Boston - Smartphone owners prefer screens that are 4- to 4.5-inches in size as long as the smartphone is also thin, according to a Strategy Analytics survey of smartphones owners in the U.S. and U.K.

"Almost 90 percent of existing smartphone owners surveyed chose a prototype smartphone with a display larger than their current device," said Paul Brown, a director in the Strategy Analytics user experience practice. "This trend is driven by increased mobile web browsing capability as well as engaging video and gaming experiences."

The survey also found that females are more likely to consider slightly smaller devices than males and that Android owners are more likely to want a larger device than existing Apple iPhone owners.