A trend has begun. People are switching compact phones for larger phones that straddle the line between a compact tablet and a smartphone. Big phones seem to be the newest fad, but should you switch? If you're thinking about moving from a compact phone like an iPhone to something that's a lot bigger from the Android category, here are some plus and minuses.

Bigger Everything

A bigger phone means, well, bigger everything. Web pages that you have to view can be seen without squinting at small type. Photos are larger and more colourful (details still depend on the actual phone), and apps are easier to read. There's no debating the fact that a larger phone is simply easier on the eyes. But, a larger phone might also be awkward at times.

Yeah, That's My Phone...

Have you ever tried taking a photograph with a tablet? The whole thing is awkward from start to finish. Well, the same goes for a larger smartphone. It's strange, simply, to hold up a big phone and snap a photo with it. It's even stranger to hold that phone to your ear and talk on it. You might get some stares from passer-by's with much smaller phones.

The other problem with a larger phone is that it's not so easy to stuff a large phone into a pocket. Most pockets aren't made from larger phones (or phones at all), so this might be strange at first. So, how do you know if you will feel comfortable toting around a larger phone? I have some advice for you that will help you choose.

Compare and Contrast

It's really hard to compare phones that are tethered to some kind of security counter. You can't pick up those phones and carry them around with you to test out weight and width. But, you can head to kiosk after kiosk and ask to play with a phone for a bit. If you find that it's just too bizarre to use a larger phone to take photos or talk on, you might want to stick with the smaller sizes.

However, I'm going to predict that most people will be buying larger phones over their more compact counterparts in the near future. The trend is already moving in the larger direction. So, it might not be so strange to be carrying around a large phone in just a short while.

Something Else to Consider

If you find the largest phone you can find, but you still want something bigger, you might consider a small tablet in addition to a large phone. You can use the small tablet in conjunction with a small phone and have the best of both worlds. With all the tablets on the market, you don't have to pay a lot for a small tablet anymore either.

Tablets aren't phones, but you might be happier carrying around a small phone that fits in your pocked, and browsing the web with a small tablet. The best of both worlds, really. For now, phones remain small...but those bigger beasts are rolling out slowly.