Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Rumored to Debut 4.8-Inch 'iPhone Math' in June
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
There is a sweet spot for hand held device size, and each product is moving towards it in response to demand. I'm sure apple is trying to delay the eventual "iPad mini with phone capabilities" as long as possible though, since then people will only be buying one thing from them instead of two.
I always wondered why new immigrants to Canada (especially from Asia) would pluralise math. I always considered it a grammar error on their part, but I never thought to look at the root of the word. Ha Ha... silly me.
It's ok, if they do go with this, you will say it is the most amazing thing ever and you will buy it... and then you will criticize the next rumor and then you will buy it once is a reality again... and repeat.
How many times has Apple criticize something to then adopt it or make it similar? A lot of times.
I have had 3 iphones but I was just looking at the S3 and other android phones this weekend. Literally the only reason was because I want a bigger screen. Its dumb for Apple to offer only 1 size if there is enough of a market that wants a bigger size. I would say that most people looking to buy a smart phone would prefer the larger phones to the smaller ones these days. A 4.8 inch screen is still perfectly usable and easy to fit in a pocket. Larger screens in not just a passing trend. There are huge advantages and only downsides for some people. I would move back to the 3.5 inch and the 4.8 inch screen sizes so you can just 4x the resolution. It wont be that expensive to make that screen. Especially when apple starts charging 250 for the larger version.
Where's the sales evidence Apple is losing to Android because of screen size? I just read an article about 15 reasons someone chose the Droid DNA over iPhone 5 and 90% of the reasons were because they preferred Android over iOS.
You know...
I remember when Steve Jobs walked out on stage and said "hey - we completely missed the boat by not putting CD writers in our computers." Apple then responded by putting writers in almost all machines, buying SoundJam MP, which would become iTunes within a year of purchase, launching the iPod a couple years later, etc.
So, it's not like Apple never makes a mistake. At their best, they own up to it and it leads to not only a correction of that mistake, but bigger and better things.
There's no doubt in almost anyone's mind that Apple missed the boat on this by a good 2 years (assuming they release a bigger phone this year.) Sometimes you have to put your ego on the shelf and embrace what you previously panned.
Can hold with one hand and can execute tasks with one hand are clearly not the same thing. And let's not forget pocketability. I always think people people who own a big ass phone as someone who either doesnt go out at night or who is a giant big ass, like their phones.
Of course they do. Steve Jobs himself taught Tim Cook about self-cannibilization :
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-steve-jobs-quotes-from-biography-2011-10?op=1
This is something Tim Cook holds on to himself :
http://bgr.com/2012/10/26/apple-ceo-tim-cook-comments-q4-2012-earnings/
So really, Steve would have totally done this. Same as he did with all the other "trends" he "followed". Video iPod (People don't want to watch video on a 2" screen), iBookStore and iBooks (People just don't read anymore), Multi-tasking and copy/paste on iOS. Apple is not always about trend setting and innovation, sometimes, they just offer the customer what he wants.
If in the end, they introduce a larger 4.8" iPhone and it eats some regular 4" iPhone sales but also brings new customers, then what have they lost exactly ? Apple has yet again grown their biggest growth sector and revenue generator, the iPhone.
Making stuff up. Just like the made up "facts" that Apple is losing to Android because of screen size. I'd love some hard numbers on the % of new or existing customers choosing Android or Windows over iPhone because of screen size. I'm sure there are some, but I'll bet a larger % chose Android/Windows because they prefer it over iOS or are people who would never be caught dead using an Apple product.
Sony and others have all announced FullHD devices at CES and probably more to come at MWC. 440-450 PPI and 1920x1080 is coming to phones, sizes between 4.5-5" this year.
Is Apple really going to keep shipping a 640p phone when last year was all about 720p phones and this year seems to be about 1080p phones ?
If Apple should release a bigger iPhone alongside the current 1136 x 640 326ppi one, I think it will be 4.9" with the exact same 1136 x 640 resolution.
Why?
Because the same strategy has worked already. Remember when iPad mini was introduced, they didn't change the number of pixels. They just made the screen smaller. This way developers don't have to worry about fragmentation too much. Apps that follow Apple's guideline work fine on both iPad mini and iPad 4th gen, which means that the guideline was made with some tolerance to size variation.
bigger iPhone <--> 4" iPhone
1136 x 640 ==== 1136 x 640
264ppi <----------> 326ppi
9.7" iPad <--------> iPad mini
2048 x 1536 === (2048 x 1536) /2
264 ppi <--------> 326/2 ppi
My guess: 4.9inch, 1136 x 640, 264ppi, same processor, same price as 4"
Why?
Because the same strategy has worked already. Remember when iPad mini was introduced, they didn't change the number of pixels. They just made the screen smaller. This way developers don't have to worry about fragmentation too much. Apps that follow Apple's guideline work fine on both iPad mini and iPad 4th gen, which means that the guideline was made with some tolerance to size variation.
bigger iPhone <--> 4" iPhone
1136 x 640 ==== 1136 x 640
264ppi <----------> 326ppi
9.7" iPad <--------> iPad mini
2048 x 1536 === (2048 x 1536) /2
264 ppi <--------> 326/2 ppi
My guess: 4.9inch, 1136 x 640, 264ppi, same processor, same price as 4"
Last edited:
Yet there's no denying that a larger iPhone would probably find quite a few takers, just like a smaller iPad did. More than the regular iPhone ? No one knows, until Apple tries.
And with the iPad/iPhone being 70% of Apple's revenues and one of their biggest growth segment, they need to either find new segments or find ways to keep that growth and revenue coming in.
Samsung's next huge hit (Galaxy SIV w/5" 1080p screen) WILL force Apple to respond eventually with a bigger screen iPhone too. And Apple needs it as bad as to have truly refreshed iOS 7 this year too or Android will start to be uncatchable on the near future.
I personally have my iPhone 4S on the drawer and have been using Samsung's Note 2 and really fell in love with the huge but perfectly pocketable still 5.5" form factor. There are lots of pluses and just a few minuses...
Common Apple, give people what they want!!
I personally have my iPhone 4S on the drawer and have been using Samsung's Note 2 and really fell in love with the huge but perfectly pocketable still 5.5" form factor. There are lots of pluses and just a few minuses...
Common Apple, give people what they want!!
True. The majority of people who chose Samsung over Apple was because
a) Carriers push Samsung devices like crazy
b) Price
c) They hate Apple because Iphone is too prevalent. ANd who doesnt like to be "unique".
Screen size doesnt mean jack.
There's great danger going that route. It gets confusing for consumers and can become be impossible to manage effectively.
There's a reason Apple's simple product line strategy has worked and been extremely success.
I see these giant phones in women's tiny hands and roll my eyes.