It's interesting. Going by CES, Apple alone of the major smartphone makers is resisting the lure of full HD 5-6in smartphones. But it's not clear who wants to buy them!

Over the years there's been quite a lot of blokes that have had their phone slip out when bending over straight into the toilet bowl!

morddwyd

A good number of my shirts (mainly for leisure) haven't got a pocket.

What happens when you bend down?

Phone size should be defined by where they're carried. As most males keep them in the front trouser pocket a 5" screen is far too big. Even the 4.5" screened Galaxy 3 is too big.

So unless the phone companies force a trend in MC Hammer style baggy trousers I can't see how these large screen phones will ever be popular

I assume that if one wears a Suit/Jacket, then a phablet would be no trouble, as they are about the same dimensions as a wallet and could easily be used with a Bluetooth headset.

As powerbreaker has found, the screen is just large enough the be vulnerable to torsion damage, which is rare in the, more or less, standard sized mobile phone.

...Quink Ink, perhaps?

No good for Hobbits HB, they still use vellum & quill;)

Once again, another product aimed at the kids' market. [Little people with little fingers 'n' good eyesight]. Hobbit [device] would be a smarter name ;o]

a what?

It seems to me that these devices fall into a gap in the woodwork - a phone that is too big and a tablet that is too small.

...which makes them not quite as phab as they make them out to be.

No