Do you think Apple is 'arrogant' enough to release a 3.5" new iPhone this year?

[xraydoc]

There have been more than a few polls in this forum with the majority wanting a larger screen. I would not mind them maximizing the real estate on the current iPhone as they could amd the screen bigger. Apple WILL loose some customers if they do not.

And they likely will lose some customers as well by going to significantly larger screen, too.

Can't have it both ways.

Unless perhaps they go for something like 3.75". It could be done without making the phone any bigger (or perhaps only a mm or two) but without being too overly large for a single average sized hand to reach all 4 corners of the screen.

Personally, I'd prefer >3.5" but <4".

 

[FigmentNewtonII]

I love the 3.5" display on my iPhone. It's a beautiful screen and everything fits well in it. Never do I find myself thinking "Gee I sure would like a larger screen on my iPhone." Instead I'm stuck trying to comprehend an iPhone with a 4" screen. Sure 4"-4.5" displays are a main selling point to the other smartphones, but that just blows right over my head. In personal preference I would rather see Apple keep the 3.5" screen. Although I'll be having a large aneurism when I see all the crap people give Apple for not giving it at least a 4" screen.

 

[McGiord]

Yes there is a need for a bigger screen. Else there wouldn't be tablets such as the iPad.

Following your thought process, Yes there is a need for even bigger screens, for that you got a 17" MacBook Pro.

 

[tanboom]

Following your thought process, Yes there is a need for even bigger screens, for that you got a 17" MacBook Pro.

You forgot iMac?

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I think, iPhone 5 will have BTO screen size

 

[McGiord]

You forgot iMac?

Actually, as the iMac is not as portable as they use to be, I excluded them from the discussion.
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Well, well:
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/09/supplier-chatter-pointing-to-redesigned-iphone-with-4-inch-display-sleek-look/

 

[LaWally]

Do I think any MRs member will be arrogant enough to ask if anyone thinks Apple will be arrogant enough to release a new 3.5" iPhone this year just because they want a 4" iPhone?

Yes.

 

[TheLegend]

Almost all polls on this forum indicate people want a larger phone. A majority of the people and friends that I've spoken to want a larger screen. I know it is all anecdotal, but that doesn't make it not true. It is also true that once people switch to larger screens, they can never go back even of it means putting up with Android and its less than stellar user experience.

Using an extensive vocabulary doesn't improve your argument whatsoever.

 

[macbook pro i5]

Hmmm when did apple release a 4" phone?

FYI that was an example by him.....

 

[cynics]

Using a high school vocabulary doesn't improve your argument whatsoever.

Fixed!!

 

[SR45]

Of all the Apple customers out there (In the Millions), Apple will not care about the Very small Fanboys/Fanatics crying about a phone size like the Androids have, when it comes time to introduce a new phone. It will do what it has always done, and build a phone for the masses, which are mostly the normal everyday guys/gals. So those Fanboys/Fanatics, that want a phone that is 4.3 inches or bigger....Start crying now. You are not going to get what you fantasize. You are in the minute minority

 

[tanboom]

Of all the Apple customers out there (In the Millions), Apple will not care about the Very small Fanboys/Fanatics crying about a phone size like the Androids have, when it comes time to introduce a new phone. It will do what it has always done, and build a phone for the masses, which are mostly the normal everyday guys/gals. So those Fanboys/Fanatics, that want a phone that is 4.3 inches or bigger....Start crying now. You are not going to get what you fantasize. You are in the minute minority

I can see you are loosing floor

 

[saintforlife]

I have one question for people that justify the 3.5" screen by pointing to the iphone's sales numbers. How do you know Apple wouldn't have sold an even higher number of iPhones if it had a bigger screen? Android seems to be doing fine in sales where the majority of the phones are 4" or bigger. So there is definite evidence that people like and are willing to buy phones with bigger screens. Just because 3.5" was the perfect size in 2007 doesn't mean it still holds true 5 years later. A lot of changes have taken place since then and the smartphone business has evolved. It just makes sense to keep up with the latest trends and people's current preferences.

 

[Sedrick]

Do you think Apple is 'arrogant' enough to release a 3.5" new iPhone this year?

Yes, I do. When the 4 came out with the same size screen (and everyone else in the industry had moved on to 4"), I was very disappointed and held on to my 3GS. I would not give Apple my money for an iPhone 4 or a 4S. I bought a used iPhone 4, after my 3gs started giving up the ghost, but my money went to a dude on ebay, not Apple.

If Apple sticks with the outdated 3.5" screen this time around again, then I'll keep my iPhone 4 until it dies and move to another, more modern platform.

 

[mbell1975]

I have one question for people that justify the 3.5" screen by pointing to the iphone's sales numbers. How do you know Apple wouldn't have sold an even higher number of iPhones if it had a bigger screen? Android seems to be doing fine in sales where the majority of the phones are 4" or bigger.

that's because you don't have a choice with Android. How many premium Android phones are 4 inches or under? Like 2? there was a 10+ page thread on an Android forum just recently with a bunch of people asking where the 4 inch or smaller phones were and how a lot of them don't want 4.3 and larger phones.

 

[JAT]

These threads about specs always remind me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7TMlrDXtw

At some point, what most people want is a phone. If all you want is a screen, become a hardware engineer.

 

[DodgeV83]

Just because 3.5" was the perfect size in 2007 doesn't mean it still holds true 5 years later.

Assuming the size was based on how big people's hands are, and how easy it is to reach across the screen with your thumb, nothing has changed.

Unless you think our hands all got bigger over the last 5 years

 

[richpjr]

Arrogance has nothing to do with anything...

 

[Walter Bell]

Using an extensive vocabulary doesn't improve your argument whatsoever.

And what's so extensive about his vocabulary? There is only one word that people might not know.

Every time I see a little Asian girl using one of the larger android devices I am always reminded of how the macrumors community asserts that their itty bitty hands can't hold anything much larger than an iPhone. I can't help but think I will be sorely disappointed when the new iPhone drops due to the screen size. Reading on the galaxy note was far more pleasurable than reading on my iPhone. Maybe once the galaxy note officially gets ics I'll give it another try.

 

[Sedrick]

And what's so extensive about his vocabulary? There is only one word that people might not know.

Every time I see a little Asian girl using one of the larger android devices I am always reminded of how the macrumors community asserts that their itty bitty hands can't hold anything much larger than an iPhone. I can't help but think I will be sorely disappointed when the new iPhone drops due to the screen size. Reading on the galaxy note was far more pleasurable than reading on my iPhone. Maybe once the galaxy note officially gets ics I'll give it another try.

It's simply because the 3.5" phone is what Steve gave them. It goes no further than that.

 

[Stealthipad]

And they likely will lose some customers as well by going to significantly larger screen, too.

Can't have it both ways.

Unless perhaps they go for something like 3.75". It could be done without making the phone any bigger (or perhaps only a mm or two) but without being too overly large for a single average sized hand to reach all 4 corners of the screen.

Personally, I'd prefer >3.5" but <4".

Yep, Apple is kinda in a pickle and will piss people off either way.

Only way around it is to do a iPhone 5 in the normal size and a iPhone 5L slightly larger! 3.75 would be great!

 

[Wrathwitch]

Arrogant? Perhaps. Apple has never been one to do what people tell them to. They do what they feel is in the company's best interests.

I find it entertaining as hell people who are leaping and downgrading comments that agree with the OP. Why? Because others agree?

Personally I would like to see a sexy new product build with a min 4" screen. I wouldn't want much more than that as I have small hands but I think it would be an exciting and refreshing change of pace.

I also agree that the nay-sayers who scream I want the screen to stay the same, would likely jump on the newest 4" anyways and proclaim how wonderful it is. Such is the nature of fan base.

If the next iPhone looks like the current model, I don't plan on jumping ship, but I also don't plan on upgrading from my iP4.

I want to be excited about a new Apple release of the iPhone, and I don't think the same form factor would generate the same kind of excitement as a new and fresh one. There IS room for Apple to grow with design still.

If they don't. I suspect it will have to do with cost of retina-izing a screen, the issues with app designers whining about having to create different apps for the type of screen real estate that a new design will cause. It will likely all be about money then. Just my opinion though.

I think we are due for a new model, even if it is just removing the bezel and allowing the screen to dominate the whole front face.

 

[watchthisspace]

Apple can do whatever they please. If us, the consumer are not happy and enough of us do not buy the next iPhone and it actually hurts their profits, only then would Apple rethink.

 

[onthecouchagain]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/9/2937265/the-4-inch-iphone-5

 

[BaldiMac]

I have one question for people that justify the 3.5" screen by pointing to the iphone's sales numbers. How do you know Apple wouldn't have sold an even higher number of iPhones if it had a bigger screen?

The easy answer is that supply has been a more limiting factor in iPhone sales than demand.

The other answer is that we don't really know. But they are doing better than everyone else combined in the smartphone industry as far as profits go. So maybe it's a little arrogant to suggest that they would be doing even better if they just listened to you.

Believe it or not, there are actually negatives about increasing the size of the screen. There are trade offs involved.

Android seems to be doing fine in sales where the majority of the phones are 4" or bigger. So there is definite evidence that people like and are willing to buy phones with bigger screens.

Of course, some people prefer bigger screens. That's not really in debate.

(Do you have any statistics that show that the majority of Android phones sold are 4" or bigger? Do you have any controlled analysis that shows people prefer larger screened Android phones because of the larger screen and not just because all premium Android phones have a larger screen or marketing or whatever other reason? I don't think I've ever seen an LTE phone less than 4".)

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http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/9/2937265/the-4-inch-iphone-5

That's the best suggestion that I have seen to manage the tradeoffs of a larger screen.

 

[Netherscourge]

Considering that most people upgraded to a 4S just 6 months ago, and for most of them this was their FIRST smartphone, I don't see anyone hopping on the next iPhone unless it completely redefines the market.

Apple is going to have to blow people away to get them to upgrade from a 4S, or even a 4 at this point.



A bigger screen is not going to be enough - if they wanted a bigger screen, they'd just go buy an Android phone.