I Used The Giant Samsung Phone That Apple Wants To Kill - And I'm Never Going Back To A Tiny Screen Again

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Jill D'onfro Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Jill D'Onfro / BI

When I first started using Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, almost everything about its enormous size annoyed me. I couldn't text with one hand. It barely fit in my pocket, or didn't at all. I felt silly holding it up to my ear to talk on the phone. It was the least subtle or elegant phone I'd ever seen.

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Even my friends were horrified. I'd plop the Note onto a table or I'd whip it out to take a picture, and anyone I was hanging out with would double-take.

"What is that thing?!" they'd gasp.

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I quickly learned that people who don't write about tech for a living have never heard the term "phablet" - a phone / tablet hybrid, which is what the Note 3 is. It clocks in at a whopping 5.95-inches long and 3.12-inches wide, which is about the width of a Pop-Tart, with a couple extra inches tacked on, length-wise.

Large-screen phones are well on their way to becoming the "next big thing," even though many people still think that they're ridiculous-looking. Analysts estimate that nearly one-fourth of smartphones shipped world-wide in the third quarter of 2013 had displays of 5 inches or more, with that number set to increase (giant phones are especially popular in the burgeoning Asian market).

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Rumor has it that even Apple is planning an upgrade for iPhone 6, from its four-inch display to something bigger. If a big-screen iPhone happens, it will be because the Samsing's Galaxy phones proved that consumers want big screens. Thus the prospect of a big-screen iPhone 6 is the No.1 threat to Galaxy.

The Beginning

Jill D'onfro Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Jill D'Onfro / BI

I've been an Android person for several years now (I initially switched from the iPhone for price reasons when it broke between upgrades, but I stayed for the customization and integration). I've been using a phone with an average 4.3-inch display. But now, having switched to the humongous Note 3 for several weeks, I don't want to go back to a small-screen phone ever again.

For the first week and a half I used the Galaxy Note 3, it felt like an obnoxious novelty. "Ha ha, look at how stupidly huge this phone is!"

I had to start carrying around a purse more than usual (several guy-friends even had issues stuffing the phone into their pocket), and I felt ridiculous texting.

Sure, I noticed some of the upsides right away. YouTube videos looked amazing on the Note's super clear-and-bright display. I could read long articles on my morning commute without squinting. Every mouth-watering detail of my friend's Instagrammed brunch looked bigger and more tasty.

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Eventually, other less-obvious pros started becoming apparent. In general, the camera on the Note 3 kicks ass, but even if it wasn't inherently light-years ahead of my old camera, it would still benefit from the huge screen. Not only could I frame each shot much better, but it was easier to put the camera's focus on exactly what I wanted. I really stepped up my QuizUp game because, with so much screen real-estate, it was nearly impossible to flub a quick tap and press the wrong answer. If I was a Flappy Bird fan, I know that I'd have a much easier time keeping the creature aloft and I'm sure the Candy Crush experience would be divine.

Even something as simple as scrolling through my Twitter feed was a more enjoyable experience with 5.7-inches of reading room. Oh, and did I mention that my Snapchat art became a lot more ornate? (Samsung's Galaxy Note phones come with the "S Pen," a sort of stylus on steroids, which lets you make detailed drawings on the huge screen, among a million other things.)

Once I started using Swype (an Android keyboard that lets you type without lifting your finger between letters), I actually mastered using the Note one-handed and was texting twice as fast. I feel like I could write a novel on the Note 3, or at least a Business Insider article.

At first, answering phone calls on the Galaxy felt like the most awkward thing ever, because it looked like I was holding a brick up to my head. But guess what? Bricks are exactly the right length to extend between your ear and your mouth! I swear, when talking on the phone with the Note 3, each call was clearer.

Converted

Jill D'onfro Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Jill D'Onfro / BI

To anyone who says that they wouldn't like using a big phone before ever trying one, I urge you to reconsider. A huge phone like the Note 3 provides an amazing overall experience. Everything a little phone can do, a big phone can do better, besides fitting in your pocket. After using the Note 3 for several weeks, I can confidently say that that tighter fit isn't even remotely a game-changer.

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At this point, I'm downright rabid about how much I love using Samsung's Galaxy Note 3. Every time I have to go back and do something on my tiny-tiny phone, I balk in horror at how small everything looks, frantically wondering how soon until my next Verizon upgrade so I can buy one to use permanently. In short, I fell in love. You may think that the nearly 6-inches look foolish at first, but, trust me, bigger really is better.

If Apple doesn't actually end up releasing a big phone this year, it's going to be left in the dust as more people decided switch to Samsung and others to get their big-phone fix.

Jill D'onfro Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Jill D'Onfro / BI