Reign Of Tiny Phones May Be Ending; Is Size Less Important?; Phone makers hawking other aspects of devices, such as full-color screens.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)

Byline: NICK TURNER

In the world of cell phones, bigger is rarely better.

But the trend toward tinier phones -- lightweight and convenient for any pocket or small purse -- may be waning. Phone makers want to offer a range of new features such as color graphics, cameras and games. And it's hard to use those features if your phone's screen is too small.

So we can expect a new generation of larger devices.

"Historically, all phones did was voice," said Suzanne Cross, a product marketing manager for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Today's phones offer a lot more than just voice, but "you need a larger screen for it."

Take the T68i, Sony Ericsson's new phone. It's not the smallest model on the market. But it touts a color screen. And by linking it to a digital camera, users can send photos wirelessly. So a bigger screen enhances these features.

Plus, it's not as if the T68i is huge. It's just under 4 inches tall -- not much bigger than the trendy 3.3-inch Motorola V60.