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cnev3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 13, 2012
462
56
Why Apple decided to go to curved edges on the iPhone is beyond me.

Flat edges mean better grip. Better grip means a case is not a necessity. No case means you can more appreciate the aesthetics of the device.

Flat edges mean there’s more useable surface area for engineers to work with. It may seam miniscule, but there’s no such thing as miniscule when it comes to space in a smartphone.

Most importantly, the flat edges made the iPhone more distinct looking. They stood out from other phones.

Am I alone on this one?
 

JoeyD74

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2014
396
214
Why Apple decided to go to curved edges on the iPhone is beyond me.

Flat edges mean better grip. Better grip means a case is not a necessity. No case means you can more appreciate the aesthetics of the device.

Flat edges mean there’s more useable surface area for engineers to work with. It may seam miniscule, but there’s no such thing as miniscule when it comes to space in a smartphone.

Most importantly, the flat edges made the iPhone more distinct looking. They stood out from other phones.

Am I alone on this one?

Get out the grinder and make it happen.
Are you thinking iphone5 style? I did like that one better
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,518
28,223
I have an iPhone 5, 4s and 4. My primary driver is the iPhone 6s+. While I appreciate the design of the iPhone SE (and therefore my iPhone 5) the reality for me is that I have dropped my iPhone 6s+ far less than my iPhone 5.

And my 6s+ has never been inside a case. For over three years now.
 
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Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,572
8,912
the reality for me is that I have dropped my iPhone 6s+ far less than my iPhone 5.
And my 6s+ has never been inside a case. For over three years now.

I had the exact opposite happen to me.

I used the original, 4s, and 5s, and then decided to get the much larger 6s Plus. I hated the rounded edges, as the phone would pop out of my hands all the time.

I used 6s Plus for about 2 years, cracked it twice from dropping, and after a second AC+ replacement, I sold the replacement to a friend that was looking for a cheap iPhone.

I switched to the squared edged SE, and I have been very happy since.
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,518
28,223
I had the exact opposite happen to me.

I used the original, 4s, and 5s, and then decided to get the much larger 6s Plus. I hated the rounded edges, as the phone would pop out of my hands all the time.

I used 6s Plus for about 2 years, cracked it twice from dropping, and after a second AC+ replacement, I sold it to a friend that was looking for a cheap iPhone.

I switched to the squared edged SE, and I have been very happy since.
Don't get me wrong. I'm no devoted fan of my 6s+ and as I've said I'd prefer the shape of the SE in the plus size.

But for some reason I seem to be able to hold onto the 6s+ better. Why that is and why perhaps it's specific to me and maybe a few other people, I don't know.

Perhaps it's because it's larger than my 5.
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,585
3,236
I have an iPhone 5, 4s and 4. My primary driver is the iPhone 6s+. While I appreciate the design of the iPhone SE (and therefore my iPhone 5) the reality for me is that I have dropped my iPhone 6s+ far less than my iPhone 5.

And my 6s+ has never been inside a case. For over three years now.
Its because its overall bigger not really really the shape.
Did you have an X?
I had all plus size phones and went to an X its much more slippery then my max model I went back to. I think its just because its more substantial not really because of the style cause its the same as the X.
I think a larger plus size phone in a square shape will make it much better for grip and would look a ton better imo.
 

jdsmitty10

macrumors 6502
Sep 9, 2016
292
133
Although I did like my 5 and squared off chamfered edges. I don’t think it was as comfortable to hold as rounded edged phones. The matte finish is what makes them slick and difficult to hold in my opinion. I am currently caseless with my XS cause it has a gloss finish and my hands actually stick to it unlike the matte finish. I prefer the rounded edges but glossy finish for going caseless and enjoying the actual feel of the phone without a case.
 
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eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,518
28,223
Did you have an X?
No. In February 2015 I got a 6+ because after suffering on Sprint for so long I was determined to get my pound of flesh by leveraging any offers they had for me.

In September 2015 we left Sprint and I needed a new phone. Rather than paying for another 6+, I chose to get a 6s+.

That's the phone I have right now. But not because I really wanted it.

No iPhone since the iPhone 5, with the exception of the iPhone SE, has held any interest for me. I have always hated the antenna lines and camera bulge of the 6 series and it just got worse (camera bulge) with the 7/7+ and up.
 

Falhófnir

macrumors 603
Aug 19, 2017
6,146
7,000
Don't get me wrong. I'm no devoted fan of my 6s+ and as I've said I'd prefer the shape of the SE in the plus size.

But for some reason I seem to be able to hold onto the 6s+ better. Why that is and why perhaps it's specific to me and maybe a few other people, I don't know.

Perhaps it's because it's larger than my 5.
Fwiw, I've never felt comfortable going careless with a plus due to how thin the edges are for quite a big device - I find it makes it awkward to hold securely. I feel like a more squared off design would offer better grip?
 

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,254
Jacksonville, Florida
Why Apple decided to go to curved edges on the iPhone is beyond me.

Flat edges mean better grip. Better grip means a case is not a necessity. No case means you can more appreciate the aesthetics of the device.

Flat edges mean there’s more useable surface area for engineers to work with. It may seam miniscule, but there’s no such thing as miniscule when it comes to space in a smartphone.

Most importantly, the flat edges made the iPhone more distinct looking. They stood out from other phones.

Am I alone on this one?

How do flat edges give engineers more surface area to work with. Rounded edges have more surface than flat edges
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,585
3,236
No. In February 2015 I got a 6+ because after suffering on Sprint for so long I was determined to get my pound of flesh by leveraging any offers they had for me.

In September 2015 we left Sprint and I needed a new phone. Rather than paying for another 6+, I chose to get a 6s+.

That's the phone I have right now. But not because I really wanted it.

No iPhone since the iPhone 5, with the exception of the iPhone SE, has held any interest for me. I have always hated the antenna lines and camera bulge of the 6 series and it just got worse (camera bulge) with the 7/7+ and up.
But the lines got better the 7’s matte black looked super good besides the camera bulge
 

kasakka

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2008
2,367
1,060
I can still remember how my iPhone 4 edges were are bit too sharp and the phone felt much more comfortable with a bumper on. Even the best version of the iPhone 4 design, the Oneplus X rounded the edges a bit to make it more comfortable.
 

Ebok

Suspended
Aug 22, 2018
457
672
Imo, the iPhone 4 was perfect. It was just the right thickness and squared edges.

I never used a case before the 6 series, since then I had to cause of how slippery the devices are.
 

robertosh

macrumors 65816
Mar 2, 2011
1,129
955
Switzerland
Curved edges helps to one hand operation but given the fact that the current devices are so huge I don’t see the benefit. And also the edge design looks outdated (4+ years)

Anyways, it seems that the new iPad will have flat edges so I guess that it could be inherited by the 2019 phones.

I’m still dreaming with a 4,7 size phone with flat edges and full screen
 

cnev3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 13, 2012
462
56
How do flat edges give engineers more surface area to work with. Rounded edges have more surface than flat edges

Because components and chipsets don’t have rounded edges. They’re square and rectangular. Think of it like fitting books into a basket versus fitting books in a box that has the same width.
 
Last edited:

The.Glorious.Son

macrumors 68000
Sep 28, 2015
1,719
3,642
Chicago, IL
I’m in the camp that used glass screen protectors. I realize not everyone feels the need, and personally I don’t like using one but it helps my resale value each year. Anyway, it is the curved edges of the screen that cause me issues with screen protectors. Even though they are cut short so as to supposedly avoid this, they still tend not to seal to the glass around the edges. Makes the protector that much more noticeable and an overall cheap look.
 
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x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,585
3,236
Because components and chipsets don’t have rounded edges. They’re square and rectangular. Think of it like fitting books into a basket versus fitting books in a box that has the same width.
true. Id imagine they can make the phone overall smaller with squared off edges like before. It would save all that room for the curved edge for more inside the phone.
 
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Venderious

macrumors regular
Dec 15, 2014
199
155
Groningen
The iPhone 5s design, upscaled to a larger display in addition to the no bezzles would be absolutely stunning. I have no clue why Apple hasn't done this already.
 
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haruhiko

macrumors 604
Sep 29, 2009
6,656
6,088
Sharp edges on a big phone will hurt your fingers when you're holding it. For X/XS/XS Max, the non-white versions have stainless steel bands with colour coating on it which significantly increased the grip.
 
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