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There was literally nobody on the planet more excited for Apple's first phablet than me.

As soon as rumors started popping up that Apple was going to make a 5.5-inch iPhone, I knew I was going to buy it. I had been using a Galaxy Note II, which has a 5.5-inch screen, at home as a mini-tablet, and I thought it was great. I prefer iOS, so I was happy Apple was going to jump into the phablet market.

Sure enough, on the day the phone was available for preorder, I woke up and ordered the iPhone 6 Plus.

It arrived Wednesday, and my initial impression — 30 minutes in — was positive. The big screen is flat-out gorgeous. It's thin, and the device looks good.

But, after ~12 hours with it, I have more mixed emotions. I am now wondering if this phone is too big for me and my day-to-day usage. I am wondering if in a week I'll be at the Apple Store, returning the phone.

What's the problem? I had no idea how important one-handed usage is with a smartphone until it was basically taken away from me with the iPhone 6 Plus.

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I am 6-foot-1, and I think I have the hands that correspond with that size. I use medium-size grips on my golf clubs, if that helps add perspective. To be precise: It's not as if I have freak baby hands.

Wednesday, while I was setting up my phone, I was eating dinner — sausage sandwiches with potato chips, because I like to eat healthy. As a result, I did the whole thing one-handed. That wasn't too bad, but I did start to feel like my left hand was getting disjointed trying to bend my thumb around to hit various buttons.

But that was an exception, right? Setting up the phone is a one-time thing. What about normal usage?

Well, I was sitting on my couch watching TV, and it turns out I use my phone with just one hand a lot! More than I ever realized. And I felt as if I had to pop my thumb out of its joint to move around the phone.

Here's the best analogy I can think of for describing the new sort of motions needed to navigate this big phone: Have you ever tried to move around on the ground without using your arms? You end up shuffling using your butt.

Likewise, when trying to move your hand around the 6 Plus, you use your palm to move the phone, and slide your fingers from side to side.

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Soldier Knows Best The gloriously small iPhone 5S.

My iPhone 5S was sitting next to me on the couch, and I started picking it up. I had a newfound appreciation for how small and easily used it is. I could zip around the screen, no problem. And it's not that small, really. I could see what I needed to see. The screen on the iPhone 6 Plus is beautiful and big, but it doesn't feel like that much of an improvement, at least, not right now.

When my wife came home, I showed her the iPhone 6 Plus. She hated it. She treated it as if it were covered in disease, immediately handing it back to me. I took it, tried to shuffle it in my hand to unlock, and I dropped it on the floor. Happily, nothing happened to it. But, I am now hyper aware of how easy it is to drop the thing.

The one-handed thing came up again when I was getting ready to go to sleep. I'm one of those pathetic losers who can't do anything without looking at his phone. So, when I brush my teeth, I like to check Twitter. And I could do that with the 6 Plus, but it was slightly uncomfortable.

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