Apple Ordering Screens of 'At Least 4 Inches' for Next-Generation iPhone

[7enderbender]

Why even bigger? Not that I really care what Apple does with this since I don't have an iPhone and have no intentions in getting one. But everyone else pays attention and smartphones will be getting even bigger and heavier everywhere. If BlackBerry goes away I may be forced to use one of these things one day and I don't like it.

 

[samcraig]

I believe most of the posters here - when/if Apple upsizes their screen will have the same reaction I did when I switched to Android. And that is - they love the bigger screen and now when they look at their old iPhone4/4S - they can't imagine using something so tiny. The same way people can't believe they used anything before Apple's "retina" display.

I sincerely question anyone on this forum who believes that Apple will never change their screen size for the iPhone. It's not a question of will they. It's merely a question of when.

 

[Floris]

Totally off topic, but that mockup is the first time a white iPhone looks good. I'd totally buy that. Sorry about that. Carry on.

 

[Drag'nGT]

I think Apple will keep the proportions correct. So what if it's a little wider than the current gen. Millions of people want to see this phone move forward in it's offering and the screen is the piece we interact with. It needs to grow especially in the wake of the obscene screen sizes we are seeing with Android phones.

 

[toasty hoodie]

I'm all over the larger screen, but how is this going to affect app compatibility? That's one of the reasons I switched from Android because of the uniformity.

 

[whooleytoo]

Yes, and do you forget the thing that was most outstanding about it? The one that most people were excited about. The retina display that the battery is there more for than the LTE (once again, the wi-fi new iPad doesn't get much more battery life... if it was the LTE eating the battery, you'd expect the wi-fi iPad to be far better). It's not just the LTE that was different from the iPad 2 to the current one.

ONce again, displays take a lot of battery. In general they are the biggest battery hog in a device (why do you think one of the main suggestions for saving battery is putting your brightness down).

Indeed. I think there was only a 20 minute difference between Wifi-only and LTE-only tests when Arstechnica was measuring the battery life.

And in AnandTech's review, the new iPad went for 25 hours as an LTE hotspot. To me, that says the LTE isn't the 'battery killer'.

 

[douglasgb]

You can fit a 4" screen if the current form factor widens by a millimeter or two, with the same aspect ratio and number of pixels (density goes down 14% but the screen is 'bigger').

 

[Pez555]

An edge to edge display..now that would make me buy one.

god, i want this so bad.

 

[kolax]

I think if we got a bigger screen, they'd not add in any more icons but instead keep the grid as it is.

The MacRumors mockup screen looks far too busy. I think they'd leave it as a 4x4 grid but with more space, like the default iPad.

 

[satkin2]

If they were to ever change the screen size, they would do it now. It's now or never.

I hope its never. Having tried a number of my colleagues phones with 4"+ screens I've really found them to be too large. For the extra real estate gained the trade of wasn't worth it. This is a device that is nearly always going to be in your hand when you use it, so it needs to be comfortable to handle.

 

[technopimp]

I hope its never. Having tried a number of my colleagues phones with 4"+ screens I've really found them to be too large. For the extra real estate gained the trade of wasn't worth it. This is a device that is nearly always going to be in your hand when you use it, so it needs to be comfortable to handle.

Agreed. I've played with some of the larger Android phones owned by friends, and they're too big to be a "carry in your pocket" device. I don't want my phone to be the size of a Kindle.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Did you last 2 posters miss post #232? That's showing you a bigger screen in exactly the same-sized container? If the current one fits in your pocket, so would another with the exact same (container) dimensions.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Yes, and do you forget the thing that was most outstanding about it? The one that most people were excited about. The retina display that the battery is there more for than the LTE (once again, the wi-fi new iPad doesn't get much more battery life... if it was the LTE eating the battery, you'd expect the wi-fi iPad to be far better). It's not just the LTE that was different from the iPad 2 to the current one.

ONce again, displays take a lot of battery. In general they are the biggest battery hog in a device (why do you think one of the main suggestions for saving battery is putting your brightness down).

I'm not arguing that the screen isn't the biggest power eater, only that LTE uses more power than 3G, and that Apple can't stick an LTE radio in the current iPhone internal space w/ same battery and get the same battery life as the iPhone 4.

You can go back to Anandtech's benchmarks for the iPad 2 and iPad 3 and it's clear there is a bigger hit to the battery when using LTE vs 3G. It's widely understood that LTE uses more battery than 3G. I don't know why you don't want to acknowledge it. The sky is blue.

Also, these are not my original thoughts. They are gleaned from level headed people involved in the tech biz for years not pie-in-the sky bull shooters publishing link bait.

 

[Syk]

it's primarily a phone, so i'd like to carry it around in my pocket.
i like the size of the iphone ..
a bigger screen means bigger phone.
the 3.5 is really okay for me..

everythin' else.. we'll see!
cheers!

I think it's more of a mini computer than a phone. I think the phone use is secondary and the smart functions are primary

 

[Born Again]

Wonder if apple will come up with a marketing name for the 4" screen.

Super retina screean!

 

[sportsfan]

I know it will sell like gangbusters when it comes out, but for me, it was too ***** late. Traded in my iPhone 4 for a HTC One X. Couldn't stand the frustrations with typing on the small screen (I'm 6'4" and have large hands). After 5 years of staying with the same size screen, I'd had enough. Apple should be way smarter than this... they could have brought out two or three different size iPhones years ago. But again, I believe in voting with my wallet to influence products/services, etc. and unfortunately that has forced me to get outside of Apple's ecosystem. Hopefully they'll do something substantial and eliminate that ugly ~1" of bezel top and bottom of the screen...

Good for you. There are more people shorter than 6'5" that taller. It's all about marketshare.

 

[Thunderhawks]

A) it looks almost exactly the same as the iPhone 4 (Which i think apple made...)

No it doesn't!

There is something in design called the "Golden Ratio"

This design doesn't even have "rusted scrap metal ratio"

 

[samcraig]

Good for you. There are more people shorter than 6'5" that taller. It's all about marketshare.

Right. Android seems to be majorly lacking in marketshare because their phones are bigger than 3.5. What the what?

Again - 4" is nothing. Not big. I use both the 3.5" iPhone and the Skyrocket - which is 4.5 and both are very comfortable. And I'm of average height.

 

[technopimp]

Did you last 2 posters miss post #232? That's showing you a bigger screen in exactly the same-sized container? If the current one fits in your pocket, so would another with the exact same (container) dimensions.

No, I didn't miss it. I was saying that of the 4"+ phones that are CURRENTLY out, they are all way to large and unwieldy for me to consider. However, if they give us a 4" screen at the expense of the aspect ratio, I'm not sure I'm on board with that either.

 

[GingerPrince]

I'm not arguing that the screen isn't the biggest power eater, only that LTE uses more power than 3G, and that Apple can't stick an LTE radio in the current iPhone internal space w/ same battery and get the same battery life as the iPhone 4.

You can go back to Anandtech's benchmarks for the iPad 2 and iPad 3 and it's clear there is a bigger hit to the battery when using LTE vs 3G. It's widely understood that LTE uses more battery than 3G. I don't know why you don't want to acknowledge it. The sky is blue.

Also, these are not my original thoughts. They are gleaned from level headed people involved in the tech biz for years not pie-in-the sky bull shooters publishing link bait.

outside america, who cares about LTE?

 

[samcraig]

outside america, who cares about LTE?

The UK will when it's launched there. And I believe Australia already has LTE. The question is more of what frequency is used in Apple products for LTE on whether LTE has any benefits.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/03/australian-4g-frequencies-explained/

 

[apolloa]

Hmmm, well considering last years right balls up with the iPhone rumours, proclaiming new cases proved a new iPhone design! I shall believe this when I see it because it seems confusing again, one rumour states 4" with no change in ratio, others stating they will change the ratio.

But alas it seems the 4" screen is a dead cert, then again those rumours last year of cases.........

 

[sportsfan]

Right. Android seems to be majorly lacking in marketshare because their phones are bigger than 3.5. What the what?

Again - 4" is nothing. Not big. I use both the 3.5" iPhone and the Skyrocket - which is 4.5 and both are very comfortable. And I'm of average height.

Android is not lacking in marketshare because when a person can get an Android phone for free or on a 2 for 1 deal......that's hard for alot of people to pass up.

 

[samcraig]

Android is not lacking in marketshare because when a person can get an Android phone for free or on a 2 for 1 deal......that's hard for alot of people to pass up.

That's your hypothesis on why Android has its entire marketshare?

You're the one that brought up marketshare. Implying Apple wouldn't increase the size of their screen because - what? People can't use devices with screens larger that 3.5" ?

I think that's a silly assumption. Very. I don't think Apple would lose any significant marketshare they already have if they increased the screen size. However - I do think they will lose marketshare if they don't EVENTUALLY move to a bigger screen.

 

[sportsfan]

That's your hypothesis on why Android has its entire marketshare?

You're the one that brought up marketshare. Implying Apple wouldn't increase the size of their screen because - what? People can't use devices with screens larger that 3.5" ?

I think that's a silly assumption. Very. I don't think Apple would lose any significant marketshare they already have if they increased the screen size. However - I do think they will lose marketshare if they don't EVENTUALLY move to a bigger screen.

No, I'm not saying that is the reason Android has all it's market share. But that is a market segment that Apple doesn't offer a product to compete....for better or worse.

I'm basing my thoughts on Apple not growing from 3.5 because Steve said Apple put alot of thought into it and research. Obviously he is no longer with us, so that may change.
I have friends that have snapped their Android phones in their pockets when they sat down...or end up carrying it around in their hand alot.
But I also have larger friends with bigger pockets...or women with purses whereas a larger phone isn't that much of a bother.