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

I don't get the significance of this.

The idea of increasing the height only (while maintaining width and pixel density doesn't seem significantly less fragmenting than, e.g., increasing both height and width while maintaining aspect ratio and pixel density... Or really a lot of other possibilities.

The idea of a virtual bezel for un-upgraded apps isn't new... e.g., the iPad has done this from day-one when running iPhone-only apps. The possibility has been mentioned before in discussions about how a larger screen in a future "iPhone 5" might affect existing apps.

So... why the big writeup? How is this better or even different than many of the various ideas floating around for future iPhone screens?
 
I like the idea of squeezing down the home button a bit and minimizing the top so there is less wasted non-screen space while keeping the basically same pocket sized phone. I'd like this over a wider phone that would be harder to fit in my pants pocket.
Could the home button be move to the side of the phone (like as a thumb button) and then we could get it off the front of the phone where it is taking up space? If the front were just pure glass screen without even a speaker grill that would be very nice looking. But just a little speaker grill at the top and no home button at the bottom would be pretty minimal as well. A side thumb button is more ergonomic to hit anyway. I always like the blackberry side thumb jog button. You would be calling up Siri just like a walki-talki button. It would be sweet.
 
if they increase the screen size. this is most likely the only way to not hurt developers.

Hmm not sure if they would though..

3.5 really is the sweet spot
 
Aidan5806 said:
If this were to happen, and I'm not saying I want it one way or the other, I think it may also be in Apple's thinking to increase the pixel density to the point that the resolution would be 720x1294 so that it could properly display 720p content. Not only would that increase the resolution and aspect ratio to a more optimal one for modern media, but also would cause the pixel density to skyrocket to a whopping 371 ppi, which would pummel any other screen on the market.
Click to expand...

I think the problem with this idea is that, in general, people can't see that much detail anyway -- they can't even see the detail of the current screen.
So you'd make the device more expensive, slower, and/or reduce battery life or make it heavier... in order to make the screen sharper to a degree that no one (or very few at least) can perceive.
 
iDemiurge said:
Some like it longer, others prefer it wider. Really tough to please all of them...
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Not really. If someone is complaining about it not being wide enough, tell them to hold it in landscape. (Now all Apple has to do is allow people to lock orientation in landscape...)
 
Mr. Gates said:
And what would the landscape keyboard look like ?
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That's what I'm thinking. All the interface features are built to a certain aspect ratio, so the screen would have to be resized linearly to keep things usable.

Increasing the height would be decent for a portrait orientation, but imagine what it'd look like in landscape? Texting someone would turn into a huge pain in the ass with the keyboard taking up a good 95% of the screen.
 
ZipZap said:
Why should we care if developers have to alter their programs because the screen resolution changes?

Technology should be able to move forward without concern for software development.

Provide developers the tools they need in the APIs and let them redevelop. Engineer hardware to the best new technology level possible.

MR....stop giving Apple ideas on how to fudge things.
Click to expand...


You should care. You want apps that are "good enough" like they have on Android?

It's not just about altering the apps. It's not just about hardware, like you imply. It's about the "whole widget", remember?

Maybe Apple *will* come up with something, but don't just assume that it's a throwaway trick with just a few APIs and "oh, just go redevelop".
 
HiRez said:
I am a developer, are you? Yes, it IS a pain (as I said earlier, depending on the type and style of app). If you haven't developed an app, you don't know what's involved, it's quite a lot more difficult than saying "scale artwork to this size", that's a very naive viewpoint.
Click to expand...

So you're saying is that you developers don't have an 'ENHANCE' button? ;)
 
JHankwitz said:
I believe it's quite the opposite. Android users seem to be unable to afford or want products with value, so carry on a war with their jealousy. I guess you haven't read so many of their posts on this site. It's OK when they get a significant raise at work, but criticize apple when they get paid their worth.
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I respectfully disagree. I have an android phone, the Galaxy Nexus, I also have a MacBook Air. I certainly don't object to Apple making profits & I certainly can afford & appreciate "products with value"


Why don't I have an iphone? Honestly because the screen is too small for me to do the volume of typing I need to do on a phone daily. It's a physically beautiful phone, tons of terrific apps but it just doesn't serve my needs in terms of screen size.
 
Renzatic said:
That's what I'm thinking. All the interface features are built to a certain aspect ratio, so the screen would have to be resized linearly to keep things usable.

Increasing the height would be decent for a portrait orientation, but imagine what it'd look like in landscape? Texting someone would turn into a huge pain in the ass with the keyboard taking up a good 95% of the screen.
Click to expand...

At worst, all they would have to do is stretch the keyboard a bit horizontally, and there would be the same amount of space above it in landscape mode. At best, they could use the extra space to include some commonly used punctuation keys -- it drives me nuts having to use two keypresses to get a comma or an apostrophe.
 
I dunno, I don't think there's much else I'd like to see in a potential iPhone 5 other than LTE. But then, my lack of creativity is probably why I don't work in Apple's design bureau.

Still, I don't think the phone fundamentally needs a faster processor than it has, and I don't really want the screen to get any larger - as it is now, it fits comfortably in all the pockets where I stash it.

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ArtOfWarfare said:
Not really. If someone is complaining about it not being wide enough, tell them to hold it in landscape.
Click to expand...

Yeah. They're holding it wrong.
 
If they realy want to make it bigger ('4 or whatever) they better make it wider too. Otherwise it will look like s***
 
I hope not. More width would allow for a larger keyboard, which would be fantastic.

WRT scalable layouts: OSX can do it. Apple disabled it on iOS.
 
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JustinDaigle said:
Incorrect. Apple currently sells and supports iOS devices with four different screen resolutions (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4/4S retina, iPad 2, and "new" iPad retina). By my count, adding this new one would make that five (I do expect the 3GS to leave the market sooner or later; actually I expected it to do so nearly a year ago, but chances are developers will still want their apps to support a device that was just recently pulled from the market).
Click to expand...

Just curious: When are we gonna start calling it the third gen iPad? I really don't think Apple intended its name to be "New" iPad...
 
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