There was a time when tech companies worked hard to make their
devices as small as possible. From cellular phones and netbook
computers to game systems and other gadgets, the tech industry
was once obsessed with size.
The industry is still obsessed, but instead of making products
smaller, many of the industry's top players are making them
thinner, wider and longer. This led to the creation of
televisions that are enormously wide but are light enough and
thin enough to hang on a wall. Now a similar trend is hitting
mobile phones.
One of the biggest is the Galaxy Note II, a large smartphone
with a 5.5-inch display. This was an increase over the original
Galaxy Note, which featured a 5.3-inch display. LG followed suit
by releasing the five-inch Intuition, a massive five-inch
smartphone that is
too big
to hold comfortably in one hand. LG's Optimus 4X HD, which
features a 4.7-inch display, is nearly as big.
These smartphones were specially designed for consumers who
wanted a bigger screen. The trend does not end there, however.
Samsung has continually increased the size of its flagship phone,
the Galaxy S.
The first Galaxy S featured a four-inch display. Samsung
increased the screen to 4.3 inches when it launched the Galaxy S
II. The most recent model features a 4.8-inch display. Now the
company is expected to make the screen even bigger when it
releases the Galaxy S IV.
Nokia (NYSE:
NOK
) is also increasing the size of its displays. While the Lumia
900 featured a 4.3-inch display, the Windows Phone 8-powered
Lumia 920 comes with a screen measuring 4.5 inches.
Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
), which held onto the same screen size and aspect ratio for
nearly five years, finally lengthened the size of its smartphone
when it released the iPhone 5.
Clearly the larger form factors are here to stay. If they are,
what does this mean for apparel companies like Levi's and
American Eagle (NYSE:
AE
)? Will they have to adjust the shape and size of their
pockets?
A spokesperson for Wrangler told Benzinga that the company
does a lot of testing to ensure that phones can fit in the
pockets of their jeans. "I'm not sure if there are plans to
expand them to some of the much, much larger [phones]," she
said.
Levi's, Lee, Gap (NYSE:
GPS
) and American Eagle did not return Benzinga's request for
comment.
If smartphones continue to grow but pockets remain the same,
it could lead to a resurgence in popularity for
cell phone holsters
. Of course, consumers who think they look silly could simply
carry a
man's bag
to hold their oversized smartphone.
Follow me
@LouisBedigianBZ
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