Apple Acknowledges Consumers Want Larger and Cheaper Phones

[MacLC]

If they end up listening to the market, then they'd be facing the "innovators dilemma" which Jobs (I believe highlighted as a favorite book). It's not about giving consumers what they want

You're wrong. Jobs never said that.
He said that you don't want to listen to sudden trends which get replaced by new trends.
If someone says they want a bigger screen and don't come back to iPhone unless the demand is fulfilled by an iPhone, then that's that.

Glassed Silver:ios

Thank you, GS. You explain it well. Steve Jobs wanted to give customers the best experience possible. When customers wanted larger flash on MP3 players or better smartphone keyboards, what he really knew was that customers would rather have a 4GB HDD MP3 player than a 256MB flash MP3 player at the same price. What he really knew was that customers would rather have a digital keyboard that doesn't interfere with the screen, than a digital one that folds up.

He did not ignore customers' desires at all. He just asked what customers REALLY wanted and gave them that. Perhaps Apple thought that by "larger display" many cell phone customers just wanted "higher resolution" aka, Retina. However such a guess is wrong and customers really do want 5-6" displays and unsubsidized prices of >$300.

Finally Apple is realizing that and kudos to those on these boards who understood that reality.

 

[Serelus]

Android may provide auto resizing layouts, but supporting them properly is in no way free. 'Normal' Android phones go from, what, 3.5" 320x480 to 6" 1080p? For non-trivial apps you can't just stick the same UI on all those and expect a good user experience.

This right here, I don't get how people neglect this. It's mind-boggling

 

[62tele]

Two questions:
1. Why did it take Apple this long to come to this conclusion?
2. What happens to market share when Samsung and others lose the "size" advantage?

 

[WaxedJacket]

I guess I'm not in the majority

 

[samcraig]

No, Google

Well of course they've abandoned more things. When you experiment more, you tend to scrap more. I don't there's too many things they've scrapped that have actually cost a consumer money by doing so.

But I still think it's good that they keep experimenting.

 

[tech4all]

This quote makes me chuckle even more now!

That was the first person I thought of when I saw this article.

Breaking news: MacRumors fanboys still won't acknowledge this.

Naw they still won't admit it.

Why are people surprised that Apple does market research?

Because this research has been before by Google, Samsung, HTC, etc. since they've had larger screens now for the past few years? As Samsung says, "The next big is already here." And Apple has sorta admitted it now.

I don't think the answer here is to abandon 4" phones altogether. I think a better move would be to have a 4" iPhone 6 Mini, priced as a replacement for the iPhone 5C and a 4.7" iPhone 6, priced as a replacement for the iPhone 5S.

As shown from the iPod Nano and iPad Mini, people are willing to spend less for smaller products, so long as they're still high quality. They aren't willing to compromise on the quality of the product for less money, as shown by the 5C.

Definitely not, but at least give options. People do want larger screens. It's a fact. Just as some prefer smaller screens.

 

[penplotter]

Whilst we all sit here and "debate" the same stale things, again and again, around and around like a dog chasing its' tail, Apple are behind closed doors, just calmly getting on with a myriad of things totally unrelated to anything we think they are, to make the next surprise, well, just precisely that. They're also kind of well versed in surfing the internet, and if they weren't so utterly dedicated and obsessed with actually WORKING on things and not chattering on forums, they'd be sitting on this forum, reading this tripe and probably falling off their chairs with laughter about how totally, utterly unrelated by an exponential factor, and way off the mark 80% of these "rumours" are.

Let's not think we know Apple, we don't...... no, we REALLY REALLY don't... you couldn't possibly, nor could anyone outside the inner R&D departments. To state otherwise is outright arrogance.

If something is a "rumour" and appears blindingly obvious to talk about, there's an almost 100% chance you're being distracted by piffle, and are so far off the mark that you couldn't comprehend what they are ACTUALLY working on... seriously folks.

 

[69Mustang]

Android may provide auto resizing layouts, but supporting them properly is in no way free. 'Normal' Android phones go from, what, 3.5" 320x480 to 6" 1080p? For non-trivial apps you can't just stick the same UI on all those and expect a good user experience.

I never said you could do that or that anything was free (what does this actually mean... free?). My comments about fragmentation related strictly to the misinformation the original poster was putting forth.

 

[C64]

Why is it that we see all these internal Apple documents, private emails, etc. but nothing from Samsung?

 

[Serelus]

thats not the problem of Android ... not at all. their problem is android itself with its slow adoption of the latest OS by manufactures. having thousand of different devices on outdated android versions and another 1000 of different hardware specs makes it hard and certainly not the screen size. i cant recall a single app that doesnt auto adjust to the screen size.

apple makes the software + the hardware. i dont see the problem adding another one or two screen sizes as long as they keep staying in charge of it all

This is completely dependent on an App to App basis, and I've experienced plenty, even on my iPhone as we speak. While the problem you mention is very apparant in android. The main problem for developers with iOS is going to be screen size, you cant just "auto resize" a 1080p game to 640*320 of the 4S it wouldn't fit and would look horrendous. It won't work, not on Android Phones, not on iPhone.

 

[penplotter]

Well of course they've abandoned more things. When you experiment more, you tend to scrap more. I don't there's too many things they've scrapped that have actually cost a consumer money by doing so.

But I still think it's good that they keep experimenting.

I'm sure Apple have experimented massively too, but the difference is that they didn't release the majority of those internal experiments under the pretense of being "products"... that's the preserve of design amateurs who get carried away with how clever they (think they) are, and release them... and then ditch them when they're bored, or when they realise that they've made something that got out of control, because it wasn't anywhere near good enough for general use.

 

[lkrupp]

I personally just like using one hand to do everything on my iPhone 5.

My sentiments exactly. If the iPhone 6 has a large screen and there is no corresponding model with the smaller screen, or if I’m limited to last years model iPhone with a smaller screen then there’s no iPhone in my future anymore.

 

[Plutonius]

What Apple Needs is New Innovative Products. The iPhone this June will be almost 8 Years old. The iPhone Gravy Train is almost over. Its time to invent some new products. Just like the iPod had its run, The iPhone run is coming to a close soon.

Good idea. What should they invent ?

Why is it that we see all these internal Apple documents, private emails, etc. but nothing from Samsung?

Because they are in the phase where Samsung is submitting evidence.

 

[Mal67]

You realize that Apple never sold as many Macs, or Music, or Software. Right? The only product going down is the iPod.

I love my ipod. It gets used all the time. I would hate to see it go. Iphones with a reasonable amount of storage are too expensive. The only thing I would change is its physical dimensions. I hope they keep it.

 

[brilliantthings]

What kind of girly hands do you all have that you can't operate a 5" device with one hand?

A lot of girls have girly hands.

 

[mojolicious]

A lot of girls have girly hands.

Perhaps SVTmaniac is more familiar with 'women' with manhands.

 

[Xerotech]

Competition has caught up and Apple is losing its leverage. They better re-invent the iPhone or diversify their portfolio.

 

[rp2011]

The need for a larger iPhone was obvious. Maybe the loss of of Jobs, left the company in a state of shock not knowing where to go. How to proceed..

The slow reaction to a smaller iPad, the slow reaction to a larger iPhone, the slow reaction to upgrade Apple TV. The company was at a standstill without Jobs leadership.

 

[69Mustang]

Android may provide auto resizing layouts, but supporting them properly is in no way free. 'Normal' Android phones go from, what, 3.5" 320x480 to 6" 1080p? For non-trivial apps you can't just stick the same UI on all those and expect a good user experience.

This right here, I don't get how people neglect this. It's mind-boggling

It's because Aihal actually gave an answer based on something other than a generic phrase - fragmentation. His explanation has no similarity to what you've been saying.

 

[iisdan]

2 handed massive phone is just a fad, along with flat design, Steve Jobs actually thought about things instead of listening to mindless customer demand.

Samsung can't compete so they make a bigger screen and advertise towards it, sheep customers eat it up and start demanding it. Tim Cook will fail and Apple will fail.

 

[Plutonius]

I love my ipod. It gets used all the time. I would hate to see it go. Iphones with a reasonable amount of storage are too expensive. The only thing I would change is its physical dimensions. I hope they keep it.

Depends which iPod you are talking about. Every year people claim that the classic is being eliminated but it keeps hanging on.

I'm not sure about the shuffle or nano but the 32/64GB Touch is scheduled for a design update this fall. Look to see a 4.7" screen and A7 (with 1GB RAM).

 

[iSocialista]

Don't care too much about price but a larger screen of at least 5" and a complete overhaul for iOS 8 are needed to keep me buying iPhones.

 

[samcraig]

I'm sure Apple have experimented massively too, but the difference is that they didn't release the majority of those internal experiments under the pretense of being "products"... that's the preserve of design amateurs who get carried away with how clever they (think they) are, and release them... and then ditch them when they're bored, or when they realise that they've made something that got out of control, because it wasn't anywhere near good enough for general use.

We're going to have to agree to disagree. I wasn't talking about Apple. I was talking about Google.

BTW - many of Google experiments have been groundwork for bigger projects or have been combined into other products.

But I'm not going to convince you otherwise nor you I.

 

[jayducharme]

I wonder if those statistics are driven by the fact that nearly all Android manufacturers have been releasing cheap(er) devices with large screens. Small screen Android phones are in the minority. Consumers probably think, "Gee, this Android phone has a bigger screen and it's cheaper than an iPhone, so I'll get it." To them, it's probably a bargain.

I still can't see Apple releasing an iPhone with a bigger screen just to grab market share. It's probably taking them so long because they want to make sure they do it right.

 

[uknowimright]

Apple would never make a phone larger than the perfect 4" size

instead they are developing a shrink ray device to make yourself smaller when you feel inclined to look at a larger screen and then go back to normal when you don't

that's Apple innovation