A few months ago we talked about how the average screen diagonal was increasing over the years since smartphones dominance snatching the dumbphones. An average which rose from 5 inches a few years ago with the consolidation of the format phablet, but may be watching the sunset at least part of the releases: will we stop having a sad picture lovers screens below 5.5 inches?
If we look at the latest releases of end caps, we see that not only the majority are below what is considered phablet (i.e. from the 5.5 inches), but in many cases represents a decrease or maintenance with respect to the foregoing of those models. Beyond curves and metal, which seems trend now contain both terminals thinness and height.
How much more the better? Maybe not
Based on the high-end devices between 2013 and 2015, the trend seemed to be consolidated in the limit of 5.5 inches that consensus was established to start calling another way to smartphones that montasen a panel with these dimensions or larger. A career in parallel with others such as resolution, incorporating the QHD at almost any price and the icing on Sony 4K in the Z5 Premium, and thinness, clawing millimeters to boast of thinness although this feature does not guarantee per it is comfort (sometimes it is the other).
Last year the total number of models with a diagonal screen measuring 5.5 inches brushed at least 190 terminals. This year, however, it seems that the options minority larger sizes are serving so far in 2016. To date there have been announced and about 150 terminals, of which 47 are 5.5 inches or greater, having and very few of 6 (the Samsung Galaxy Pro A9 and Micromax Canvas 6 Pro).
What we see if we case by case and focusing on the top end? What we mentioned earlier, which is maintained or even the size of the diagonal is reduced, but remains as a kind of limit on the 5 inches which few dare to go beyond (currently Sony and Apple of the most powerful manufacturers and some other side as Alcatel).
| Samsung | Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge: 5.5 inches
Galaxy S6 Edge Plus: 5.7 inches |
Galaxy S7: 5.2 inches
Galaxy S7 Edge: 5.5 inches |
| LG | LG G4: 5.5 inches | LG G5: 5.3 inches |
| Sony | Z5: 5.2 inches
Z5 Premium 5.5 inches |
X Series: 5 inches
X Premium (unconfirmed): 5.5 inches |
| bq | M5.5 5.5 inches | Plus X5: 5 inches |
| Huawei | Q8: 5.2 inches
P8 Max: 6.8 inches |
Q9: P9 Plus 5.2 inches: 5.5 inches |
| HTC | HTC One M9: 5 inches | HTC 10: 5.2 inches |
| Alcatel | Idol 3 and 4s 3c: 5.5 inches | 4s Idol: 5.5 inches |
This seems to go at least to stabilize all these uplines we saw so far when we talked about the few elections that were lagging those seeking something below 5 inches as the top end…
Small signals
After all this time with “big screen” is not surprising that to our attention that one of the major manufacturers (and unique in its field) launched a smartphone from a diagonal of 4″, below its current models and returning dimensions and design of 2014: iPhone SE. The reasons and analyze them after his presentation, transferring what exposed Apple itself: more than 30 million iPhones four inches (iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c) sold in 2015 and a thick significant new customer who choose them.
In fact, despite increasing the diagonal of its terminals (something that had become accustomed from the start with half an inch every two years), Apple chose to leave the user the option to choose size launching terminals in pairs, although this election has not been entirely fair in performance as the camera (still better in the Plus). Something that also occurs in the only Android manufacturer who opted for lower diagonals in its top end, i.e. the Sony Z5 Compact, reducing size and performance relative to their older siblings.
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A tactic that varied with the SE, since it did not become a downgrade full hardware level, but remained the top end of the last (the smaller and less powerful, yes, without 3D Touch). And how are you doing at the moment? Apparently the numbers were right and the public expected something, given that although it is unable to compare relative starting stocks sales have gone well and the US Apple Store is soon left without them.
Redistribution sizes also imports
To see how it has fared manufacturers have decided to hold or contain a little more terminals (at least at the level of diagonal) will have to wait a bit (both in time and in terms of the information given in this regard, which it is usually not too much information regarding selling model). But what we can do is take a look overflying data GSMArena in retrospect seeing how brands have been gathering their models in larger sizes in recent years.
Something that is not reflected here, but it is also an interesting fact has been watching the mobile market in the last year is that since 2014 have been launched less terminals. According to these approximate data mentioned, 2014 was an important peak with a total of 840 models launched on the market, up from previous years who had not reached 700 (690, 641 and 687 for 2011, 2012 and 2013). This figure dropped in 2015 with 744 models and again we have to wait to see how it is this year.
And in this respect the thing is unclear. While we saw that Samsung had effectively reduced catalog and seems to have reduced this year the number of Galaxy S (from three to two, waiting September) at the moment and poke new series of the brand, although we saw that this is not It has to be sign of an increase in total releases. LG could have stopped the Flex, although there are other series such as the Stylus or K with several terminals and Sony has already now a new series with three models in the absence of knowing what will bring us to the IFA and confirming the Sony Premium X.
For now just starting quarter and is see how it has been the first to everyone. We’ll see if throughout the year follows the trend to maintain or contain that seems to be drawing and if the catalogs continue to shrink at least in terms of total releases, considering that not all manufacturers survive from one year to another and there is always a constant tightrope more for some than for others.