Sketchy Report Claims iPhone 5S Delayed Until Late 2013 Over Switch to 4.3-Inch Display

The picture posted with the story could be for the plastic iPhone.

Consider IGZO
If we add the rumors together then it does add up. IGZO allows for a much smaller bezel. What do you do with the extra space? Leave it blank or make it usable space? We know IGZO is much thinner too, allowing for thinner designs. So add a bigger battery or leave it the same size? We already know the 5s is getting a bigger battery.

Notice how the new mini will also get "an almost bezel free look"
My Droid M is almost as wide as the iPhone 5 and it carries a 4.3 display.

So I say it is VERY Likely. Larger screen, longer lasting battery. And makes the iPhone 5S all the improvement worth upgrading too.

newdeal said:

Meh, I own the note 2 outright, no reason to sell until right before the note 3 hits (likely October or so), by then prices of the S4 will have dropped some also. If only the iphone had a 4.5" screen that would be a sweet spot I think. Maybe next revision they will make the screen wider and keep the height the same so that developers will only have one dimension to modify again

Click to expand...

There's always the S4 mini if you don't want a regular sized screen.

Based on past history of "s" models Apple would knock quite a few people's socks off if we get a 4.3 inch iPhone 6 this year.

We don't innovate anymore my @ss.

Come on Apple, shock the hell out of us.

iisdan said:

********.

Click to expand...

watch out lisdan, you'll have a macrumors "demi god" "moderator" all over you, mr can post BS for clicks but we not

If they are bumping size spec (which they have never done on an S model) I really hope it isnt only .3 inches. This is still not big enough and that means there will be another bump sometime down the road and more redesigning. :/

Another attempt of stock analysts trying to manipulate the stock. SEC should investigate attempts like these....

HarryT said:

Think about it.

If they increase the size of the screen (in width as the iPhone 5 already had a height increase) then there's two options:

1) They will increase the number of pixels displayed to something like 1136 x 700. This would make almost ALL apps incompatible. Way to piss off the devs that are already having to update for iOS 7.

2) They DECREASE the density of the screen to keep the same number of pixels over the larger area. This would result in a less than Retina quality screen. Not happening.

Calling BS on this too.

Click to expand...

The transition to iOS 7 is exactly the best moment for Apple to increase the number of pixels in an eventual bigger iPhone or phablet.

Most devs will be forced to rework their UI code for iOS 7 anyway because of major changes in the UI engine, and Apple is pushing heavily for use of the new auto-layout APIs introduced in iOS 6 and improved in iOS 7.

Auto-layout APIs will help devs make apps that are backward compatible with iOS 6 since layouts will often differ slightly between iOS 6 and iOS 7.

The textureless design of iOS 7 will also ease the transition to flexible layouts, it's no coincidence that they went with a similarly textureless UI as Windows 8 Metro and Android, both of which were already designed to support a wide variety of screen sizes using flexible layouts.

I'm not saying that this particular rumor is true, but its kind of obvious if you're an Apple dev that iOS 7 is moving toward support of multiple screen sizes.

Super hires? No

redscull said:

Actually, this is exactly what I personally bet that they do [next year]. It's what would make the most sense to appease customers who we must conclude love the phoblets pioneered by Android device manufacturers.

Except that you're wrong about the retina part, because I am betting they correlate an increased screen size with their announcement of Super Retina, the phone equivalent of 4K TVs. They could make a larger screen, say 4.3" or even 5", keep an effective resolution 568x320 like the iPhone 5, but double the density again for a literal resolution of 2272x1280.

Devs win because the only coding change necessary is higher res art assets. Customers get a ginormous screen that retains crisp pixels. And marketers can finally claim Full HD 1080p.

That's not very different from the retina iPad, and on a screen possibly not much smaller than an iPad Mini. By the time they have the technology to make retina iPad Minis, they can probably make this too.

Click to expand...

You make it sound like a developer simply has to flick a light-switch to generate these "super-retina" assets, not to mention the increased size of distributed apps and extra battery drain. Compared to the leap from non-retina to retina, there really is isn't a significant benefit to transition from retina to super-retina on such a small screen. If anything, Apple should get away from these integral (ie x2) resolution changes. They did that with the iPhone 5 which has more vertical resolution in portrait orientation (and developers can *somewhat* adapt to this change by using the "auto-layout" in their UI designs). Now we just need a few more pixels for the width (as well as reducing the top/bottom bezel area). Win-win

HarryT said:

Think about it.

If they increase the size of the screen (in width as the iPhone 5 already had a height increase) then there's two options:

1) They will increase the number of pixels displayed to something like 1136 x 700. This would make almost ALL apps incompatible. Way to piss off the devs that are already having to update for iOS 7.

2) They DECREASE the density of the screen to keep the same number of pixels over the larger area. This would result in a less than Retina quality screen. Not happening.

Calling BS on this too.

Click to expand...

3) double the pixels again.

Also not happening

Casiotone said:

The transition to iOS 7 is exactly the best moment for Apple to increase the number of pixels in an eventual bigger iPhone or phablet.

Most devs will be forced to rework their UI code for iOS 7 anyway because of major changes in the UI engine, and Apple is pushing heavily for use of the new auto-layout APIs introduced in iOS 6 and improved in iOS 7.

Auto-layout APIs will help devs make apps that are backward compatible with iOS 6 since layouts will often differ slightly between iOS 6 and iOS 7.

The textureless design of iOS 7 will also ease the transition to flexible layouts, it's no coincidence that they went with a similarly textureless UI as Windows 8 Metro and Android, both of which were already designed to support a wide variety of screen sizes using flexible layouts.

I'm not saying that this particular rumor is true, but its kind of obvious if you're an Apple dev that iOS 7 is moving toward support of multiple screen sizes.

Click to expand...

Thank you for this, very informative, and I think you are right re: 7 being 'more than meets the eye' in terms of UI design direction for Apple.

I wonder though if it's too fast, maybe they are planting the seeds now so that when the iPhone 6 is launched in 2014, it will be more than ready.

If there really are that many changes in the 2013 iPhone (4.3" screen, fingerprint sensor, dual-LED flash, A7 chip, etc.) then maybe it won't be called the "iPhone 5S." Might be called the "iPhone 6."

hugo7 said:

You make it sound like a developer simply has to flick a light-switch to generate these "super-retina" assets, not to mention the increased size of distributed apps and extra battery drain. Compared to the leap from non-retina to retina, there really is isn't a significant benefit to transition from retina to super-retina on such a small screen. If anything, Apple should get away from these integral (ie x2) resolution changes. They did that with the iPhone 5 which has more vertical resolution in portrait orientation (and developers can *somewhat* adapt to this change by using the "auto-layout" in their UI designs). Now we just need a few more pixels for the width (as well as reducing the top/bottom bezel area). Win-win

Click to expand...

Exactly, going 2x from current retina displays would be an overkill.

I think Apple is working on getting away from the 2x transitions, and as I explained in my previous post iOS 7 provides the best context to transition to flexible UI layouts and multiple screen size support.

gaximus said:

3) double the pixels again.

Also not happening

Click to expand...

Exactly. Honestly the chance of them doubling the pixels again is almost zero. Think about it - its a phone...a mobile device that is somewhat struggling with Battery life as it is...doubling the pixels again serves no purpose here as it would destroy battery life and you would fit a whole lot less on your phone with the increased artwork size for apps.

They will release a 5S with the same size screen but some new features like fingerprint sensors and stuff. Once its out everyone will moan about the screen size for a month then go ahead and buy one anyway.

keysofanxiety said:

Far from it, Tiger. It's the tick-tock cycle. Intel do it; new gen one year, upgrade that gen the next, and then go to a new gen the following year.

And Apple have been doing it with the iPhone since its inception.

...............

The only exception to this rule is the original iPhone & the iPhone 3G; IMO that's mainly because the step between the two was so huge, and I think they learnt so much in the first year of production & design that they knew they could make it considerably thinner, lighter and better designed with the 3G.

So it's not something new, it's Apple's phone cycle.

Click to expand...

Tick Tock only works if you are the only game in town. That is no longer the case for Apple.

If Apple is smart they will introduce two size options for the iPhone this year. Make no mistake there are plenty of people who want both size phones and Apple needs to keep up with demand. This company has more than enough in cash to produce two sizes and launch them both this year.

Plutonius said:

I wonder what I could get paid as an Apple analyst ? It seems like anyone can do it .

Click to expand...

Likely, nearly nothing. There are several business analysts who cover Apple. Have you ever tried to get a job with one?

Have you ever tried to compete with them on an indie basis? Do you have access to a staff who will go into the field in foreign countries to check with the supply chain and the sales channels?

In point of fact, it is NOT the case that "anyone can do it". My guess is that very few people and entities even have access to the raw data, much less the ability to analyze it.

Kryptom said:

Another attempt of stock analysts trying to manipulate the stock. SEC should investigate attempts like these....

Click to expand...

Post first, read later? This "report" didn't come from an analyst. It originated from a Taiwanese newspaper. Why Bloomberg bothered to republish it, I can't say. I'm not a fan of analysts making up unverifiable stories for fame and fortune either, but I like truth, and blaming this particular story on analysts isn't accurate.

At any rate the only people that believe these stories is the Pollyanna crowd. BTW AAPL is flat today.

tazuki said:

I agree with you 100%.

I would love that the next iPhone would look like this:

http://www.adr-studio.it/site/?p=485

Click to expand...

That has the same ugly box-like shape as the current iPhone. Curved and tapered edges feel better in the hand.

SockRolid said:

If there really are that many changes in the 2013 iPhone (4.3" screen, fingerprint sensor, dual-LED flash, A7 chip, etc.) then maybe it won't be called the "iPhone 5S." Might be called the "iPhone 6."

Click to expand...

The changes that went into the 3GS, and indeed the 4S were similar in magnitude.. they were both vast improvements over the previous phone, just in the same looking case.

But yes, this next iPhone is going to be a phenomenon... everyone will want one.

maxosx said:

An increase from 4 to 4.3 is massive, it'll be way too big and too heavy

Besides iPhones are supposed to have tiny screens.

Click to expand...

Back in the day, the iPhone had a big screen compared to the other flagship smartphones, like the various Blackberry and Treo offerings.

How times change.

What a bad rumor, in the past, the "S" model was only a minor change, physically almost exactly the same with some improvements in RAM, processor, camera and a unique software change.

Now if the rumor at least would've mention 'iPhone 6" then it might be something to think about, if Apple wants to change the screen to 4.3, they will not go with the "S".

b3ats said:

Maybe the logic boards were controlled leaks to make people think they were for an iPhone 5S but in actual fact they're for the lower cost iPhone. Then Apple would have the opportunity for 'one more thing' when they pull out a 4.3" fingerprint sensing beast of a phone.

4 inch lower cost colour version for the masses
4.3 inch premium version for the rest

edit: Thinking about it a little more, if a new iPhone is coming out with a fingerprint sensor that's not just a speed change - it's a major new feature and something that does not deserve to be lumbered with the 'S' interim releases.

Click to expand...

Good thinking. If Apple wants to prevent the low-cost iPhone from cannibalizing the high-end iPhone too much, they'll need to offer some really great features in the high-end iPhone. The fingerprint sensor would be enough IMHO.

Also, Apple could have their cake an eat it too by increasing the high-end iPhone's screen size just a little bit. But it would require reducing the bezel width around the screen. It might be possible to go from 4.0" to 4.3" diagonal within the same enclosure as the current iPhone 5 if the bezel were shrunk just a bit. And such a small increase in screen size wouldn't reduce the pixel density very much. Apple could still call it a Retina screen. (And simply adding extra pixels at the current resolution could be a major pain for developers because they'd need to create different graphics for high-end iPhone and low-end iPhone + iPod touch.)

A 4.3" screen could give the high-end iPhone a little more showroom appeal when compared against the low-end iPhone and iPod touch. And the fingerprint sensor would probably be the killer feature that all but the most cost-conscious customers would spring for. Plus, a minor screen stretch with the same pixel geometry would allow apps to run unchanged. (Important because the iOS 7 changes alone are already radical enough.)

On the other hand, I can think of a few potential reasons why Apple wouldn't want to go to a 4.3" screen. First, it would require a substantial investment in time and money for an LCD plant dedicated to production of the new panels, and they'd be only for the high-end iPhone. Would it really be worth all that trouble just for a 0.3" increase in diagonal width? Sure, the 4.3" screen could eventually find its way into the low-end iPhone and iPod touch, but that would negate the value proposition for the high-end iPhone's exclusive 4.3" screen.

After all that, no, I'm still not convinced that Apple needs a 4.3" iPhone.
I think the fingerprint sensor would be enough for the 2013 high-end iPhone.

nikicampos said:

What a bad rumor, in the past, the "S" model was only a minor change, physically almost exactly the same with some improvements in RAM, processor, camera and a unique software change.

Now if the rumor at least would've mention 'iPhone 6" then it might be something to think about, if Apple wants to change the screen to 4.3, they will not go with the "S".

Click to expand...

You do realize Apple has not announced the name of the next iPhone. You need a rumored name to correlate with rumored specs?

akbarali.ch said:

Awesome there ! still another .4 wouldn't hurt !

Click to expand...

Can't agree with that. The 4" display is just on the border of the size I want. My 4.3" phones are just beyond that and not as wieldy.

Believable, but i really doubt it at this stage