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Do you think Apple is 'arrogant' enough to release a 3.5" new iPhone this year?
- Thread starter saintforlife
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I agree, for me the 4S is a very small upgrade compared to the iPhone 4. I was even offered an iPhone 4S 16 GB (but I would have to return my iPhone 4 32 GB). I refused. I prefer the 32 GB model (although it wouldn't be a problem to me if I had to downgrade to the 16 GB model). I was allowed to use the iPhone 4S for a few days and sure it's slightly faster, but I didn't find it significantly better. There was not enough for me to give up 32 GB of space.
If, however, the situation was like this: let's say I owned an iPhone 3GS 32 GB and was offered an iPhone 4 16 GB I would definitely have said yes. That was a huge upgrade.
And Apple has to do something similar like that again this year - well, at least to convince me to get a new iPhone instead of getting an Android phone.
And I know I'll probably get downvoted for saying I'd probably try an Android phone, but the fact is that nowadays the biggest difference between Android smartphones and iPhones, is the software. iOS vs Android. iCloud vs another alternative (like Dropbox).
I'm willing to try an Android phone because the big apps everybody uses nowadays are usually available in both platforms, they are cheaper and I'm simply willing to give Android a shot (everybody should try something new once in a while). If it turns out that I hate Android smartphones, I'll happily come back to the iPhone side.
So, it really all depends on what Apple is planning to introduce this year, not only with the new iPhone hardware but also with iOS 6.
LOL that's what everyone said about the 4s too. It needs to have a bigger screen or no one will buy it. It needs to have LTE or no one will buy it. It needs to have this and this and that or no one will buy it. What happened? It didnt have any of that and still became the best selling iPhone ever.
Didn't Tim Cook himself say at the "Let's Talk iPhone" event that the 4S will most likely be many people's first smartphone/10MP camera/1080p video recorder?
I'm not sure how to calculate the numbers for that claim, but I think it's very accurate.
Most people who bought a iPod Touch 4 the previous November wanted the phone version of it, and held out for the iPhone 4S - not only for the "phone" but for the much improved cameras.
I know I did!
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Many people != most people.
And it's not that I don't find that claim encouraging. I was just wondering if there were any studies out there to back it up.
I don't think the argument was that the next iPhone (pre-4S keynote) had to have a bigger screen in order to sell well. I think most of us (myself included) just felt it was time for Apple to bump up the screen size to 4". I'm assuming they will this fall.
I think not providing LTE this fall however would be a huge mistake. A lot of the latest phones are LTE equipped (Lumia 900, the new HTC's) and the Galaxy SIII I'm sure will be too. Even with a 4" display and possible unibody structure, the lack of LTE would be a huge misstep IMO.
I somewhat agree, but a bigger screen (let's say 4") will come with a redesign, so I'm sold then. They would not make the same square/brick design larger, it would be terrible to hold or pocket.
I like iOS just fine, just give me a 4 inch screen and something comfortable to hold.
I'm not sure why that makes them arrogant... I'd consider it more a "safe" choice since every iPhone since the first has had a 3.5" screen.
I think people will buy it no matter what but after having used
the 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S I really do feel it's time for a little larger
screen. Just got a free Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft and it
is much nicer having a little bigger screen. iOS has a big advantage
with the OS and having a little larger screen would really help retain
users as the competition grows. BTW I did an informal poll around
the office with 5 people who have iPhones and all said they would
like a slightly larger screen. Unscientific of course but it seems to
be the consensus from everyone I talk too.
the 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S I really do feel it's time for a little larger
screen. Just got a free Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft and it
is much nicer having a little bigger screen. iOS has a big advantage
with the OS and having a little larger screen would really help retain
users as the competition grows. BTW I did an informal poll around
the office with 5 people who have iPhones and all said they would
like a slightly larger screen. Unscientific of course but it seems to
be the consensus from everyone I talk too.
First of all, forget about dreaming 5"ish screen in next iPhone - not only because they are against such a big screen but also for the fact that iPad Mini (7.85") might come this year- so making iPhone 5" is not a good business move. Secondly, retaining the same size iPhone with 5" screen is impossible even Apple manage to go for bezel less. What is feasible IMO is that they keep the same phone size with slight increase, may be 4", in screen size.
So to help you take decision now, you have to stick with what you are happy with unless you compromise with either screen or phone size.
Every poll on this forum shows that people prefer a bigger screen by a huge margin so the few who want the same 3.5" screen are in the minority and I guarantee those who want the same size screen will be among the first to buy the new iPhone if it comes with a bigger screen. A 4 inch iphone would be perfect since you can keep the phone the same size. There is a lot of wasted space on the iphone. Apple should listen to their customers and make the screen bigger. The majority of the people I know want a bigger screen as well as the majority of the forum users as shown in every single poll. High sales doesn't mean people are totally happy with the iPhone. I bought the iPhone 4s but would definitely appreciate a bigger screen as well as the majority of people.*I think the iPhone 5 with the bigger screen that the case makers thought was going to be released when the 4s came out is the next iPhone. They just got the timing wrong. They wouldn't invest all this money in making cases unless they knew something.
It helps if you read a little bit of the thread, so you don't repeat the same arguments over and over again.
Your point about polls was addressed in the second post. Self-selecting polls such as the ones you reference in these forums don't speak to anything but the opinion of those that responded.
The argument that "people want it, so Apple should do it" is just an oversimplification without looking at the trade offs involved as well as the potential benefits to Apple of making the switch.
honestly if the new iphone 5 is a 3.5in i think i am gonna make the jump to android or WP7. WP7 looks very promising if only Microsoft would allow support for higher resolution, current hardware is lacking. Galaxy Nexus is already very tempting, the only reason i am able to hold back is the new iPhone and if it is not a complete revamp(with a 4in screen) i think i am gonna get a non apple phone. I already have an iPod touch anyway so it wont hurt much.
First of all, forget about dreaming 5"ish screen in next iPhone - not only because they are against such a big screen but also for the fact that iPad Mini (7.85") might come this year- so making iPhone 5" is not a good business move. Secondly, retaining the same size iPhone with 5" screen is impossible even Apple manage to go for bezel less. What is feasible IMO is that they keep the same phone size with slight increase, may be 4", in screen size.
So to help you take decision now, you have to stick with what you are happy with unless you compromise with either screen or phone size.
So maybe 6inch screen with the same size phone then?
Your point would be valid if it was just one poll but there are numerous polls and in every single one of them people wanted a bigger screen. How come in not even one of these polls the "opinions of those who responded" wanted the same size screen?!!. No matter how you look at it, the polls show what the majority want. I didn't say what everybody wants just the majority. You are in the minority. Of course if people want it Apple should do it. Its a business after all and history has shown that companies that dont listen to their customers eventually will pay for it. If you like the 3.5 inch screen so much just keep your 4s when the new one with the 4 inch screen comes out.*
First, these polls are likely being answered by a lot of the same people (I know I have answered separate polls that ask similar questions). Second, this is an enthusiast forum. What percentage of iPhone users throughout the world do you think come here? I'd say we are lucky if that number was 1%. But hell, let's make it 10% just for fun. Just based on the number of iPhone 4S that have been sold thus far, we know it isn't that high, but let's roll with it. So the majority of this 10% wants a bigger screen. Cool. That still leaves the other 90% that has not been polled, and is likely going to have different needs because they are not the power users that come here.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying people don't want a bigger screen. It's just that the evidence that people are using really is biased. A poll generated on this site is never going to give us a large enough sample size for what the average iOS user wants. It's like polling a single state and forming a federal law based on what this state decided, while making the claim that "Americans want so and such". Well no, we don't know that. We know the people of the state want so and such, but that doesn't encompass all Americans. Hope that makes sense.
First, these polls are likely being answered by a lot of the same people (I know I have answered separate polls that ask similar questions). Second, this is an enthusiast forum. What percentage of iPhone users throughout the world do you think come here? I'd say we are lucky if that number was 1%. But hell, let's make it 10% just for fun. Just based on the number of iPhone 4S that have been sold thus far, we know it isn't that high, but let's roll with it. So the majority of this 10% wants a bigger screen. Cool. That still leaves the other 90% that has not been polled, and is likely going to have different needs because they are not the power users that come here.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying people don't want a bigger screen. It's just that the evidence that people are using really is biased. A poll generated on this site is never going to give us a large enough sample size for what the average iOS user wants. It's like polling a single state and forming a federal law based on what this state decided, while making the claim that "Americans want so and such". Well no, we don't know that. We know the people of the state want so and such, but that doesn't encompass all Americans. Hope that makes sense.
I don't have statistics... but by far a much greater proportion of the non-enthusiasts I know want a larger screen device than my enthusiast friends. You have no idea how many of my iPhone friends were looking at phones like the Evo 4G and the Droid X saying stuff like "omg, look at that screen, it looks freaking awesome. I wish I had that" - I tried explaining to them that the iPhone screen is superior in terms of resolution and color accuracy and how Android (especially back then) was nowhere near as nice to use as iOS; none of them gave a crap.
Off the top of my head?
- Manufacturing changes
- Development platform fragmentation
- Consumer resistance to change
- Increased costs
- Accessory compatibility
100 self-selecting polls are not any more applicable to a larger population than one such poll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-selection_bias
You have no idea what I want (or "the majority"), as I haven't actually said. Mostly because screen size isn't that important to me. 3.5" or 4" just isn't an important difference to me. As long as Apple handles the tradeoffs well, I'm fine either way.
"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."
History has shown a lot of things... including a lot of examples of success that involved not listening to uninformed customers who don't understand the larger issues involved or the possibilities of technology.
Keep fighting those strawmen.