how small screen?

I am considering getting a smart phone. Obviously I will want to use the Logos app (android, not apple). My question is, will the app work correctly, and will I be able to read the text, on a screen as small as 3.5 inches? Or does it need to be at least 4 inches?

Find more posts tagged with

Mobile App

Comments

Roger G Black

Honestly, only you can really determine that. I notice by your picture you are wearing glasses, so sight and reading fine print is already probably a little bit of an issue. Of course the larger the screen the better. The fonts size is adjustable so you can adjust that for the text being read, the menu and other options only adjust well not well but readable. I also wear glasses so it is a comfort area for me too. I would personally recommend at least 4". Mine is about 4 1/4. The biggest issue with a phone is the amount of storage you get baseline, internally. Of course you can download what you absolutely need and make room as necessary. If you can afford to try to get a phone with 32gigs internally, that should give you more than enough room for absolute phone programs and Logos, plus some more. Your library size will make a difference, just download what you need and make adjustments when needed. Android and Logos, so far, do not work well with external sd cards. Some of the newer phones with Android 5.0.1 say they support the move to sd card function, but I haven't been successful in getting Logos to work completely in doing so.

To restate, only you can really know what size screen works for you best. Personally I needed 4" or better. Remember is Logos settings you can change the font size.

Best of luck,

Roger

Jeffrey T. Requadt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748410#Comment_748410

That makes sense. I guess I'm thinking about the resolution, if 320 x 480 is going to be too grainy. I suppose I can buy the cheaper phone and if it's clearly unsatisfactory I can trade it in. Thanks for the info about memory. I hadn't considered that yet.

Jeff

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

I am considering getting a smart phone. Obviously I will want to use the Logos app (android, not apple). My question is, will the app work correctly, and will I be able to read the text, on a screen as small as 3.5 inches? Or does it need to be at least 4 inches?

The app should work correctly if it meets the current minimum supported Android version (4.x), and as mentioned before, resource text can be sized quite large (see attached screenshot). The menu items and other parts of the app do not support different text sizes.

Before making an Android purchase here are some things to keep in mind:

- Most 3.5" screen devices sold today will be off-brand, slow, and limited in terms of OS updates. They might only cost ~$70, but you get what you pay for. No major vendor that I am aware of is actively working on 3.5" smart phone devices or making sure they run the latest mobile hardware.

- 3.5" devices will likely have low resolution 540x960 or 480x800 pixel screens that will look fuzzy compared to today's standard screens (1080x1920).

- The typical life-cycle of a mobile device is about 3 years, so if you get a device that was "new" 2 years ago you might not be happy if support is dropped in a year because the vendor no longer ships Android updates and Logos requires a newer version of Android that your vendor doesn't support.

- Mobile devices are not like desktop computers. I still run a 2009 iMac at home and the equivalent 2015 iMac is around 30% faster. On the mobile side a 2015 Samsung Galaxy S6 is literally 30 *times* faster (i.e. 3,000% faster) than a 2012 Samsung Galaxy 3. If you want a device that will last a while please keep that in mind - see here for more information.

Erwin Stull, Sr.

I use a Galaxy Note 2 smartphone (I think its a 5" screen) with the Logos Bible app. It is fine (for me) for reading, and although the app has come a long way in features, don't expect to do too much other than reading. The screen is just too small for any intensive study. I also have a 7" tablet, which allows viewing in 2 panes a little easier, but still too small in my opinion. For any real usability of the Logos features, looking at a standard 10" tablet will probably be the best.

Now, how do I use the Logos Bible app on my small phone and tablet? Primarily for following along during Bible Study and during service. I like being able to switch translations easily if I need to, and also highlighting on occasion has become beneficial.

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748433#Comment_748433

I also currently use a Samsung Note 2. I moved to it from a Samsung Galaxy S3, and having even a relatively small increase in screen size made the app easier to use for reading. I can't imagine the experience would have been very good if I had moved to something smaller rather than something larger. Even with my Note 2 I have trouble somtimes when using grammars or other works that have tabless in them. Turning the phone to landscape mode helps some of the time, but not all the time. A question you might ask yourself is would you enjoy reading from a book that is only 3.5"? If not, then you might look into a bigger phone. I don't know what country you live in or who your cell phone provider is. I live in the US and get my phone upgrades (Verizon) through Amazon. You can currently get a Samsung S5 for $1 with a 2 year contract. I personally prefer Samsung phones because of the quality of their screens (among other things). Hope this helps!

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748468#Comment_748468

Cell phone prices constantly change, but if you want a large phone screen on the cheap, you can currently get an LG G3 (5.5" screen) for $0.01 with contract.

http://www.amazon.com/LG-G3-Metallic-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B00L9OTQMY/ref=sr_1_5?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1436604048&sr=1-5&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A2420631011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_six_browse-bin%3A6787329011

Definitely do some shopping around before you buy, especially if you are buying primarily with the goal of running the Logos app. A large screen comes highly recommended!

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748539#Comment_748539

Some of us prefer a phone we can easily hold. I am an iPhone user and use a 6 rather than a 6+ for the very reason I wanted a phone no larger than that. I find its 4.7 inch screen has everything very readable. I have an old 3GS around that I keep for apple remote duty and it has the latest support version of logos on it but I would not say it is a comfortable reading. Not horrible but 320x480 is not an optimim reading experience.

Dan

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748541#Comment_748541

Some of us prefer a phone we can easily hold.

touché [:)]

Jeffrey T. Requadt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/748546#Comment_748546

Thank you everyone. For clarification, I am replacing my dumb phone with a smart phone for a variety of reasons, and I wanted to make sure that I could at least use the Logos app without killing my eyes. I can't imagine doing serious study with it. It's for when I'm places, like church or Bible study, and I want to read and maybe add a note. Right now, I'm looking more at cost rather than awesomeness, so there are several factors, including the price of the phone, but also how much the monthly bill will be, as well as running a few other apps (such as my bank's). I think I'll start with the cheap phone ($40) and go up from there if necessary.