Big vs. Small handsets – what’s your take?

First it was the rumours following Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) that they were/are going to release a mini version of the iPhone – something like what the iPod Nano is to the iPod Classic. Now it’s the turn of more rumours regarding Palm (NSDQ: PALM), with a mini-device (the ‘Pixie’ if we are to believe rumours) that could be in the offing. Clearly, the strategy here is to shrink a smartphone – which is an interesting concept, if perhaps flawed in some respects.

The other end of the argument (and a more traditional one to-date) is that small form factor handsets have a reduced (fixed) feature-set, and truly are very small indeed.

So then which is best? Are you best off cramming smartphone features in to a physically-smaller device, or should you put a basic O/S in there, and make it truly tiny (leaving your smartphones to larger form-factors)?

Well, there are multiple arguments for and against for each option, and probably in truth all have a place in the market. However the difference for the newer Smartphones we are seeing (the Palm Pre and Apple iPhone) is that there is a solid platform being put in there, to allow the form factor of devices (and their feature-sets) to be scaled simply and easily.

My personal feeling is that if I want a tiny device, I’m happy to treat if for voice and text, and then carry a smartphone (which should be media-savvy and well-connected) for the heavy lifting. I think when you try and cram ALL features  in to one device, you end up with a device that isn’t great at anything!

What does the ‘IntoMobile massive’ say? Is the way of the future going to be a few platforms and O/Ss, with scaling of the physical device? Or are we going to see basic/small devices prosper – answers on a postcard please……