variety of medical apps on the Galaxy Nexus, they ran beautifully and I found that I was much more productive typing on a larger screen. Multimedia content was delivered richly on the AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display and the dual-core processor demonstrated snappy performance as I switched between intensive apps that load a lot of data. When you're browsing the web and searching for medical information, you'll feel like you have a small tablet in your hand because of the large screen that facilitates on-screen navigation. 


Also, the built-in camera has no shutter lag, so you can snap photos very quickly and sharing is easy. Do you share medical photos with colleagues using a secure, encrypted service? You'll appreciate the photo and video quality on this phone. 


I missed the fact that the Galaxy Nexus does not have a microSD card slot. Many other Android smartphones include a microSD slot. Then again, the HTC One X also doesn't have a microSD card slot.


Also, battery life on the Galaxy Nexus was adequate, but it wasn't great. This is probably why Samsung beefed up the battery from an 1850 mAh battery on the Galaxy Nexus to a 2100 mAh battery on the Galaxy S III. The Galaxy Nexus is very light (5.1 oz) and rivals the smaller iPhone 4S here (4.9 oz). The Galaxy S III beats both by only weighing 4.7 oz and still having a larger screen and battery. 

Some of the key features of the Galaxy Nexus include:

• Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
• 4.65" HD Super AMOLED Contoured Display
• Dual-Core 1.2GHz Processor & 1GB Ram
• HTML Web Browser
• Camera 5.0 Megapixel
• 1.3MP front-facing Camera

The Galaxy Nexus won the CNET "Editor's Choice" back in Dec 2011. The most recent CNET winner is the Galaxy S III, so you're still in the same family here. 

Finally, don't get confused with the names "Galaxy" and "Nexus." Both of these terms have been applied to a wide range of smartphones (like the Samsung Galaxy family and the Google Nexus) and tablets (like the Google Nexus 7). In other words, it's easy to mistake the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for another device.

I would highly recommend this phone for anyone interested in a great smartphone with a large display running the latest version of Android but who is also budget-conscious. You can find this phone for $99 to $150 whereas most of the newest smartphones generally start at $200. If you're the type who needs the latest and greatest and you're willing to pay the price, then go with the Galaxy S III because you'll get a phone that mainly has a bigger display (4.8" vs. 4.65"), a better camera (8 MP vs. 5 MP), and longer battery life (2100 mAh vs. 1850 mAh). Beyond these differences, the Galaxy Nexus is very similar to the Galaxy S III.

I'm testing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been available on the Sprint network for a few months and I now have my hands on one (to test). I'll be providing more opinions over the next week, so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, if you're thinking about upgrading to an Android smartphone running Android 4.0 (also known as Ice Cream Sandwich), then you'll be happy with the changes that you'll find on the new OS. Compared to Android 2.x, Android 4.0 includes a number of welcome improvements. I actually still have an HTC ThunderBolt running Android 2.3.4 that was the first 4G smartphone on the Verizon network. This phone is supposed to get the Ice Cream Sandwich update sometime this month, so I'm waiting to see how it performs after I've updated the OS.

Back to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus - it's a really nice, thin smartphone with a large 4.65-inch, 1280-by-720 Super AMOLED screen. Ever since I started using an iPhone 4S, I've missed the larger screens found on Android smartphones. The dual-core 1.2GHz processor is snappy and the battery life has been impressive so far.

The newest Android smartphone from Samsung is the Galaxy S III and it's going to be available on most of the major wireless networks. Being the newest, it's also the most expensive. The Galaxy Nexus (also from Samsung) is a bit more affordable ($149.99).

Samsung Galaxy Note with a HUGE 5.3" screen - great for presbyopia

Remember the OQO model 02? This was a pocket-sized Windows PC that had a 5" screen. The company went out of business a few years ago.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Android smartphone (or is this a tablet?) that has a huge 5.3" screen. This device might be great for adults who have presbyopia and need reading glasses. This could be the perfect smartphone for people ages 40+

However, be warned that this is a BIG device!

Also, if you miss pulling out a stylus for your PDA/smartphone, you'll love how the Galaxy Note uses an S Pen (Advanced smart pen) so that you can write/draw directly on the screen. Is the stylus pen making a comeback?

The GALAXY Note provides you with the ability to freely capture and create ideas anywhere and everywhere. The S Pen is combined with the full touch screen to create a best-in-class mobile input experience. It is the most advanced pen input technology featuring an array of functions including pressure sensitivity, preciseness, speed and more. With the S Pen, you can easily sketch drawings or write notes with increased accuracy and ease. Also, the S Pen functionality is deeply integrated into the GALAXY Note’s native applications to provide a richer interactive experience.

Samsung GALAXY S II reaches 3 Million global sales

SEOUL, KOREA--(Korea Newswire) -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced that the Samsung GALAXY S II(Model: GT-I9100), has reached global channel sales of 3 million units.

The GALAXY S II is Samsung's flagship smartphone device; a beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight, dual-core smartphone that combines an unmatched Super AMOLED Plus viewing experience with incredible performance, all on Android, the world's fastest-growing mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes exclusive access to Samsung's four new content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services.

Verizon 4G LTE Smartphones

Right now, you can choose among 3 Android smartphones on Verizon that run on the 4G LTE network:

• Revolution™ by LG
• DROID CHARGE by Samsung
• ThunderBolt™ by HTC

Based on the number of reviews, the ThunderBolt™ by HTC is the most popular 4G smartphone on Verizon. It was also the first. Although Motorola recently announced the Droid X2, this smartphone is not a 4G smartphone. I wonder why Motorola hasn't come out with a 4G LTE smartphone yet.

Battery life is still a big problem with these early 4G smartphones. That's why I run my ThunderBolt on 3G mode most of the time.

Apple Sues Samsung

Apple is suing Samsung saying that they copied the iPad, iPod and iPhone with its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy handsets.

Apple's lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, alleges that Samsung copied the look, product design, packaging and user interface of its products, violating its patents and trademarks.

Read more here.

Google Nexus S with a Contour Display

Google has moved from HTC to Samsung for their next Nexus smartphone. The Nexus S is the first Android smartphone to run Gingerbread (Android 2.3). It also has a 4" screen, so maybe these bigger screens are here to stay. Soon, my Droid X won't seem so big anymore.

The Nexus S has a unique featured called a Contour Display. 

Nexus S is manufactured by Samsung, and it is the first smartphone to launch with a Contour Display. The curved glass screen fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face.

The other innovative feature is called NFC (near field communication). NFC hardware lets you read information from NFC tags. NFC is a fast, versatile short-range wireless technology that can be embedded in all kinds of everyday objects like movie posters, stickers and t-shirts.

Official Google Blog: Introducing Nexus S with Gingerbread

Samsung Focus for AT&T running Windows Phone 7

The Samsung Focus may be one of the first smartphones running Windows Phone 7. This device will be available on AT&T. HTC will also be releasing some smartphones running Windows Phone 7.

I'm guessing that both Samsung and HTC will focus on developing more smartphones running Android instead of Windows Phone 7. Then again, maybe they'll create the same hardware that can run either OS. Wouldn't that make more sense?

Samsung Galaxy Tab (Android Slate Tablet)

I've been blogging about the Samsung Galaxy Tab (Android Slate Tablet) on MobileHealthComputing.com. If you're interested in learning more about the world of slate tablets, then please join me on MobileHealthComputing.com.

Samsung Fascinate SCH-i500 (Verizon Wireless)

The Samsung Fascinate SCH-i500 is the latest addition to the Verizon Wireless lineup of Android smartphones. Traditionally, Samsung had smartphones on Verizon that were running Windows Mobile. This is their first Android smartphone on Verizon. On the AT&T network, this phone is known as the Samsung Captivate (why all the different names Samsung?) Actually, the Captivate is not identical to the Fascinate. These smartphones all belong to the Samsung Galaxy S series.

From a distance, the Fascinate almost looks like an Apple iPhone. This Android smartphone is sized between the Motorola Droid X and and the HTC Droid Incredible. I wonder why it's not being called the Samsung Droid Fascinate. I thought Verizon was going to use the "Droid" name on every Android smartphone.

Perhaps the best feature on the Samsung Fascinate is the 4" Super AMOLED touch screen that works really well when you're outdoors. Even in bright sunlight, you won't have any trouble seeing this screen. Besides the screen, the other features are very similar to what you'll find on other high-end Android smartphones. So, if the Droid X is simply too big for you, the Samsung Fascinate or the HTC Droid Incredible make good alternative candybar smartphones.

Free Samsung Galaxy S for frustrated iPhone 4 users

Samsung in the UK is giving away free Galaxy S smartphones to iPhone 4 users who are frustrated about reception problems. This story was published on CNN (and on WIRED.CO.UK).

An account on Twitter called @samsungukmobile is contacting people who've tweeted about their difficulties with the handset, asking them to submit their contact details to receive a free handset.

The Samsung Galaxy S is a slate smartphone running Google Android and this smartphone has a large 4" screen (AMOLED display). Like other similar Android smartphones, the Galaxy S runs a 1 GHz processor, so you'll see amazingly fast performance on this device. The Galaxy S is going to be branded and sold under different names:

• T-Mobile Vibrant
• Verizon Fascinate
• AT&T's Captivate

From a distance, the Galaxy S may look like an iPhone 3 GS. However, the Galaxy S runs Android, it has a removable battery, and it's made by Samsung, not Apple. So, if the Motorola Droid X is too big for you, then the Samsung Galaxy S may be a great option. 

Shopping for a Bluetooth headset

Today, I went to Best Buy to buy a Bluetooth headset. Normally, I would buy these types of things online. However, I wanted her to try it out first. She's actually never had a Bluetooth headset. She's always used a wired headset, so this is her first one that uses wireless Bluetooth technology.

So, which one did I get? I got the Samsung WEP490 (which is a relatively new model) for $40 and she seems to like it so far. I use an old one made by Plantronics and it still works just fine.

I remember when Bluetooth headset were still relatively new. Some models were horrendous and others were decent. Advances in Bluetooth technology have brought the prices down so you can get some really decent ones today for under $100.

32GB microSD cards announced by Samsung

Right now, the largest microSD card you can buy is 16GB. That's quite a bit of storage space!

Well, Samsung has announced the development of 32GB microSD cards and you can expect to see them fairly soon. It's hard to know how much these will cost.

What's the limit on a microSD card? How "big" will these tiny memory cards get? Will we see these tiny flash cards holding over 100GB? How about 500GB?  1TB?

Read more at Engadget.

Swype for Android

Swype (not Skype) is an innovative touch keyboard that allows you to enter words without lifting your finger off the screen surface. Here's what Swype offers:

Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 50 words per minute. The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.

Swype comes on the Samsung Omnia II running Windows Mobile 6.5, but there's a preview version out there for Android. You can learn more about that preview here.