But.... But... 3.5 inch screen is the perfect size. Why do the blind loyalist now want a 4+ inch screen. The loyalist said a 4 inch screen couldn't be used with one hand. But on the iPhone it's possible. They said 4.3 inches was too big too, now they say 4.7 inch is the sweet spot. Why does the loyalist's goal posts keep moving?
People's needs evolve over time. It's why we still aren't using Nokia brick phones even though they used to be the best. More than ever people are using their phones like a computer. A larger screen makes sense, especially if the other size factors such as weight, thinness, and bezel can be reduced. It makes even more sense once you begin to introduce API-level features to assist in using a larger size screen. For example, a common argument against a larger screen iPhone was that the thumb couldn't reach with one handed use. iOS 7 helped remedy that problem with a new gesture for navigating forward and backward. Developers can easily implement these new gestures into their apps. Problem, meet solution. Done. And it will only get better over time as they introduce new software features for even larger devices.
They said a cheaper iPhone will kill Android, but somehow it didn't work out that way. They all laughed at the bigger screens, but now they follow Samsung who has made bigger screens and smaller bezels since the beginning.
Apple didn't release a cheaper iPhone. They have always sold the previous model for $100 less. This time they just packaged it up in a colorful way and gave it a modified name.
Samsung didn't make bigger screens from the beginning. It's a recent trend. They started with small screens, and the only way they got any market traction was when they decided to make a bigger phone. Do you know why they made those huge phones? Because they decided to put in LTE chips super early and needed a bigger battery. Not even that, but those first-gen Phablets could only run for a few hours before needing a charge. Giant batteries and battery-hogging LTE chips. Does everyone forget how that started? Seriously? Apple was the one making silky smooth animations in 2007 combined with amazing touch input from the beginning. Samsung has copied so much from Apple that it's amazing. Look at their dock cable that looked like the 30-pin, look at the charger cube that matches the Apple one, look at their stores (the layout, materials used, even stealing App Store icons), look at their Notebooks that rip off the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. They're only now starting to differentiate on look and feel of their phonesmarginally at best.
Don't be fooled, without Google Samsung's phones would be complete crap. Samsung doesn't actually do anything aside from making good components such as SSDs, displays and chip fabs. But even there they are replaceable as there are many alternatives. I wouldn't be surprised if they copy those techniques from smaller companies in Asia and they just happen to have to have the money to produce at a larger scale and get the better contract with reduced prices. Google is the innovation, especially in services, and more recently in some of their design. Apple is the innovation, especially in software and design, and the fully integrated device solution. Both these companies have been going back and forth swiping ideas and improving on each other. Apple wants to get better at services, Google at software and UI design. Google first borrowed from Blackberry, then freaked out when the iPhone was unveiled and changed direction. Apple started copying some Android features (though some of those could have been stolen from the iOS jailbreak community) and improving on them. But Samsung? I don't think they've ever had an original thought, especially when it comes to software or design.
Honestly I really miss the days when Apple and Google were friends. It was great having the best of both worldsApple's excellent design, UI and content offerings paired with built-in support for Google's services. Though back then it didn't support many of Google's services, if they had remained friends we could have seen much deeper integration over time. But then again we might not have seen much in the way of competition and therefore less progress.
I don't really know if Apple will ever get their act together with services. They certainly have the money to put a plan into action, but do they have the talent? I think that should be a main focus for them because that's where Google will leave Apple in the dust. I also think these larger iPhones are really going to eat into Samsung during 2015unless Android can save them with services that are compelling enough to leave Apple behind. Apple would be well suited to release a new iPhone during the summer and show the SDK this Spring like they used to so that they can stay in the lead. iOS 8 doesn't need a whole lot more outside of better services. 7.1 will bring the stability when it launches in the next month or so.