iPhone 17 Display Sizes: What to Expect

[DavidDoyle]

Bigger phones = higher price = more profit.

It's the SUV analogy all over. Why are cars bigger now than they were 20 years ago? It's not because people have become materially bigger and need more space, it's because larger cars are more profitable. Trucks (a US phenomenom) have become bigger and bigger yet carry the same or less than smaller predecessors, at higher prices.

The arms race of larger and larger phones every few years is just tiresome. Who exactly is demanding an extra 0.1" of screen real estate every few years?

 

[Abstract]

We don’t know how many people bought the iPhone mini because Apple doesn’t release those numbers. Even it was only 10% then so what. That’s still a big number of actual phones sold.

Exactly.

The 13 Mini was actually one of the best selling phone models in the world. It was just low relative to other iPhone sales!

Looks like the Plus hasn’t sold well either. Again, this is when compared to sales of other iPhones (despite the large screen). Despite this, it’s still being acknowledged as one of the best sellers.

The way this sort of thing is reported by media is so different.

 

[0049190]

If those 10%, or at least a good part of them, will most likely just buy a different iPhone instead it's still not worth the effort, particularly now that the SE is no more.

Is everything just about the money for Tim Cook? What about customer satisfaction and giving people what they really want rather than what they have to settle for.

 

[0049190]

A modern measurement,..welcome to the 21st century.

Actually inches are an ancient measurement that nobody outside the US uses anymore.

 

[ChrisMac47]

I don't know why so many people don't understand Apple isn't going to make something very few people buy.

"so many people" ... "very few people". A disconnect here? A mini sold now would be a good seller, there is a market now for smaller phones.

 

[ChrisMac47]

Apple & all the other smart phone companies have convinced the general public that bigger screens = more immersive experiences when the reality is that they haven’t figured out how to make a small battery in that can reliably last a day of average use. Currently, smaller batteries = shorter capacity = disappointed customers = disappointing sales.

Until battery tech improves capacity in much smaller packages, we’ll keep being sold the idea that bigger screens are the way to go. Once they figure out how to make the smaller battery, watch Apple tote smaller phones as the latest and greatest.

Sorry, the battery tech is already available, it's just that Apple care only about their margins. Combined with better SW, we could easily have 1 week battery life in a mini format phone.

 

[ksec]

They hardly bought the iPhone mini, which was just 5.4” and even narrower than the old 4.7” iPhone 6/7/8. Too narrow in my opinion.

Maybe if they had opted for a more intermediate size such as 5.8” it would have sold better. Why not? A 5.8” and a 6.3” iPhone options, and sales would have been more balanced.

Now, with the regular iPhone 17 being as huge as 6.3”… they could perfectly release a smaller iPhone without being “mini”. And I repeat, a size around 5.8” is ideal, in my opinion.

Thinking of the same. a 5.76" ( 5.8" ) would have been perfect. Which is the same size as iPhone X.

But I guess they will need 6.3" to settle in for another 1 - 2 years. And silicon battery to be ready. So I guess 3-4 years before the Mini is coming back.

 

[tridley68]

Pretty decent size for the pro max but a little bit bigger would be nice 👍

 

[cocky jeremy]

I’ve heard the Vision Pro will be getting a successor model.

Because it's new and they're still trying to push it. Small phones were a thing since the first gen. People stopped buying them, so Apple stopped making them.

 

[Populus]

Thinking of the same. a 5.76" ( 5.8" ) would have been perfect.

But I guess they will need 6.3" to settle in for another 1 - 2 years. And silicon battery to be ready. So I guess 3-4 years before the Mini is coming back.

Nah, in all honesty, I don’t think the mini is coming back, sadly. They will keep the e series around with the 6.1” form factor as the “compact” option, which will eventually inherit the iPhone 15/16 form factor. But I don’t think we’ll see anything below 6.1” anymore. I would be happy even with just a 6” iPhone, but that’s highly unlikely.

 

[phonologic]

Sorry, the battery tech is already available, it's just that Apple care only about their margins. Combined with better SW, we could easily have 1 week battery life in a mini format phone.

What tech do you speak of and is this tech actually affordable enough to include in a phone without a significant markup? I understand that any company needs to turn a profit, but there isn’t anything viable beyond Li-ion atm.

 

[phonologic]

Because it's new and they're still trying to push it. Small phones were a thing since the first gen. People stopped buying them, so Apple stopped making them.

People (like me) stopped buying them not because of the form factor but bc of the dreadful battery life that came with the size of the phone. Battery size:capacity is tech’s most urgent innovation bottleneck

 

[phonologic]

Nah, in all honesty, I don’t think the mini is coming back, sadly. They will keep the e series around with the 6.1” form factor as the “compact” option, which will eventually inherit the iPhone 15/16 form factor. But I don’t think we’ll see anything below 6.1” anymore. I would be happy even with just a 6” iPhone, but that’s highly unlikely.

No one can figure out how to make an affordable high capacity battery in a smaller form that would last all day. Li-ion is old. We need to wait for next gen batteries before we get mini phones again.

 

[lazyrighteye]

We don’t know how many people bought the iPhone mini because Apple doesn’t release those numbers. Even it was only 10% then so what. That’s still a big number of actual phones sold.

Of the iPhone users I know/have even come in contact with (which is a lot, obviously), I only know/have seen one guy rocking a 13 mini - and he freaking LOVES that thing. While I'm not personally interested in a mini (my old[er] eyes and fat[ter] fingers simply couldn't operate one), I'm all for Apple offering one. In Cook's "a device/config for every conceivable human" product strategy, I'm surprised they don't still offer a mini. I think the internet would fold if they were to drop one in an upcoming iPhone cycle refresh. And I think peep should go nuts. In a world where everyone (even your mom) has a massive iPhone, having the opposite is - by definition - "cool." While it' snot on any rumor board, Apple dropping a mini would be badass. It has the reckless, doesn't make any sense on paper, feels of an early 2000s Apple.

 

[porscherain]

They continue to increase the size of their offerings to make the fold enticing when it comes out.

Make a flush (thick) mini with a bigger battery you cowards!

 

[0049190]

Of the iPhone users I know/have even come in contact with (which is a lot, obviously), I only know/have seen one guy rocking a 13 mini - and he freaking LOVES that thing. While I'm not personally interested in a mini (my old[er] eyes and fat[ter] fingers simply couldn't operate one), I'm all for Apple offering one. In Cook's "a device/config for every conceivable human" product strategy, I'm surprised they don't still offer a mini. I think the internet would fold if they were to drop one in an upcoming iPhone cycle refresh. And I think peep should go nuts. In a world where everyone (even your mom) has a massive iPhone, having the opposite is - by definition - "cool." While it' snot on any rumor board, Apple dropping a mini would be badass. It has the reckless, doesn't make any sense on paper, feels of an early 2000s Apple.

Agreed. I still think the iPhone mini will make a come back as a flip phone. That way they can deliver a smaller device but maintain a higher selling price.

 

[nordique]

We don’t know how many people bought the iPhone mini because Apple doesn’t release those numbers. Even it was only 10% then so what. That’s still a big number of actual phones sold.

We know it wasn’t enough for Apple, because Apple took them out of their lineup with no indication they’re coming back

 

[ProbablyDylan]

6.27-inch display, up from 6.12 inches.

Big.

6.55 inches

Bigger.

6.86-inch display

Humongous.

Would it kill someone to make a sub-6" phone?

 

[0049190]

We know it wasn’t enough for Apple, because Apple took them out of their lineup with no indication they’re coming back

Given the number of projects and products Tim Cook has cancelled I’m not sure we can deduce anything.

For all we know it could have been cancelled because it was taking sales away from bigger more profitable iPhones.

 

[BobMcBob]

I was looking at this short list of display sizes for the smallest size - hoping for at least one of them to be a little smaller than before, and being disappointed.

I'm not replacing my 13 mini until there's a new mini. I could be happy with something in between, but these are not.

 

[Apple_Jacks]

No one can figure out how to make an affordable high capacity battery in a smaller form that would last all day. Li-ion is old. We need to wait for next gen batteries before we get mini phones again.

Even Apple can’t figure out how to use all that extra camera bump space to make the battery capacity larger? Wild.

Seems they can figure out how to shrink the same dimension to potentially sell you a battery case though on this 17 Air.

A proper spec’d mini with a better name that isn’t hamstrung in features and poorly marketed would probably sell great.

 

[mrat93]

The foldable will be neither smaller nor lighter than the Pro.

The outer display for the foldable was most recently rumored to be 5.5”. The mini was 5.4”, and the 17s will be 6.3”.

Sure, there might be some added bezel, weight, and depth, but at least l’ll be able to use it somewhat comfortably with one hand — that’s been my main reason for not upgrading my 15 Pro.

Also, it might be heavier than the normal Pro, but it’ll probably be lighter than the Pro Max.

Either way, depth aside, it’s very feasible that the foldable will be smaller than the standard 6.3” or even 6.1” models.

 

[nordique]

Looks like no display changes for the pro models. I wonder if theyll change anything else like brightness or just keep it steady for one gen focusing on the camera changes instead.

Rumoured previously to have no anti reflective screen anymore which is a bummer it’s great on the S ultra phone

 

[klasma]

The outer display for the foldable was most recently rumored to be 5.5”. The mini was 5.4”, and the 17s will be 6.3”.

Sure, there might be some added bezel, weight, and depth, but at least l’ll be able to use it somewhat comfortably with one hand — that’s been my main reason for not upgrading my 15 Pro.

I think the significantly different aspect ratio throws a bit of a wench into that. Here is the outer screen compared to a regular (6.1”) iPhone, based on the leaked screen resolutions:

And here compared to the 16 Pro Max (6.9”):

So while it’s easier to reach the top, it’s virtually impossible to reach across with your thumb.

Also, it might be heavier than the normal Pro, but it’ll probably be lighter than the Pro Max.

Yes, it will probably be somewhere in between. However, the 16 Pro is 199 grams, which is quite heavy compared to the regular 16 at 170 grams (which I still find rather heavy). The 12 mini was only 135 grams (still significantly heavier than the OG SE at 113 grams), and the 17 Air is rumored to be below 150 grams. So coming from the mini or compared to the Air, the foldable won’t be light-weight at (presumably) over 200 grams.

 

[ChrisMac47]

What tech do you speak of and is this tech actually affordable enough to include in a phone without a significant markup? I understand that any company needs to turn a profit, but there isn’t anything viable beyond Li-ion atm.

There are around a dozen or more new battery technologies (ask ChatGPT or similar). Had Apple ever bothered to push this area, we would have products today. But Apple stopped innovating years ago. It's all about margins and profits, and the best way to achieve that is to drip feed incremental "advances" each year to a captive audience. We really are being let down badly.

With any luck, the EU will require Apple to open up its OS to other hardware manufacturers, and only then will we get innovation in the hardware. Apple has no motivation for making better hardware at the moment ... they need hardware competitors using the same OS!