The current trend of thin, large screen slate-type smartphones might offer more power and lots of screen real-estate, but due to the the lack of a stand they sure make it more difficult for you to just glance at the screen and get the information you want. As screens get larger and widgets more advanced, it’s seems like every new generation of devices seems to be able to show more info at once, on a single screen. Yet at the same it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a device that can stand upright or sideways on its own and actually allow you to see what’s on the screen, without having to pick it up, sort of like a night clock.
Earlier devices like N96, N86 8MP made it easy due to the inclusion of a kickstand, while smartphones with a flip-out keyboard (E7, N97) also have an angled screen that make this possible. The same can’t be said about the N8, for example. It’s even worse with those 4.3” monstrosities that can’t stand upright, at least not at an angle, requiring you to constantly pick it up. Holding a phone upright, even for a 15 minute video can get tiresome. I’ve had my share of trying to balance my N8 in front of a heavy device, only to find the angle not quite right or the device falling flat.




