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Zellio

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
If they made a 4.5-5 inch iphone I'd come back in a heartbeat. You don't need many versions of the iphone, just one for people with big hands and one for people with small.
 

waa1futs

macrumors 6502
Oct 2, 2012
379
0
Apple doesn't seem to want multiple iPhone screen sizes. That creates fragmentation where apps and the OS need to be written twice over for both screen sizes. They seem to want things as a "one size fits all" approach at 4" screen so that its easier on them and app developers.

With the budget iPhone they get to penetrate the lower price market as well as eliminate the different screen sized iPhone 4s.
 

zipster

macrumors 6502
Jan 6, 2011
393
258
Apple doesn't seem to want multiple iPhone screen sizes. That creates fragmentation where apps and the OS need to be written twice over for both screen sizes. They seem to want things as a "one size fits all" approach at 4" screen so that its easier on them and app developers.

You know there's an iPad and iPad mini, right? It can be done.

:confused:
 

Agent-P

Contributor
Dec 5, 2009
2,502
23
The Tri-State Area
You know there's an iPad and iPad mini, right? It can be done.

:confused:

Except the iPad mini uses the same resolution the non-retina iPads use and the retina iPad uses a resolution double that, so it's not as much of a problem. Developers only need to make one version with retina in mind and it'll adjust to the lower resolution iPads too.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Apple doesn't seem to want multiple iPhone screen sizes. That creates fragmentation where apps and the OS need to be written twice over for both screen sizes. They seem to want things as a "one size fits all" approach at 4" screen so that its easier on them and app developers.

With the budget iPhone they get to penetrate the lower price market as well as eliminate the different screen sized iPhone 4s.

You make it sound like the apps and OS LITERALLY have to be written from scratch for each iteration. That is simply not the case at all... Write for one, edit for the other, simple.
 

Merkie

macrumors 68020
Oct 23, 2008
2,119
734
The plastic iPhone is there to replace the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 is expensive to produce. The "budget" (or plastic) iPhone will be much cheaper to produce so that Apple can achieve higher margins on cheap iPhones.
 

Dalton63841

macrumors 65816
Nov 27, 2010
1,449
8
SEMO, USA
You make it sound like the apps and OS LITERALLY have to be written from scratch for each iteration. That is simply not the case at all... Write for one, edit for the other, simple.

Somewhere out there is a developer banging his head against a wall reading this post... It's not the OS that is the problem. It's the apps, and any developer will tell you what a PITA it is to have to develop for multiple screen sizes.
 

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
That depends on many factors, including if it's just a resolution change or going for 4:3 to 16:9, as well if it's a 3d game (Which a resolution change isn't really that bad) versus a 2d game where all art assets must be resized and redrawn, esp. if goes to a 16:9 or 16:10..
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Somewhere out there is a developer banging his head against a wall reading this post... It's not the OS that is the problem. It's the apps, and any developer will tell you what a PITA it is to have to develop for multiple screen sizes.

The person I quoted stated that the OS and the apps had to be rewritten. I stated they don't, because, well, they don't. PITA? Well I guess you aren't just coding for one screen size so it's more work than doing nothing extra, but I'd hardly call it a PITA. two of my very good friends write apps for the government for multiple mobile operating systems. Their opinion also seems to differ from yours about it being a huge PITA. I can fully accept this being an issue for a novice coder, but any of the apps that actually make it into the spotlight (read: people actually download and want them) are likely written by people that don't think it's some huge fuss.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
I'm glad Apple is going to start making cheap junk. I was getting tired of reading how other manufactures that use plastic were cheap junk. This will also give me an excuse to start looking into other brands since plastic is the norm.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
I'm glad Apple is going to start making cheap junk. I was getting tired of reading how other manufactures that use plastic were cheap junk. This will also give me an excuse to start looking into other brands since plastic is the norm.

Can't... tell... if... serious?

Up until last year they still made a plastic phone... Up until 2-3 years ago they still made a plastic laptop.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Can't... tell... if... serious?

Up until last year they still made a plastic phone... Up until 2-3 years ago they still made a plastic laptop.

Completely serious. I love cheap junky plastic! It flexes back, can have more durable coatings, isn't cold to the touch, nfc works great through it, doesn't dent. I'm just a sucker for cheap junky crappy plastic! ;)
 

Stuntman06

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2011
961
5
Metro Vancouver, B.C, Canada
Apple doesn't seem to want multiple iPhone screen sizes. That creates fragmentation where apps and the OS need to be written twice over for both screen sizes. They seem to want things as a "one size fits all" approach at 4" screen so that its easier on them and app developers.

With the budget iPhone they get to penetrate the lower price market as well as eliminate the different screen sized iPhone 4s.

The latest rumour I heard was that the new iPhone will have a 4.3" screen. If this is the case, I wonder if the pixel density is going to be the same or if the resolution will be higher.
 

GBR

macrumors 6502
Mar 19, 2012
359
18
I have often wondered why Apple decides to offer size options in just about every product they sell but not when it comes to the iPhone, their most popular product. Why wouldn't they think people would want a choice between a 4" and 5" iPhone? They sell a 11"&13" air, 13"&15" pro, 21.5"&27" iMac, regular and mini iPad, iPod touch & iPod nano. Apparently one size doesn't fit all.
I also own a GS4 and my iPhone 5 is superior to it in every way but the screen size. Whenever I grab the GS4 I always think it would be perfect if my iPhone screen was this size.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Completely serious. I love cheap junky plastic! It flexes back, can have more durable coatings, isn't cold to the touch, nfc works great through it, doesn't dent. I'm just a sucker for cheap junky crappy plastic! ;)

So then... Apple isn't starting to make "cheap junk" as you put it. They are continuing to do so...
 

Brittany246

macrumors 6502a
Apr 21, 2013
791
0
Maybe apple is trying to get rid of the smaller screened 4/4s all together by introducing the cheap plasticy phone. Remember when they stopped selling the 4th gen iPod touch and introduced the cheaper 5th gen iPod touch? I think they want all of their iPods and iPhones to have the same screen size, so I highly doubt the iPhone screen size will increase any time soon.
 
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