I tried to post a point but got deleted by the Apple mafia on HN. The fact is I have seen large number of small handed users (asian females) comfortably carry and use large format phones like Galaxy Notes.

The problem for the male dominated tech media and HN users is that they mostly do not carry a shoulder bag and cannot conceive of a device which does not fit in a pocket being useful.

Add a bejewelled hello kitty pocket book case and carry it in your shoulder bag and a large phone is just fine. It is also great for people who use their phone mainly from their desk and carry a briefcase or backpack. A tradie will not be climbing on roofs with a Nexus 6 in their pocket. But it is a big market and there is room for differentiation.