Hands-On with iPhone 6 Case and Physical Mockup

[cdmoore74]

I told some of my older coworkers that Apple is increasing the size of the next iPhone. I was very surprised that they were against the idea.
Apple better have a plan B and B does not stand for big.

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In 2007, 3.5" was considered huge.

Sounds right; I was only 8 years old back then.

 

[itpromike]

YES! Every 2 years we get an additional row of icon!

Why does it seem like these physical mockups are always only 4.7". I'm very interested in what the 5.5" version would look like, both in size and screen appearance (more icons??).

ps. with all this added screen size, it really is getting to be about time to do MORE with the homescreen than just a static grid of icons...

Pffft, you should know by now Apple doesn't believe in doing anything more with the homescreen. For them it's all about the apps. They just provide a platform that apps can run on and leave it up to the developers to come up with crazy workarounds and URL schemes for apps to do more in light of the crazy and needless roadblocks Apple puts in place.

You should also know by now that no matter how much Apple touts iOS as a productivity tool, they won't lift a finger to help people who try to be productive on iOS actually be productive. Want to view a list of all the documents you recently created so you can grab a few to show a client? Nope, no central place for that... you just have to open each app 1 by 1 and look at the docs that only that particular app has created. Want to create shortcuts on your home screen for documents that you are currently working with or a folder of shortcuts? Nope, not gonna happen. Want to install a keyboard with better spelling, grammar correction or swiping for faster input? Nope, not gonna happen. Want to run a web browser or a document on the same screen as a note taking app so you can take notes on what you're reading? Nope, not with iOS. But hey, we are all going to buy the new phone anyway so it doesn't matter I guess.

And that's probably the problem... peoples desire to do more (me included) isn't reflective on their sales and all they really care about is their bottom line or public ridicule. If sales slump because of these lack or features then they will step up because they want to make more profit... If blogs, reviews sites, news sites publicly ridicule them over and over for the lack of features then again they will step up to save face. It's proven time and time again like with cut, copy, and paste. They had a hard stance against it saying you didn't need it in the new age and finally the PR spun out of control about how it lacked in features so they changed. Anyhow again it doesn't matter because we will still buy it no matter what they do or don't do.

 

[MikeyMike01]

Looks awful. I'll stick with my 5S if Apple increases the size like this.

 

[dazed]

I want a 4 inch iPhone 6 screen we shouldn't be forced in order to get the next iPhone...to have a huge screen.

Why do assume you will be forced to get a larger screen? I'm sure they won't abandon the current size.

 

[mripadmini]

i would not mind the size. it will be a nice jump from the small 3.5 inch screen on my iPhone 4s.

 

[carjakester]

looks good to me!

 

[Glavin]

.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

If blogs, reviews sites, news sites publicly ridicule them over and over for the lack of features then again they will step up to save face. It's proven time and time again like with cut, copy, and paste. They had a hard stance against it saying you didn't need it in the new age and finally the PR spun out of control about how it lacked in features so they changed.

Can you provide sources for Apple saying you didn't need cut, copy, and paste, because it seems like you're just making things up.

 

[FelixDerKater]

What was that old slogan? "Wider is better."

 

[PieCake]

The real news is the iPhone 6 won't be made from sapphire, but 3D printed! Printolutionary!

3D printed chassis, 2D printed zero energy static image "iPaper" screen, refresh rate = "1fpps" (one frame per printed sheet). Expect manufacturing delays as "Makerbot" have suddenly found themselves inundated with HUGE unexpected demand for their cruddy machines.

This is a new take on "machined from a single piece of..." (in this case, garden strimmer wire).

 

[eternlgladiator]

Unfortunately, our mockup is a little too thick, due to a couple of issues related to difficulty of rounding the edges and some bumps from where the printed mockup was removed the support material.

But here are a couple of photos showing the mockup and the iPhone 5 in the case from the side.

Image

Image

Thank you!

 

[ChrisTX]

Image

Obviously not an accurate size depiction of the evolution of the iPhone. The first iPhone through the iPhone 4S had the exact same screen size.

 

[Evmanw]

I just realized, that my ATT contract won't be up in time to get the iPhone 6...

Scalable design will be pushed hard regardless, but this would mean they have to support up to 4 iPhone screen sizes in iOS 8, plus 2 screen sizes (with 4 resolutions, unless iPad 2 is dropped), with the iPads.

iPad 2 was already dropped when they re-introduced the iPad 4.

iPhone 6B - B for bezel.

I told some of my older coworkers that Apple is increasing the size of the next iPhone. I was very surprised that they were against the idea.
Apple better have a plan B and B does not stand for big.
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Sounds right; I was only 8 years old back then.

I guess if B does not stand for big, it can stand for bezel... Also, you got a Macrumors account when you were 11?

 

[iZac]

I saw this article on my phone when I was half asleep and obviously looked at the picture first.

Over ~1.5 seconds I assumed that they printed the 4.7 (black) and 5.5 (white) and my immediate, instinctive reaction was "the black one looks manageable, but the white one looks massive" I then realised I was an idiot and proceeded to read the article.

Still, my conclusion is; my body is not ready for this phone.

 

[acslater017]

I want a 4 inch iPhone 6 screen we shouldn't be forced in order to get the next iPhone...to have a huge screen.

Any one model will not please anyone. Past models have "forced" users with different tastes to live with smaller-than-average screens. Given the state of modern smartphone design, Apple is leaving money on the table (and leaving out tens of millions of potential customers) if they stuck with a 4-incher into the future.

4.5-5.0 inch screens are the norm for a flagship phone. People use them for web browsing, book reading, media consumption, and games. Older customers have a hard time seeing a 3.5 or 4-inch screen. People increasingly do more of their "computing" on their smartphones - especially folks who skipped the PC altogether.

At this point, the benefits of increasing the size far outweigh the costs. People thought the iPhone 5 looked weird too - then 2 weeks passed and old ones looked small.

 

[MrGuder]

I can tell you something for certain....if they keep going taller and not make it wider than I am keeping my iphone 5. I will not buy another iPhone that is not wider. As much as I love the size of my iphone 5, it's just not wide enough to use in landscape mode. It feels a bit out of proportion.

 

[acslater017]

Obviously not an accurate size depiction of the evolution of the iPhone. The first iPhone through the iPhone 4S had the exact same screen size.

What are you talking about? The photo compares every major redesign since 2008 - iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5. Nobody said there was a size change every year, and obviously there are 4 models missing from a complete lineup...

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If you look closely at those mockups you will see when we jumped in size from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5 screen size the bezel was reduced.

This time, on the mockups anyway, we have an increase in screen size but no bezel reduction. I really do think it's time for Apple to consider using the screen real estate a little better. Shave some space from the top and raise the speaker a little. Maybe even look at a smaller diameter on the home button.

If Apple can nearly eliminate the left and right bezels, a 4.7-inch display would fit on a surface area roughly the same size as the iPhone 5. It's really about less plastic and more display on the top and bottom.

If you can reach from the top third of your home button to the earpiece, you can operate a 4.7 inch display just fine!

 

[cdmoore74]

It's going to be war this fall.

LG Display’s 5.5-inch Quad HD LCD Panel for Smartphones

Receives Certification for Quad HD Quality Ahead of Mass Production

Seoul, Korea (May 8, 2014) – LG Display announced today that its 5.5-inch Quad HD (QHD) AH-IPS LCD panel for smartphones was certified as a QHD display after passing verified tests by NEMKO, the Norway-based international testing and certification organization for electrical products. The certification comes shortly before the new Quad HD LCD panel will be unveiled with the forthcoming LG’s flagship smartphone to be launched in the first half of the year.

The certified 5.5-inch QHD AH-IPS LCD panel has 2560 x 1440 pixels, four times the image resolution of HD panels and 1.8 times higher resolution than a Full HD panel. With 538 pixels per inch, this panel also meets the 100 percent RGB color reproduction standard.

This panel, which will go into mass production shortly, will offer superior performance to other existing smartphone panels. This is an ultra-slim panel with a mere 1.2 mm thickness and has a 1.15 mm bezel, which will be the narrowest available and 0.05 mm less than panels introduced last year.

In addition, the panel has achieved the same level of brightness as a Full HD panel. It is difficult to raise penetration ratio in higher resolution panels since they have more pixels. However, LG Display successfully achieved higher brightness by improving the penetration ratio through enhancing the pixel structure design and aperture ratio in the LTPS backplane.

The Quad HD display produces images in sharper color and contrast than regular displays because of the greater amount of pixels. This means that high resolution images and videos in the Blu-ray format can be viewed in a fully vivid and realistic manner. The display retains the readability of letters and images without distorting them when they are enlarged while surfing the internet or working on documents.

“This product fulfills the core qualities of smartphone displays, which are high resolution and slim design, and I believe the consumers can enjoy vivid images that are close to real life with this display,” said Byung-koo Kim, Vice President and Head of LG Display’s IT/Mobile Development Group. “LG Display will continue to maintain technology leadership in the super high-resolution smartphone display market above 500 ppi resolution, which will take off this year.”

According to DisplaySearch, the shipment of premium smartphone displays based on LTPS backplanes is expected to grow to 780 million units by this year and 940 million units by next year. These products are going to maintain sufficient competitive advantage in premium product categories where large size, high resolution and low power consumption are key factors.

 

[Fattytail]

That photo lineup depicts perfectly why a phablet would never replace my iPad mini. Even a 5.5 inch iphone, though it's not pictured, would have a much smaller screen than an iPad mini. Completely different experience.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Why do assume you will be forced to get a larger screen? I'm sure they won't abandon the current size.

I wouldn't be so sure about that…

a) there haven't been ANY rumors about an iPhone 6 sticking to the current size

b) There will likely be significant app development required to fit the larger screen. Keepig a same-size the same will only slow the rush for devs to update apps which will equal a poorer user experience. It will also allow devs to focus on one size, and get rid of multiple screen sizes faster.

c) Apple has always historically only released one screen size. It is a very Apple thing to say "This is the right size for everyone" (Yes I know there are also rumors of a 5.5" iPhone, but who knows if that will actually happen)

I mean sure you'll be able to buy a 5S for a couple more years at the current size, but that'll likely be it…

 

[DonJudgeMe]

First comes the case, then comes shell, then comes the internal components we know so well.

 

[FuNGi]

I think (and hope) they will keep the 5c and offer just ONE larger size iPhone 6. The 5c would be cheaper and smaller. I do not want to replace my 5 down the road with something larger to jam in my pocket. These skinny jeans can't take it!

 

[antoni7]

I think we will see an iPhone 5SC with minor tweaks for those wanting a 4 inch screen as well as the iPhone 5C. The 5S will be retired as they did with the 5. The 4.7 inch will be the iPhone 6. The 5.5 inch device will either be a large iPod or small iPad with a full cellular option. That is, it will actually be marketed as a small tablet with a phone option.

But an iPhone 5C with updated specs and the same size screen is just an iPhone 5S... so why would they bring out a brand new version of exactly the same phone they've been selling for the past year? If anything it would be called the 6C. Apple have said themselves that iPod sales are declining so it would not be marketed as a huge iPod. And why, oh why would they call something a "small iPad with a full cellular option"? What you have just described is an iPhone, no matter what size it is.

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I think (and hope) they will keep the 5c and offer just ONE larger size iPhone 6. The 5c would be cheaper and smaller. I do not want to replace my 5 down the road with something larger to jam in my pocket. These skinny jeans can't take it!

Try putting a Sony Xperia Z Ultra in jean pockets and then you'll truly know the woes of phablet device sizes. The iPhone 6 at 4.7" is really not that big when you compare it to something ridiculous like that.

 

[xFenixKnightx]

Bonus image:

Image

Let me know if you have questions!

Another friggin row of icons? C'mon Apple! At least give us a weather widget to stick up there at the top.

 

[Casiotone]

That photo lineup depicts perfectly why a phablet would never replace my iPad mini. Even a 5.5 inch iphone, though it's not pictured, would have a much smaller screen than an iPad mini. Completely different experience.

Indeed, a 5.5" screen is less than half the screen area of the iPad mini. I cringe every time I see people implying that a 5.5" screen phablet is "close" to the size of an iPad mini screen.

One can't simply subtract 5.5" from 7.9" and take the resulting 2.4" difference as being meaningful. Since the screens have different aspect ratios, diagonal measurements can't be compared directly. A 16:9 screen has longer diagonals than a 4:3 screen for a given area. This is why the MS Surface 10.1" screen is actually smaller in area than the 9.7" iPad screen.