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Does the iPhone really need a new design?

A

andyp350

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2011
807
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Theres a lot of talk this time around that Apple have broken their usual cycle of a brand new design every two years.
This has got me thinking about what I would actually change and I have decided that the current iPhone design is near enough perfect as it is, I don't feel I need a new design anymore.
I don't want the phone any thinner or lighter.
I don't want smaller or no bezels. I know everyone on here seems to complain about the bezels but I actually prefer having them. It means I can comfortably use my iPhone in landscape when viewing photos and watching videos etc without my fingers covering portions of the screen.
The only thing I would maybe change is the protruding camera, I can't say it bothers me that much but it's not ideal.
I would be happy with the same design but with new features added each year, like we got this year.
 
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Yes! The same design gets tiring, at least for me. Am I buying the iPhone 7? Yes, but I would've loved a new design to feel like I really have a new phone.
 
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Need? No. It doesn't change anything I'll do. It doesn't change how much I like the phone. It's frivolous.

Alternatively, I understand people are frivolous so from a business perspective it's a good idea.
 
I know it's not a popular opinion, but I'm with you.

Although the same design does get a little bit boring after awhile, this is their best design they've ever had so I'm ok with it.
 
If the current iPhone design looked better, I wouldn't mind. After all, I did buy an iPhone SE after owning an iPhone 5s since 2013.

I just think the iPhone 6/6s/7 look ugly. Jet black does an awesome job at hiding the antenna lines and the shiny dark color is new so it looks a lot better, but I still prefer white phones.
 
I would prefer a new design. Even with a .2" larger display, the physical size of the Samsung Galaxy Note phones is actually slightly smaller than the iPhone plus models because space is being wasted on bezels. This next year they're gonna put the home button and fingerprint sensor in the screen and dramatically reduce the bezels (hopefully) and I can't wait!
 
Yes! always needs a new design or we'll all be using Samsung bloat phones I'd rather jump off a building.
 
I think it needs a new design. I am not a fan of how slippery the phone feels or the way it feels in hand. I personally think the 5/5S/SE are the best designed phones with the 4/4S being a close second.
 
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JayLenochiniMac said:
Many here think they're reserving a whole new design sans the home button for the 2017/10th anniversary iPhone. We have rumors pointing to this too.

They're essentially milking the current design until then. Fortunately, we finally got a version that isn't an eyesore with the distracting antenna bands.
Click to expand...


At first glance this may be what you'd think. But as a whole mostly everything on the phone is new. If you break it down part by part it's pretty much all new. Same form factor but totally new. Pretty innovative.
 
Yes, they need a new design if they want to maintain their sales figures and consumer happiness. Android devices like the Samsung S7 Edge and Note 7 have a universally appraised design, and the vast majority of reviews agree that Samsung has a much better design now than Apple does. The large bezels on the iPhone, especially the Plus models, is just too much in 2016. Samsung has a larger display in a smaller footprint than Apple.
 
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andyp350 said:
Theres a lot of talk this time around that Apple have broken their usual cycle of a brand new design every two years.
This has got me thinking about what I would actually change and I have decided that the current iPhone design is near enough perfect as it is, I don't feel I need a new design anymore.
I don't want the phone any thinner or lighter.
I don't want smaller or no bezels. I know everyone on here seems to complain about the bezels but I actually prefer having them. It means I can comfortably use my iPhone in landscape when viewing photos and watching videos etc without my fingers covering portions of the screen.
The only thing I would maybe change is the protruding camera, I can't say it bothers me that much but it's not ideal.
I would be happy with the same design but with new features added each year, like we got this year.
Click to expand...
I hate when people keep saying they prefer their iPhone with larger bezels. If you like big bezels, you can add a case to a bezelless phone that can be as big as you want. You can attach monstrous handles to each side with wriststraps and gummy grips and whatever you need to help yourself hang on to it. But for the rest of us who have no trouble holding onto a phone without gripping half of the screen, we can't remove the bezels.

If Apple made a bezel-free phone then everybody wins. Apple could even manufacture a special case for special people who need special help holding on to things.

Or maybe Apple could make a setting where it makes an artificial bezel on your display. That way the whole device could be screen but if you only want a 2" window in the middle of your 6" device then you can have bezels as big as you want.

My biggest complaint with the plus is it's too large in my pocket. I love the big screen but I hate trucking around this big frame around the screen.
 
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Consumers don't really need to a new design. Doesn't change how you use it. They may WANT a design but they don't need it. But Apple does need to change it up to stay competitive. But who knows? Maybe this three-year cycle does happen and everyone else will follow suit. HTC mistakenly did it last year with the M9. You can only do much with a slab form factor.
 
I think it'll be a great upgrade for someone with a 5s (me). I don't mind that it looks like the 6s because I really like the design of the 6s
 
andyp350 said:
I would be happy with the same design but with new features added each year, like we got this year.
Click to expand...
... but if a new design came out then would you complain or drool.

If we were to truly be rational about our smart phone purchase decisions then we wouldn't be spending this much money on a phone that does almost nothing different from the last model. In fact, the most logical purchase decision for an iphone today would be a clearance iPhone 6S/6S+. It has just about everything inside that the 7 has but can be acquired for 50-60% less due to inventory clearances and even cheaper in a consumer-favored used market.

To say we don't "need" a new design is true, but if a new design came out then most of us would have replayed the commercial 20 times rather than just 10.
 
I still love the current design, but less bezels will be welcomed next year. Same size but bigger screen hopefully. And thinner! But they need to find a solution for the battery... I also hope they'll keep the round edges
 
Yes. Apple can offer more screen real estate with a smaller overall device. Also, design and function go together. To move the platform forward, new designs will be needed. What's the right timeframe for a new design? That's up to Apple. They trained us every 2 years, for many years. Is 3 the new 2?
 
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It's always hard to redesign a proven, efficient form factor such as the iPhone or the MacBooks.

Do you redesign for the sake of it, or do you redesign when new technologies provide you with the ability to make intelligent changes.

I suspect the 'big redesign' next year would be the elimination of the physical home button (because the screen+haptic allows it) and less bezel because the camera may not need the extra space.

Overall, it still appears to be much the same form factor as we have now. Doesn't it?
 
The only reason I upgraded to the iPhone 7+ was because simply my iPhone 6 Plus is dated. No 3D Touch specifically even though that's a bit gimmicky so now this was the perfect opportunity. I hate waiting a whole year for new products but next year I feel like it will jus tbe the 7s.
 
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