I had similar concerns when switching from the Nexus S to the Galaxy Nexus, but I'd find it difficult to go back to the smaller phone now. The slightly thinner build of the larger phones vs the Nexus S does slightly make up for it, but I do understand where you are coming from.
I tried switching from an iPhone to a Galaxy Nexus and I couldn't. Not because of the software mind you, but because of what you mentioned: the bulk.
I'm used to being to hold the phone easily in one hand, and thumbing through some random trivia on the train to work. I found this difficult, or at least precarious feeling, on the Galaxy Nexus because of just how damned big it is. I heavily disliked how the phone practically begged for two hands to be operated.
It also felt huge in my pocket, though I suspect it's not enough of annoyance to stop me from carrying a compelling enough device - but the Galaxy Nexus isn't that.
Maybe I'm alone, but I won't be getting the Galaxy Nexus because it's too damn big. My current phone is 4.3", and it annoys me because it's a struggle to reach the top of the screen with my thumb (i.e. one-handed operation). I tried a 4.5" Galaxy SII and it was just too much for me.
That said, my old Nexus One feels tiny once I've gotten used to a larger phone. I think 4" is the sweet-spot for me- I just hope that phones don't keep climbing ever higher and ignoring the smaller form factor.
Totally, I went from the Droid OG to the Galaxy Nexus and swore I would never go any larger, although it feel's kind of small now after using a Galaxy Note on and off!
I feel the exact opposite. I had a Galaxy Nexus for a few months earlier this year. One of the reasons I switched back to my iPhone is that the screen is insanely too large for me.
I have a Galaxy Nexus. The keyboard is precisely why bigger is not better for me. Typing anything one-handed or hitting something on the upper or lower right of the screen is difficult for me; I end up letting the device rest in my hand somewhat precariously, which is extra fun when standing on a shaky bus in stop-and-start traffic.
I'm not the biggest person but my hands aren't tiny. I've been able to use other (e.g.) Nexus phones without any trouble. So from my perspective the bar ought to be higher than "we're making it bigger because we like more pixels" or whatever.
As a counter-point, I bought a Nexus S (4.3") when they were first available, I loved it and appreciated the screen size bump from my older Nexus One. But when my employer gave me a Galaxy Nexus (4.7"), I thought the screen was too large. I can still use the phone, but a lot of one-handed uses feel awkward or strained because my thumb can't reach the top of the phone without having to first reposition the phone in my hand. When I go back to my Nexus S, I miss the size and clarity of the larger screen, but I love having the smaller and lighter device in my hand, and it's so much easier to use.
While I still prefer the Android OS, I think Apple has struck a good balance in the iPhone 5 by making the screen larger and a proper widescreen resolution (I love being able to watch Netflix fullscreen on my GNex), and the hardware design looks amazingly good. I just wish I could run Android on it instead of iOS.
That's funny because when I try to switch from my Galaxy Nexus to my wife's iPhone 4s, I get annoyed with the smallness of the screen for reading, and the sharp edges are less comfortable in my pocket than the Nexus. I suspect it has a lot to do with what you're used to.
I had the 4.65" Galaxy Nexus; it was still usable but just barely. I'd have a hard time being convinced to go any bigger (I'm now on a 4.3" Razr M; no fault of the SGN, I switched networks and can't stand TouchWiz)
The present obsession with "bigger is better" is perplexing to me. I know some use cases are facilitated by larger displays, and they are valuable to people with poor eyesight, but I've never once in my life thought "boy, I wish my phone was even larger." A phone I cannot fit in my pocket is virtually useless to me.
Anything larger than my (already too large) Nexus 5 is a complete non-starter for me. I can see a place for these models in a lineup that includes smaller models, but the Nexus series does not seem to operate that way. This will be the first Nexus phone I will never own.
I have big hands and I still agree with you. I hung on to my Nexus One well past its expiry date because of the size of it. Eventually I had to move up and being in the Android realm I came VERY close to buying the Moto X because of its narrower form factor in my hand. In the end I went Nexus 5 but it still feels big to me.
That's what I've been saying for years. My last phone was a Galaxy Nexus, and my current is a Nexus 5. The change from 4.65" to 5", along with less-rounded edges, meant that the new phone was really a mixed blessing for me. I'd really prefer something that fits in my pocket without me noticing and that I don't need 2 hands to be comfortable using. People still think I'm crazy when I tell them that 5" is too large for a really usable phone.
Aha, you got me. I really should have specified that Nexus 5X was also too big.
Moreover, the specification that actually matters for one-handed phone users is the distance between the bottom corner of the phone (where it's held in the hand) and the top opposite corner of the screen, not the top corner of the phone. That's because that point is the furthest you'd ever need to stretch your thumb to use the phone. So actually, the displays getting bigger as the bezels get smaller has been part of the problem.
If you look at the Nexus 5X [1] you'll see that it has an enormous (by modern standards) top bezel. By comparison, a phone like the S22 has basically no bezel at all and will be much harder to use one-handed.
I think people just have different standards here, which should be no surprise (different hand sizes!). I found the Pixel 2 (and 4, which is nearly the same physical size despite the larger screen) to be tolerable, but nowhere near ideal. I like to one-hand my phone, often feel like reaching for things with my thumb comes close to a hard drop to the floor.
While it's one of the primary complaints (after purchase), the market would seem to suggest that people prefer smaller/thinner phones in terms of purchasing decisions.
My Nexus 4 was (at the time, 2013) huge to me because I had just switched from a tiny little qwerty flip phone. Getting used to it took forever, but my number one problem was making it fit on me without being bulky or getting scratched up/damaged.
Mind you I had a blue collar job at the time so there was a lot of opportunity for phone destruction.
The Nexus 5X was the perfect size phone in my opinion. I'm content with the Pixel 4a at the moment, but it is clearly too tall to use with one hand for me. I have to shimmy it up and down to reach the top and bottom. Which I suspect is the problem with almost every phone these days.
I'm not looking forward to stepping down from a Nexus 6 to a smaller screen. But then I'm a 6'3" dude. Phones under 5" screens feel like toys to me now.
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