With the crayon colours of both iOS 7 and the alleged new phones, it looks as though Apple is focussing on the prepubescent and adolescent markets.
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Apple Considering 4.7" and 5.7" Screens for 2014 iPhone Models, iPhone 5S and Low-Cost iPhone Due in September
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I thought Apple does not need feedback? Apple knows better what we need. Jobs once quoted Henry Ford: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
These are my favorite kind of Apple rumor threads. All of the negative spin/disgust/hate for Samsung's bigger screens get to show here because this is one of the earliest, more tangible rumors about iPhone meaningfully jacking up the screen size. Generally, you'll get the sentiment: some interested/excited but most beating it down as stupid, never happen, and so on. It seems it's hard to go from having to beat down every "I like Samsung's/HTC/etc bigger screens" comments to embracing a rumor of bigger screens in an Apple iPhone.
What usually happens? If the rumor pops up a few more times and gains strength, the sentiment starts getting hedged, meaning those so passionate about the stupidity, etc of this rumor starts moving toward the middle just in case it happens.
Then, if it does happen- if Apple rolls out larger screens- some of these very same people so passionately against the idea now will be gushing about the "best iPhones ever", "shut up and take my money" and so on. Samsung/HTC, etc bigger screens iPhones will still be "useless", "stupid", "ripoffs" but one of the big arguments against them will no longer be that they are "way too big", "who wants a phablet", etc.
Much dead-horse beatings such as pocketablity ("I want a phone that fits in my pocket"), one-hand utility ("I want to be able to touch any part of the screen with one hand") and so on will just evaporate if Apple rolls out direct competitor bigger-screen phones. Recall how similarly (negative) passionate some were when the early rumors of the iPhone longer-but-not-wider screen starting coming out. Here we go again.
Personally, given the relatively huge successes Samsung and others are having with screens bigger than 4 inches, I think it makes perfect sense for Apple to go there. Just because Apple didn't do it first doesn't mean they can't roll with what a good chunk of the market actually wants. This is Apple; it is what they do: they spin competitor differences as negative right up until Apple adopts whatever it is themselves and then it's the "best thing ever" (look up Apple flip flipflops for many such examples: remember "who want's video on an iPod?" and a whole host of others).
In my own case, my hands are way too big for the iPhone screens to date (and my pockets are plenty big enough for a screen with a diagonal measurement increase of upwards of even 2 inches). And I'm only about 4 inches taller than the national average- not a Shaquille O'Neal. I'd love to see such options from Apple. Those happy with 3.5 or 4 shouldn't have the bigger screens forced upon them, but those hungry for bigger screens while sticking with the rest of the Apple benefits can get what they want too. Everyone involved can win with such options.
What usually happens? If the rumor pops up a few more times and gains strength, the sentiment starts getting hedged, meaning those so passionate about the stupidity, etc of this rumor starts moving toward the middle just in case it happens.
Then, if it does happen- if Apple rolls out larger screens- some of these very same people so passionately against the idea now will be gushing about the "best iPhones ever", "shut up and take my money" and so on. Samsung/HTC, etc bigger screens iPhones will still be "useless", "stupid", "ripoffs" but one of the big arguments against them will no longer be that they are "way too big", "who wants a phablet", etc.
Much dead-horse beatings such as pocketablity ("I want a phone that fits in my pocket"), one-hand utility ("I want to be able to touch any part of the screen with one hand") and so on will just evaporate if Apple rolls out direct competitor bigger-screen phones. Recall how similarly (negative) passionate some were when the early rumors of the iPhone longer-but-not-wider screen starting coming out. Here we go again.
Personally, given the relatively huge successes Samsung and others are having with screens bigger than 4 inches, I think it makes perfect sense for Apple to go there. Just because Apple didn't do it first doesn't mean they can't roll with what a good chunk of the market actually wants. This is Apple; it is what they do: they spin competitor differences as negative right up until Apple adopts whatever it is themselves and then it's the "best thing ever" (look up Apple flip flipflops for many such examples: remember "who want's video on an iPod?" and a whole host of others).
In my own case, my hands are way too big for the iPhone screens to date (and my pockets are plenty big enough for a screen with a diagonal measurement increase of upwards of even 2 inches). And I'm only about 4 inches taller than the national average- not a Shaquille O'Neal. I'd love to see such options from Apple. Those happy with 3.5 or 4 shouldn't have the bigger screens forced upon them, but those hungry for bigger screens while sticking with the rest of the Apple benefits can get what they want too. Everyone involved can win with such options.
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I personally think 3.5" screen should be the size of the cheaper polycarbonate phone coming out in the fall... I believe these new larger screens are all rumors. Apple wouldn't be that stupid to create product differentiation of a lineup due to solely screen size.
4" is fine... 3.5" was better... anything over 4"+ and you will be having the Samsung & Android boys cheer.
Really? HUMONGOUS? LOL. Some of you make it sound like your holding a flat screen monitor in your hand. Geeze. Guess some people just have baby hands
The One X was a great phone - better than anything Apple had at the time. And the OS was also better than Apple's.
She made a perfectly reasonable choice. The Galaxy S3 would also have been a good choice, or the Razor Maxx HD.
That era had many good choices. As of now, there are really two good choices - the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. Both have excellent hardware, but the One is missing an SD card slot, so that makes it a non-starter (for me, because I like to carry multi-gigs of music (and a movie or three) on my phone).
Except that if I was given a choice, I would buy the 4.7" model...so there goes your theory.
I feel that 5.7 is too big...and 4" is too small.
The HTC one has the perfect screen size, IMO. Others might find the 5.7" just right (I would too if I didn't have to carry it in my front pocket).
I believe Apple needs to release a bigger size in order to compete with Samsung. If they release three screen sizes we would all be in smartphone heaven.
I have used the 3.5 inch iPhone, a Galaxy S3 and currently have the Note 2. I can say that the S3 was the perfect size which I believe was 4.8 inches? I could easily use it one handed. The note 2 on the other hand is a bit much.
And yet it was revealed during one of the Samsung trials that Apple does indeed do focus groups. Shocker!
5.7"? I'm in 100%. Makes perfect sense when you look at iOS 7. The whole system feels like it's designed to function on a larger handset, from the fonts to the status bar. Bring it on. I will buy that *hit up. 
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Apple doesn't care about "told you so" Samsung fanbois getting to smack down Apple fanbois when Apple flip flops on an argument about ideal screen sizes. Only some of us here care/worry about such stuff.
Apple wants to sell more product. Samsung and similar have shown that there is a pretty big market for people that want their phones to have screens bigger than 4 inches. Pride, contempt, etc can certainly make a business not adapt to what large segments show as desirable but that's shooting oneself in the revenue foot in exchange for very little in return. Apple likes the MONEY and has a long history of flip flopping on concepts. Apple marketing spin is negative to competitor differences only up until Apple adopts those differences; then, they're huge innovations "you'll love".
If some Samsung fanbois get a "told you so" moment, so what? A bunch of people would rather stick with Apple rather than switch to the other guys but they do crave the bigger screen. Apple can keep a bunch of customers, sell a bunch of new customers and make a lot of added revenues OR it can protect it's fans pride by prevent the Samsung fans from being able to write such posts.
This has happened over and over in the past. It's not nearly as painful as we can imagine if this particular rumor would pan out. All it is a "sticks & stones" situation: "words don't actually hurt "me"... even Samsung fans "told you so" words.
What does hurt Apple is losing business to those that won't settle for a 4" screen in spite of all of the rest of the Apple goodness. What does hurt "me" is wanting/needing a screen bigger than 4" but not being willing to leave Apple to get it (so it's just suffer without). A thousand comments about how "I" don't need a bigger screen (because "you" don't need a bigger screen) doesn't change that.
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Everybody knows that "larger" means "wider". Apple could have made a screen a couple of feet longer and it would NOT be any larger than the current screen, because it is not wider.
There is nothing "technical" about what larger "truly" means. You hit the nail on the head. /s
Not going to happen, a large amount of apps haven't been updated yet to support iPhone 5's screen and with the new UI changes in iOS 7 it's really unlikely Apple wants its platform to start fragmenting (like Android) with Apps that don't support Retina (a small amount but they still exist), Apps that aren't universal, Apps that don't support 4' screen and now Apps that don't support 4.7' and 5.7'.
My guess is that at least for the next 2-3 years hardware isn't going to change drastically in a way that apps need to be updated to work properly.
My guess is that at least for the next 2-3 years hardware isn't going to change drastically in a way that apps need to be updated to work properly.
larger screens
I totally agree that they should push to make the phone with the 4.7 inch screen for this Fall. The competition is fierce and I for one won't purchase an iPhone 5s knowing that a larger screen model is due next year. I believe quite a number of folks will follow suite or purchase the Galaxy or HTC One.
I totally agree that they should push to make the phone with the 4.7 inch screen for this Fall. The competition is fierce and I for one won't purchase an iPhone 5s knowing that a larger screen model is due next year. I believe quite a number of folks will follow suite or purchase the Galaxy or HTC One.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Bigger Screen
Better Battery Life
Ultra Thin Design
PICK 2
Bigger screen
Better battery life.
In my opinion, iPhones have long been thin enough. Personally, I don't see "thin" as a marketing benefit anymore. In fact since the expense of thin seems to be battery shrinkage, I'd be for adding some thickness. As is, some of us have to thicken our idevices with battery-extending cases anyway.
Not everyone wears pants with oversized pockets. Some of us have to dress professionally.
Things change:
1)Something new: Refusal, reasons against etc.
2)People become familiar with the possible new:
I can see it if they do this etc. , but not for me
3)Maybe try it (Heard it often enough)
4)Accept it and use it
5)Can't believe that wasn't done this way long time ago
and : Always was my idea!