Question for Paul et. al. about S8+ vs Lumia 1520

Between Windows Phone’s fate finally being made officially official (sort of the opposite of “Double-Secret Probation” I guess), and my Lumia 1520’s battery seemingly being barely able to hold a charge anymore, and as I’m long overdue for an AT&T upgrade anyway, I’m looking for a new phone.

I loved the 1520, and I hate Apple, so the S8+ seems like the most sensible choice. However, I remember Paul’s criticism of the 1520’s size, yet when reading some recent articles about the S8+, I couldn’t help but notice that whereas Paul thought the 1520 was too big and would be ridiculous to hold to one’s ear while making a call, the S8+ is a game-changer that, if I read the one comment by Paul correctly, wasn’t big enough.

I swear I’m not trolling here, just really curious – what is it about the S8+ that shields it from the size criticisms the 1520 received? I see that while the S8+’s screen is bigger, the phone is smaller, lighter, and thinner. Is that it?

Thanks in advance for any replies and insights!