Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Have they? The Galaxy S4's sell in rather spectacular amounts, and even the relatively giant ass Note 2's and 3's have a healthy market. That's hardly most of the world rejecting something.
None of the products you quote have had spectacular sales world wide. In fact it isn't even a healthy market. Admittedly there has been some success in Asia as the latest and greatest tech, but even that trend cooled very very fast.
See, correlation doesn't equal causation. That's basic statistics. You need to ask yourself this: do people buy iPhones in drove because of the smaller screens, or because of the strength of the brand? Does each sell of an iPhone SPECIFICALLY point towards wanting smaller screens, or that they like iPhones in general? You're assuming X because of Y, without having anything to back up your argument.

I'm it assuming anything, look at the sales figures relative to Apple or the same manufactures line up. Once a product becomes troublesome to carry around people loose interest.

Think about it, the cell phone industry started out with devices the size of a brick. The industry continued to shrink the cell phone for many years until cell phones got so small that usability suffered. In the end a device that had to fit in ones pocket has certain physical realities it has to live within. Thus the comment about hand bag sized cell phones.
 
Every announcement makes me want to switch to give Nexus 5 a try:
- Flat UI with iOS7: Google went flat long time ago and honed it to a very mature UX with Kit Kat. Compared to that, iOS7 is in its infancy.
- Larger screens: Android devices always strived for larger screens, and with Kit Kat, they seem to have mastered 5-inch form factor.

I still love Apple products and very much entrenched in iOS ecosystem--probably why I won't make that jump. Just hoping that Apple will be able to iterate and mature in these areas fast. I'm really not fan of iOS7 in its current state.
 
This would be a terrible idea, considerably worse than MS' one OS to fit them all approach.
Why? Developers run iOS apps right now on their Macs through the iOS emulator which basically puts the iOS UI in a window. All I'm suggesting is an ARM based system that automatically supports running iOS apps in a window of an ARM Mac OS based machine.

Honestly this wouldn't be much different than the people asking for split windows on the 13" iPad to run apps side by side. The results would be good because ARM would run the apps natively and ideally the machine would have lots of RAM to support these apps.

The worst thing is that some Apps wouldn't be all that useful in a Mac environment.
The best thing for Apple to do here is to play the wait and see game.
Absolutely not. What ever Apple does wait and see is never the right move. They need to drive the market.
Instead of forcing everyone over all at once, they should see how ARM develops over the years, and allow iOS to expand to take advantage of that extra power.
I'm not sure where you got the idea that people would be forced over. I see this as a transitional machine that is far better than a convergence machine. The transition would be to Apple engineered computer chips instead of Intel. The goal is to keep Mac OS viable on the new ARM based hardware.
If it starts encroaching on x86 territory, and people are regularly using iPads for higher end tasks, they can nix Macs entirely and become an all ARM shop.
No body wants to see the Macs nixed. I run both a Mac And an iPad, the two aren't even remotely interchangeable.
Because they've already got the platform developed and supported, they're not losing much of anything. Though if ARM doesn't take, and people are continuing to buy and use Macs for all the heavy lifting, they can continue on as usual without any super awkward transitional period.

You seem to think that the machine wouldn't be at its heart a Mac. It would be a Mac with an ARM chip at its heart that is all. And yes it would be a chip very capable of heavy lifting needed on a Mac.
 
I can't see this happening. A 12" iPad would be a very niche market. At what point does the iPad get too big to be comfortably held?

Apple wants home runs, not a billion different variation products that got them deep into the hole in the 90's.
 
None of the products you quote have had spectacular sales world wide. In fact it isn't even a healthy market. Admittedly there has been some success in Asia as the latest and greatest tech, but even that trend cooled very very fast.

Reality begs to differ.

Yeah, I know. Slowing sales. Falling below projected outlines. Doom 'n gloom. It's still managed to move 40 million units in 6 months. 40 million is a bunch of people.

And the Note 3? Selling solidly

None of them quite match the pure sales numbers of an iPhone, but they're all selling very well. Not a little bit. Not tepidly. Very well.

It doesn't prove that these phones are selling solely on the size of their screen, but it's enough to show that the world isn't rejecting them outright due to the larger sizes.

You have nothing to base your claim on.

Think about it, the cell phone industry started out with devices the size of a brick. The industry continued to shrink the cell phone for many years until cell phones got so small that usability suffered. In the end a device that had to fit in ones pocket has certain physical realities it has to live within. Thus the comment about hand bag sized cell phones.

The iPhone was bigger than the Motorola Razr, or just about any flip phone available at the time. In fact, it was considered quite large when it first came out. The market doesn't always drive towards smaller, rather what's most convenient for the intended task.

You are right about pocketability, though. The thing is, the iPhone isn't the only optimal size to fit in your pocket. The 5" S4 is only slightly larger than the 5S, and can still be pocketed easily. Even 6" devices, which is admittedly pushing it a little bit, would still fit in your jeans.

If your only argument against larger screens is how easy it is to carry around, then the iPhone is only one size among many that can be considered "easily portable".
 
Reality begs to differ.

Yeah, I know. Slowing sales. Falling below projected outlines. Doom 'n gloom. It's still managed to move 40 million units in 6 months. 40 million is a bunch of people.

And the Note 3? Selling solidly

None of them quite match the pure sales numbers of an iPhone, but they're all selling very well. Not a little bit. Not tepidly. Very well.

It doesn't prove that these phones are selling solely on the size of their screen, but it's enough to show that the world isn't rejecting them outright due to the larger sizes.

You have nothing to base your claim on.



The iPhone was bigger than the Motorola Razr, or just about any flip phone available at the time. In fact, it was considered quite large when it first came out. The market doesn't always drive towards smaller, rather what's most convenient for the intended task.

You are right about pocketability, though. The thing is, the iPhone isn't the only optimal size to fit in your pocket. The 5" S4 is only slightly larger than the 5S, and can still be pocketed easily. Even 6" devices, which is admittedly pushing it a little bit, would still fit in your jeans.

If your only argument against larger screens is how easy it is to carry around, then the iPhone is only one size among many that can be considered "easily portable".

I've had the pleasure of using the Note 3 for a week... that thing felt like I was wearing protective gear like I do with hockey equipment. That's a type of phone where you get it the hell out of your pocket as soon as you sit down. But if you're sitting down, you have to stand back up to get it out of your pocket because there's not enough space.

Sweet phone, though. Same dealio with the S4, albeit not as bad.

And I wear straight cut jeans... not skinny or close cut... but regular jeans.

I guess if you dress like a gangsta kid, it'd work.

I think the sweet spot would be 4.5". iPhone could get a bit wider, IMO.
 
stupid idea

sorry but a 13 inch tablet is just a dumb idea, just like an 11 inch air was a dumb idea. Now, I'm all for a 4.5 or 4.3 inch iphone with a better camera that actually has zoom capability - not the useless one that is on my 4s. I skipped the 5 gen because I thought the screen size made no sense.
 
please cite your evidence the iPhone "causes eyestrain for prolonged use". I experience none. sounds like your eyes are going.

Personal experience. Need to do lots of zooming to make it comfortable for reading. But then again I can't zoom in while gaming on tiny iPhone now, can I? That's tiring my eyes quickly. You and your kind who love tiny phones can suck it and hang onto your 5S forever. But many people here want a larger iPhone. That's inevitable progress.

Plus he could make the text bigger.

Plus I need to do lots and lots of scrolling as a consequence? Big text on a small screen = less information on display. Simple concept, bro :rolleyes:

Note 3, GS4 along with all large phones many times trailing iPhone sales, and even in a few occasions outrank it. That's a proof by itself that lots of people is fine with giant phones. I don't ask for a 6" display here, something in 4.5" would be a sweet spot and reasonably comfortable enough to use.
 
Last edited:
I've had the pleasure of using the Note 3 for a week... that thing felt like I was wearing protective gear like I do with hockey equipment. That's a type of phone where you get it the hell out of your pocket as soon as you sit down. But if you're sitting down, you have to stand back up to get it out of your pocket because there's not enough space.

Sweet phone, though. Same dealio with the S4, albeit not as bad.

And I wear straight cut jeans... not skinny or close cut... but regular jeans.

I guess if you dress like a gangsta kid, it'd work.

I think the sweet spot would be 4.5". iPhone could get a bit wider, IMO.

The pocket argument is just such a dumb, lame, fanboy silliness. Apparently it only affects you because everytime I'm at an event these days it seems like 80% of the people there have the big phones. Now I will say Nokia's latest 6 inch windows phone just goes too far! :)

----------

None of the products you quote have had spectacular sales world wide. In fact it isn't even a healthy market. Admittedly there has been some success in Asia as the latest and greatest tech, but even that trend cooled very very fast.


I'm it assuming anything, look at the sales figures relative to Apple or the same manufactures line up. Once a product becomes troublesome to carry around people loose interest.

Think about it, the cell phone industry started out with devices the size of a brick. The industry continued to shrink the cell phone for many years until cell phones got so small that usability suffered. In the end a device that had to fit in ones pocket has certain physical realities it has to live within. Thus the comment about hand bag sized cell phones.

Really? Try going out in public sometime, these days all I see are people with Galaxies. Drives me nuts when I'm at a concert trying to take photos and half the people in front have these giant phones blocking my view.
 
Another year, another set of rumors about a larger iPhone. And they will likely end up being another disappointment. If, by some miracle, they do make a larger iPhone, say a 4.5" model similar to the Nexus 4, I'll definitely return to the iPhone as my phone of choice. A bigger screen is the only reason why I switched to Android. I have big hands, I need a bigger phone. The GS4 is a tiny bit too big, the N4 was the perfect size.
 
Save all the rumors. Foxconn will begin to push out pics of the assembly as it nears. As always, we'll know every inner piece before it hits the streets.
 
Why you poor chap? Do you have bad eyesight? Or Giant pockets?

Large phones are for girls with handbags or men with Size 'issues'

People that use larger screens realize that competitors have now surpassed Apple in terms of quality.

These people are smart and Apple realizes this.

HTC One and Galaxy Note 3 look amazing.
 
Another year, another set of rumors about a larger iPhone. And they will likely end up being another disappointment. If, by some miracle, they do make a larger iPhone, say a 4.5" model similar to the Nexus 4, I'll definitely return to the iPhone as my phone of choice. A bigger screen is the only reason why I switched to Android. I have big hands, I need a bigger phone. The GS4 is a tiny bit too big, the N4 was the perfect size.

Agreed, N4 is almost perfect.
 
Likewise, assuming the S4 is selling well as a result of the large screen is equally fallible. I know you are not making this argument, just wanted to make sure the other side of the coin was represented.

It's a good point, so fair enough.

They sell because they are arguably the best Android phone on the market - although an argument could be made that screen size is a differentiator among flagship Android handsets. Screen size is much less a differentiator between the iPhone and the various flagship Android phones. The platform is the differentiator. Note phones do have a niche market relative to the S4 and iPhone.

I'd say that, up to a certain point, most people take brand names and features into account long before screen sizes. Anything between 4" to, say, 5.5" isn't so much of a difference that it becomes a make or break point when considered against the rest for most people. There are a few who might prefer a Galaxy S4 to an iPhone 5S because of the larger screen, or vice versa, but in this situation, it's more of one feature being considered among many, rather than the raison d'être.

It's when you start getting into the phablets that screen size starts becoming either a major selling point or a complete turn off.

Anyway, I'd reply to the rest, but I'm kinda short for time here.
 
There will never be a Verizon CDMA iPhone.
There will never be a 7 inch (or what turned out to be 7.9 inch) iPad.
There will never be an iPhone with a screen larger then 3.5 inches.
There will never be...

I'm not sure what Apple will release next year, but a larger iPhone and iPad would not surprise me. I don't know how many times some people have stated "Apple will never..." and then Apple does just that.
 
Sorry, both will not happen until late September 2014, after iOS 8.0 comes out, in my humble opinion.

Until Apple changes iOS to be a true resolution-independent mobile OS, you can forget about larger-screen iPads and iPhones.
 
Might of posting here already so if have done the same post and you read the same thing eariler; then I apologize. Here goes:

"Cannot wait to bring in my 24" iPad Super Dopper Air to used inside a Starbucks! LOL!"

Hope you find that amusing!
 
A Retina iPad Pro with a Surface type keyboard.

I can see the potential as a device that slips under the $1299 Retina Macbook Pro.

The Macbook Air is $1099 and by adding Retina it would for sure be as costly as the Pro.

However there would need to be a price disparity. A pretty good one.

Say $799, $899 and $999 for 16, 32 and 64GB. Keyboard bundled in.
 
Large ipad utilizing same slim form factor as ipad air, but running osx replacing MacBook Air. Giving user full desktop experience on the sofa, with additional magnetic attachable keyboard and Bluetooth mouse for those situations where desktop form factor is needed. There is also no need to have a touchpad on the keyboard as the screen itself will already function as it is.

If this happens, it will significantly improve the user experience and just destroys the competition....

Apple please make it so instead of just a larger ipad running iOS.
 
Didn't the iPhone 4 come out in July? I really hope this is true; I dumped my iPhone 5 for a Nexus 5 and at this point I can't wait for a new iPhone so I can go back to iOS.

I still like my iPhone 5S, but it's simply not as useful for my workflow as my Nexus 5.

Three of it's best features are the 5" display. Fast, accurate and fun SWYPE keyboard, and highly useful Android 4.4.2. Combined with great ergonomics and Gorilla Glass 3, it's my favorite by far. It has everything I want and nothing I don't.

Choices are great, there's no perfect phone for everyone.

----------

The pocket argument is just such a dumb, lame, fanboy silliness. Try going out in public sometime, these days all I see are people with Galaxies. Drives me nuts when I'm at a concert trying to take photos and half the people in front have these giant phones blocking my view.

Many people value functionality over a thin tiny iPhone, in my area, a university town, Galaxies, and other Androids dominate the landscape of smartphone users. iPhone's are used by kids and seniors.
 
It is absolutely amazing that anyone would want a limited iOS toy instead of a full Mac computer.

I have both, and is it so hard to accept the fact that there are tons of people around the world using their iPads for very meaningful and productive work. I am one such person using my iPad for tasks which can't be readily replicated on my Mac (or any other computer).

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. There are some tasks I do better on a Mac, just as there are tasks better suited to a tablet.

If people like you had their way, the first iPad would probably have launched with OSX, the original iphone would likely still have a keyboard and MacBooks might still sport VGA ports.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.