Apple Could Achieve a 4-Inch iPhone Display by Increasing Height Only

[rpprdud]

Noooo.

The genius of the 3.5" screen wasn't for optimal visual experience people, the form factor fits PERFECTLY in one hand. Hold an iPhone and reach to each corner with your thumb. Relatively easy huh? Now try it with another inferior phone, namely the abominable samsung note. Not possible. The form factor is clunky and large on anything else. A longer phone body destroys the ergonomic engineering of the current design and adds frustration when the user is forced to use two hands (or shift their one hand) to reach the top two corners. It's the small things like this that people don't notice and take for granted, the engineers at Apple are the best in the world and they understand what a tailored user experience means. I'm willing to be the form factor stays exactly the same with regards of screen dimensions, Cook and Ive are smart guys.

 

[MattInOz]

Most developers won't have any problem since UIViewController containers should automatically adjust to the screen height and their UIViews will simply be displayed in that. If they're not using UIViewController containers, their code should be dynamic enough that everything stretches to the bottom no matter what the height is.

Port cocoa autolayout to iOS 6 and the developers job becomes even easier not just for different screen sizes of iPhone but iPad and rotation to boot.

 

[PackFan]

I just had a thought... maybe this might also cover the persistent 7.85" product rumors?

One more thing...

the iBar!

 

[Nostromo]

Too long and narrow won't cut it.

You've got to gain some width by when gaining height.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

Do other smartphones have 16:9 displays? Eventually the iPad will have to go 16:9 for TV and movie viewing.

I'm hoping the iPhone (Fall 12) switches to 16:9 along with the iPad (2013).

 

[sulpfiction]

I think it's inevitable that at some point the iPhone screen size is going to change. Not by much, but I don't think apple plans to keep 3.5" for years to come. So at some point developers are going to have to make some changes. Why not now?

As far as fragmentation goes, unless apple plans on keeping the iPhone at 3.5" for ever, at some point we are going to have a new device that has a different screen size then the models before it. It will be a 3 year transition. Not complete fragmentation like android.

 

[cclloyd]

I would much rather have the slightly increased screen size as shown before where it stretched almost the whole device, but keep the current resolution.

Not only would this add a weird number resolution, but would seem akward to long time iPhone/iPod users, and cause games to have to be a whole new ratio than that of the current iPhone family.

Basically, keep with even numbers, and if possible, just double the resolution one more time and give it the slightly bigger screen

I like to call that super retina, invisible pixels, even with a magnifying glass.

 

[Nostromo]

Changing the pixel x pixel ratio of the iPhone screen may require a lot of reprogramming of current apps.

I don't see the advantage of a 16:9 screen on a phone.

 

[Rennir]

Changing the pixel x pixel ratio of the iPhone screen may require a lot of reprogramming of current apps.

I don't see the advantage of a 16:9 screen on a phone.

Sure matching the aspect ratio of movies/videos and not having black bars at the edges count as an advantage? Unless you happen to like the extra bezel?

 

[Lukeyy19]

I'm quite happy with my iPhone the size it is

 

[kdarling]

5 or 6 screen sizes can hardly be considered fragmentation compared to An**oid with dozens of different displays and more coming every day.

People worry too much about this.

There's only about two Android tablet screen sizes/resolutions and two Android phone displays that are the most popular, for a total of four basic targets.

Currently iOS is the same way: a total of four low and high res phone and tablet displays.

--

As for wild ideas about how Apple might use a 4" screen such as the one this thread is about:

They could use the extra length as a gesture/home swiping area similar to some WebOS phones and/or to display extra information like notifications.

Most apps would still use the same old 3.5" area, but Apple could advertise having a 4" screen, and possibly even use the whole length for videos.

Personally, I don't believe this screen idea has any validity, but who knows.

 

[adder7712]

One more thing...

the iBar!

I think it would be perfect as media hub, hooked up to a HD TV that is.

 

[MattInOz]

I just had a thought... maybe this might also cover the persistent 7.85" product rumors?

Intel iPhone killer circa 2007

 

[johnhw]

Umm - my apple product is not 16:9. My 2011 Macbook Air 13 is 16:10, as I believe all current MBPs are. Only the 11inch MBA is 16:9. In fact, excluding that one model, no Apple products are 16x9 currently.

iMacs are 16:9. The TB Display and Cinema Display (27") are 16:9 too.

 

[AidenShaw]

Sure matching the aspect ratio of movies/videos and not having black bars at the edges count as an advantage? Unless you happen to like the extra bezel?

Few movies are 16:9. They'll have letterbars anyway....

 

[Doc750]

Hahah -85 and counting.. Just give us a regular looking 4 or 4.3 inch screen and I'll be happy.

Up to -114, I really expected better.

Even crack berry could beat this ...

 

[SockRolid]

Re: Apple Could Achieve a 4-Inch iPhone Display ...

Or not. Apple spent a lot of time designing the original iPhone's 2x3 aspect ratio.
And a lot of time planning for the 480x320 to 960x640 resolution increase.
They've thought things all the way through, including 4" and bigger screens.

I'd expect a minor size increase, if there's any increase at all. 3.8" max.
With the same pixel count and just enough density to justify the "Retina" label.
The visible screen area could be expanded slightly to eliminate most or all
of the bezel on the long sides of the iPhone without increasing the enclosure size.
That's what we think Apple will do.

----------

Image
Intel iPhone killer circa 2007

LOL. Ah, the bad old days. Back when Intel still thought they were relevant in the mobile space.

Back when Nokia thought they could just stay the course and weather this whole iPhone thing.

Back when Android phones were blatant ripoffs of Palm / BlackBerry.

Times change, no?

 

[juststranded]

I suggested this EXACT same thing last year here on MacRumors. Can't find the post right now. It honestly looks like the post was formed from my comment.

 

[Lahmy88]

This idea is too much of a stretch

Lol brilliant gag! Haha

In all seriousness, I love this idea and I doubt Apple would simply stretch the screen to 4 inches keeping the same number of pixels because the interface elements would then be bigger and would break Apple's philosophy. Whereas this taller screen idea is definitely the best way to go. Browsing the 'net will be better in portrait or landscape mode, 5-tall app home screens or possibly a re-think of the multi-taskin system into something that's always visible or a proper status bar? Extra screen real estate is always better! Don't fight change - embrace it!

 

[ixodes]

What a bizarre odd looking phone. I sure hope it's a joke. I really want the upcoming new model, but would never buy that ugly shape.

The flip side is plenty of other people will settle for anything Apple builds.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Up to -114, I really expected better.

Even crack berry could beat this ...

Sorry bro, gave you an up vote.

Either way Apple just needs to make the entire device larger to accommodate a 4" or larger screen. The iPhone is really lagging behind in UI design and hardware design. Even a fatter device that weighs more is a tad bit more appealing if the apps one are to use are on both platforms.

Bigger screen and a ton more home screen customization. . . e.g. Removing those built-in apps and putting the settings for each app in the app itself.

 

[radiogoober]

This is the worst rumor ever with the absolute most stupid content ever. The iPhone Stretch looks like crap. What a stupidly horrible idea. I can't believe this site and the liberal tard Gruber give it the time of day. To ask every developer to completely redesign their app is insanity.

 

[adder7712]

Back when Android phones were blatant ripoffs of Palm / BlackBerry.

Times change, no?

Guess Nokia makes BlackBerry rip-offs too. Does the Nokia E-series ring a bell?

 

[Augure]

1. So, one of, if not the thinnest smartphone in the world looks like "a thick brick"? Go figure

2. Why the hell do you want quad-core in a phone? I can see no practical reasons why it should be quad-core, other than to appease hardware "geeks"

1.

Nothing like a brick but it is only really averagely thin by todays high end phone standards.
iPhone 9.3mm
HTC One X 8.9mm
HTC One S 7.8mm
SGS2 8.49mm
Galaxy Nexus 9.47mm

2. Because a quad-core is more energy efficient

Don't really give a stuff about the developers, as a consumer. They will adjust.

Never understood the "it's hard for the developer" argument. So let's hold back hardware all because the developers will have a difficult time. lol.
Completely ludicrous just like increasing the height of the screen only. Evolve (Hardware and Software) or die. ie. RIM.

This.

Seriously wtf with all those unimaginative Apple cvcksuckers who want to pay more for less ?
A 4" is obviously better by today standard if the bezel is reduced and the body thinner, why the eff would people stay on a clearly too small 3.5"

 

[Millah]

The only thing I don't understand with this idea is, what's the point? If the display is simply taller, then won't text and everything else be the same size? All this theoretically does is allow longer lists to be displayed on screen, with text and UI elements being the same size.

So doesn't that defeat the point of a bigger display? I'd prefer a 3.7" display with the same aspect ratio, so that things can be a little bigger and easier to read. Otherwise, just keep it at the same size. I like the size of the current iPhone, notification center is easy to bring down with one thumb, back buttons are easy to reach, etc.