Tim Cook Asked About Larger iPhone at China Mobile Launch

MacRumors · Jan 16, 2014

After nearly six years of negotiations, the iPhone is finally available on China Mobile, which is the largest mobile carrier in the world with around 763 million subscribers. Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua at the carrier's headquarters store in Beijing at launch, according to Bloomberg.

Tim Cook with China Mobile's Xi Guohua and a customer. Image via Eunice YoonCook handed out autographed iPhones to the first few customers before he once again praised Apple's new cooperation with China Mobile.

"Today is just the beginning of China Mobile and Apple coming together to deliver the best experience in the world," Cook said as a few dozen people came in to look at the iPhones on display. China Mobile said Jan. 15 it signed a multiyear agreement with Apple containing "broad potential" for future cooperation.

Cook was soon asked whether the next iPhone would launch with a bigger screen, and responded that Apple does not like talking about future projects, but that they are working on "great things" and want to keep them secret because "you will be so much happier when you see it."

Having fun in Beijing at the iPhone launch with China Mobile! pic.twitter.com/AqoqLbbeO7 - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 17, 2014

China Mobile is focused on attracting premium customers for the iPhone, Canalys analyst Nicole Peng told Bloomberg, because the carrier is concerned the high subsidy on the iPhone would impact their profitability. Fellow Chinese carrier China Telecom reported a 10 percent drop in net income in the first year of offering the iPhone, largely because of the higher subsidy.

On January 15, China Mobile said that 1 million iPhones had been pre-ordered in advance of launch. Estimates of Apple's potential iPhone sales have varied from 10-30 million units, with some claiming demand is lower due to satisfaction with China's other two carriers China Telecom and China Unicom as well as waning interest in iPhone because of increased smartphone choices in the country.

Article Link: Tim Cook Asked About Larger iPhone at China Mobile Launch

nepalisherpa · Jan 16, 2014

I'm ready to be ~~happy~~ happier!

HD303 · Jan 16, 2014

iphone 5c really made us all happy.

roland.g · Jan 16, 2014

I have no desire to use Android, however, I do like the form factor of the Galaxy series phones, S3, S4, and would like to see the iPhone 6 get that sort of size.

macjonny1 · Jan 16, 2014

the more I see of phablets, the less I want one....but it would be nice to have one available for the folks that want an iPad mini-like phone in their pocket

retroneo · Jan 16, 2014

This year there will be a 5-5.5" iPad with LTE. Unlike other iPads, it will have an earpiece and a vibrate motor.

Like other iPads, out of the box it will not be able to make cellular audio calls or send SMS. This enables Apple to offer it at a much lower price than the iPhone because:
- Apple won't have to pay the carriers the high margins they demand
- Apple won't to pay Qualcomm for the voice features to be enabled on their chipset, which makes it cheaper to produce.
(See the difference between the iPad and iPhone for the scale of these costs)

Even if it cost as much as the iPad mini 7.9" (which it won't), it's half the price of an iPhone. iPads are available in much wider distribution channels than iPhones, and they are not locked to a carrier.

FaceTime Audio and iMessage are Apple's solution to phone calls and SMS. And their are plenty of solutions in the App Store that give you a regular phone number and SMS.

Even carriers don't see a future for traditional voice - it isn't part of the LTE standard as there are a plethora of existing VoIP standards - almost all of which work today as apps on iOS! Carriers have been terrified of this impending moment - they become a "dumb pipe" - truly commoditized.

The new iPad's 1356 x 1024 resolution is exactly half the new 12.9" iPad Pro (2712 x 2048) Only one new layout is required to support both the iPad Pro and iPad 5"

Legacy iPad and iPhone Apps Run Letterboxed with minimal border:
iPad Non-retina = 1024 x 768 = 166 pix top and bottom
iPhone 4” retina = 1136 x 640 = 110 pix top and bottom

The new iPad isn't the solution for everyone yet, but its amazing price (16GB ~US$399) for something that isn't last year's model, sold through retail channels, not carriers, and larger screen will drive phenomenal sales.

In less than 4 years the iPhone and iPod touch will be discontinued. The iPad 4" LTE will replace the iPhone. The iPad 4" WiFi will replace the iPod touch.

iPad is what Steve Jobs intended the iPhone to be named in the first place.

We weren't really ready for that as they had to be named relative to things we already knew - a phone (iPhone) and and iPod (iPod touch).

roland.g · Jan 16, 2014

macjonny1 said:
the more I see of phablets, the less I want one....but it would be nice to have one available for the folks that want an iPad mini-like phone in their pocket

I have no wish to use something the size of those Notes, but I think the Galaxy S4 is a good size. I have an iPad Mini and like it better than the iPad for size. But I don't want my phone that big.

I also think that with a slightly larger phone, not only do you get the opportunity for a larger battery, but also a slightly thinner device.

DFZD · Jan 16, 2014

My favourite 3 cooks, The Rock, Tim Cook, and Walt White. Always looking forward to what they are going to cook up next. Can't Wait.

ghost187 · Jan 16, 2014

I feel like my life will be complete when Apple offers a 5 inch iPhone.

Pyrrhic Victory · Jan 16, 2014

MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]

After nearly six years of negotiations, the iPhone is finally available on China Mobile, which is the largest mobile carrier in the world with around 763 million subscribers. Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua at the carrier's headquarters store in Beijing at launch, according to Bloomberg.

Image
Tim Cook with China Mobile's Xi Guohua and a customer. Image via Eunice YoonCook handed out autographed iPhones to the first few customers before he once again praised Apple's new cooperation with China Mobile.
Cook was soon asked whether the next iPhone would launch with a bigger screen, and responded that Apple does not like talking about future projects, but that they are working on "great things" and want to keep them secret because "you will be so much happier when you see it."

China Mobile is focused on attracting premium customers for the iPhone, Canalys analyst Nicole Peng told Bloomberg, because the carrier is concerned the high subsidy on the iPhone would impact their profitability. Fellow Chinese carrier China Telecom reported a 10 percent drop in net income in the first year of offering the iPhone, largely because of the higher subsidy.

On January 15, China Mobile said that 1 million iPhones had been pre-ordered in advance of launch. Estimates of Apple's potential iPhone sales have varied from 10-30 million units, with some claiming demand is lower due to satisfaction with China's other two carriers China Telecom and China Unicom as well as waning interest in iPhone because of increased smartphone choices in the country.

Article Link: Tim Cook Asked About Larger iPhone at China Mobile Launch

My god Tim Cook and his billion-dollar stock option is so out of touch with reality it's just sad at this point. Who does he think he's fooling by not saying what everyone already knows about a larger iphone? He must be some kind of delusional to think he can keep any kind of relevant secret from prying eyes.

Nykwil · Jan 16, 2014

A room full of iPhones and yet the one photo that counts, taken with a potato.

iZac · Jan 16, 2014

retroneo said:
...FaceTime Audio and iMessage are Apple's solution to phone calls and SMS. And their are plenty of solutions in the App Store that give you a regular phone number and SMS...

If Apple's could add a phone number to your Apple ID(a la google voice) in the same way as an email address (to a non-iPhone device) they could certainly perform this in a seamless fashion. Of course, it's exactly the same way as you would currently use an iPad with for instance skype/viber/google voice, but integrated so that you can consolidate your messages and calls in the default Apple apps. - furthermore Apple could add the payment methods via your Apple ID to handle the call rates payments.

Useless for people in non 3G areas but a viable option for many.

carterx · Jan 16, 2014

Could the iPhone be a touch bigger? Sure! .... Does the iPhone need to be as big as a Samsung Galaxy? No!

cclloyd · Jan 16, 2014

I don't particularly want a larger phone, but the software and ecosystem of Apple far outweighs the occasional hardware oversight, that other companies also have.

AKA, I'll deal with a larger phone if it means I keep the AppStore, ease of use, and ease of service.

iSayuSay · Jan 16, 2014

Larger screen for next iPhone .. Or bust.

AngerDanger · Jan 16, 2014

retroneo said:
This year there will be a 5-5.5" iPad with LTE. Unlike other iPads, it will have an earpiece and a vibrate motor.

Like other iPads, out of the box it will not be able to make cellular audio calls or send SMS. This enables Apple to offer it at a much lower price than the iPhone because:
- Apple won't have to pay the carriers the high margins they demand
[SHORTENED]

Yes! Another analyst!

jkkool · Jan 16, 2014

retroneo said:
This year there will be a 5-5.5" iPad with LTE. Unlike other iPads, it will have an earpiece and a vibrate motor.

Like other iPads, out of the box it will not be able to make cellular audio calls or send SMS. This enables Apple to offer it at a much lower price than the iPhone because:
- Apple won't have to pay the carriers the high margins they demand
- Apple won't to pay Qualcomm for the voice features to be enabled on their chipset, which makes it cheaper to produce.
(See the difference between the iPad and iPhone for the scale of these costs)

Even if it cost as much as the iPad mini 7.9" (which it won't), it's half the price of an iPhone. iPads are available in much wider distribution channels than iPhones, and they are not locked to a carrier.

FaceTime Audio and iMessage are Apple's solution to phone calls and SMS. And their are plenty of solutions in the App Store that give you a regular phone number and SMS.

Even carriers don't see a future for traditional voice - it isn't part of the LTE standard as there are a plethora of existing VoIP standards - almost all of which work today as apps on iOS! Carriers have been terrified of this impending moment - they become a "dumb pipe" - truly commoditized.

The new iPad's 1356 x 1024 resolution is exactly half the new 12.9" iPad Pro (2712 x 2048) Only one new layout is required to support both the iPad Pro and iPad 5"

Legacy iPad and iPhone Apps Run Letterboxed with minimal border:
iPad Non-retina = 1024 x 768 = 166 pix top and bottom
iPhone 4 retina = 1136 x 640 = 110 pix top and bottom

The new iPad isn't the solution for everyone yet, but its amazing price (16GB ~US$399) for something that isn't last year's model, sold through retail channels, not carriers, and larger screen will drive phenomenal sales.

In less than 4 years the iPhone and iPod touch will be discontinued. The iPad 4" LTE will replace the iPhone. The iPad 4" WiFi will replace the iPod touch.

iPad is what Steve Jobs intended the iPhone to be named in the first place.

We weren't really ready for that as they had to be named relative to things we already knew - a phone (iPhone) and and iPod (iPod touch).

who are you?

JayJayAbels · Jan 16, 2014

4.9" to 5.5" iPhone screen and I'm game.

It's literally the only thing some Android devices have going for them... the larger screen size.

And NOT the "Note" size.

samonaz · Jan 16, 2014

Larger iPhone great. But will my photos fit in that while I try to set it as wallpaper on iOS 7 or even more zoomed?

Michael Scrip · Jan 16, 2014

JayJayAbels said:
4.9" to 5.5" iPhone screen and I'm game.

It's literally the only thing some Android devices have going for them... the larger screen size.

And NOT the "Note" size.

Apple needs to trim the top and bottom bezels on a 5" iPhone... or else it will be bigger than the Galaxy S4

Unfortunately... the home button and TouchID are very important.

Let's hope Apple continues to offer the flagship iPhone in both 4" and 5" to satisfy more people.

goobot · Jan 16, 2014

IMO anything bigger than 4.8 shouldn't be called a mobile phone.

LagunaSol · Jan 16, 2014

retroneo said:
Apple won't have to pay the carriers the high margins they demand

I think you've got that backwards.

Tumbleweed666 · Jan 16, 2014

retroneo said:
- Apple won't have to pay the carriers the high margins they demand

Well, there's your credibility gone

RebornProphet · Jan 17, 2014

Michael Scrip said:
Apple needs to trim the top and bottom bezels on a 5" iPhone... or else it will be bigger than the Galaxy S4

Unfortunately... the home button and TouchID are very important.

Let's hope Apple continues to offer the flagship iPhone in both 4" and 5" to satisfy more people.

You (not YOU personally) can take the thing on the right and ram it where the sun doesn't shine.

That's a mini tablet, not a mobile phone. This infatuation with giant screens for phones is becoming tiresome.

mejsric · Jan 17, 2014

Since only few buy iPod now. How about make a gaming iPod.

iPod Pro
5" display 64 bit A7 processor starting at 128gig for games and music.
LTE

Tim Cook Asked About Larger iPhone at China Mobile Launch

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