iPhone 5 with Metal Chassis and Less Than 4" Screen?

[addicted44]

Personally, the current iPhone size is perfect for me. I am just about able to reach the top-left part of the screen when using my iPhone in the right hand (single hand operation). If the chassis were any bigger, the phone would largely be unusable for me (they could still increase the screen size by removing all the margins, and I would be fine).

This is one of the advantages of the Android eco-system. You can have many different phones fulfilling different needs.

I think Apple might need to significantly increase their iPhone options. They need at least 3 sizes (cheap $249 ph. w/o contract, the size of maybe the Pre, current iPhone size, and larger 4" iPhone), and each size should come in 2 memory configurations, leading to 6 SKUs before differentiating by color. They could either offer each SKU in different colors, or simply make the cheapest one available in only white (esp. since this phone will most likely be bought predominantly by women, because of statistically smaller hands).

Will be interesting to see where Apple goes from here.

 

[entatlrg]

Yep let's change things for the sake of change. When people talk this nonsense, makes it clear they have no idea what they are talking about.

You're right, too many spoiled brats here, sickening to read in a way.

Apple has done me right so far, every iPhone I've had so far has been great, sure the iPhone 5 will be just as mind blowing. oh by the way, Andriod SUCKS

 

[firewood]

If it's smaller than 4" I'll really have to consider looking elsewhere for my next phone.

Start looking. You are not Apple's target market. More potential customers likely want an even smaller device, and 4"+ won't fit. 3.7" might.

 

[Federico]

I see a new market

iPhone 4sc (c=cheap), similar to an iPhone Touch (slim/smaller) with a cell phone fuction

iPhone 4S, just hybrid with more mp and faster processor

I think that we have to wait for a real iPhone 5 (new design, 4G, RFID)

 

[Jobsian]

Not sure about the veracity of this pic, doesn't appear to have the right white gradient.

 

[Mattsasa]

Anything smaller than a 13" screen on the iPhone will be a disappointment.

I want people to cower in fear when I answer the phone.

people like this make my day

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Anything smaller than a 13" screen on the iPhone will be a disappointment.

I want people to cower in fear when I answer the phone.

They don't already?

 

[LobsterDK]

Apple should have upgraded the screen last year when they did the resolution jump. Now they can't jump up the resolution because your going to have 3 resolutions to worry about. And with true 1280x720 res 4.3 to 4.5 inch displays coming from HTC and Samsung Apple is going to take a beating from the hardcore crowd.

This doesn't make sense. Apple's approach to resolution independence is a power of 2 hi-dpi model. Given that fact, there is no resolution the Retina Display would have been other than 960x640 (480x320*2) regardless of when, or what model the larger screen was given to. Putting a slightly larger screen on the iPhone at the same time as the resolution bump wouldn't make any difference compared to now.

Not to mention that you would STILL have had 3 different resolutions to deal with if they were to actually change the screen resolution: 3GS:640x320, iPad:1024x768, Mythical iPhone with resolution change: (Whatever-x-Whatever).

 

[erzhik]

what's with this obsession over bigger screens on phones? What's the point of a mobile device if you can barely fit it in your pocket, let alone your hand.

 

[Biolizard]

what's with this obsession over bigger screens on phones? What's the point of a mobile device if you can barely fit it in your pocket, let alone your hand.

Got to compensate for that small knob somehow

 

[Megakazbek]

I've seen my friend's Galaxy S II and 4" is really too big and even looks a little bit ugly. I would not want such over-sized screen on a phone which is supposed to be mobile and compact.

 

[Piggie]

what's with this obsession over bigger screens on phones? What's the point of a mobile device if you can barely fit it in your pocket, let alone your hand.

But then i can say the same think about my old Nokia and your iPhone. the iPhone is MASSIVE and way to big to be in the pocket of tight jeans.

 

[bushido]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; de-de) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I've seen my friend's Galaxy S II and 4" is really too big and even looks a little bit ugly. I would not want such over-sized screen on a phone which is supposed to be mobile and compact.

the updated S2 has a 4.5 screen :-o and LTE

 

[pmz]

Digitimes offers a bit of a strange report this morning that just seems to reinforce some details that have been previously reported

This was all you needed to post. What else is new?

 

[mariotr87]

This is one of the advantages of the Android eco-system. You can have many different phones fulfilling different needs.

Well, I disagree. In fact I think that's its major problem. The fragmentation is HUGE: different resolutions, specs, hardware, screen sizes, maybe aspect ratios (not sure about this). As an user you may think that's great, but actually the developers have too much things to deal with, and whether an app will fit your device is kind of a lottery. And of course, even if it works, it may not do it properly. If I were Apple, I'd definitely stick with the single device policy. Sure, they could keep the iPhone 4 (just like now they are keeping the 3GS model) and lower its price, maybe also make some improvements, but that's all.

Regarding the screen size, I think that 3.7'' would be just PERFECT. I'd love that change, and I think that larger screens are a bad idea.
Having said that, I don't see Apple making any change to the screen, because they're obviously keeping the same aspect ratio and resolution (they don't want the developers dealing with three different resolutions). Wouldn't an increase in the screen size worsen the "retina display" concept? Even though it would be a 0.2''-0.3'' increase I think that may affect slightly the picture quality.

Anyway, what I expect from the new iPhone is a slight redesign, with the metal back, thinner (this is important) and a 3.7'' screen (as long as it doesn't affect the picture quality). I'd definitely buy it.

 

[aeaglex07]

Well, I disagree. In fact I think that's its major problem. The fragmentation is HUGE: different resolutions, specs, hardware, screen sizes, maybe aspect ratios (not sure about this). As an user you may think that's great, but actually the developers have too much things to deal with, and whether an app will fit your device is kind of a lottery. And of course, even if it works, it may not do it properly. If I were Apple, I'd definitely stick with the single device policy. Sure, they could keep the iPhone 4 (just like now they are keeping the 3GS model) and lower its price, maybe also make some improvements, but that's all.

Regarding the screen size, I think that 3.7'' would be just PERFECT. I'd love that change, and I think that larger screens are a bad idea.
Having said that, I don't see Apple making any change to the screen, because they're obviously keeping the same aspect ratio and resolution (they don't want the developers dealing with three different resolutions). Wouldn't an increase in the screen size worsen the "retina display" concept? Even though it would be a 0.2''-0.3'' increase I think that may affect slightly the picture quality.

Anyway, what I expect from the new iPhone is a slight redesign, with the metal back, thinner (this is important) and (maybe) a 3.7'' screen (as long as it doesn't affect the picture quality). I'd definitely buy it.

With the current iPhone 4 resolution they could easily go up to 4" without degrading the image quality.

 

[BlindMellon]

Jees, here we go again with "OMG, 4" is as big as a barn!!!". If Apple designed it, you can bet it would be barely wider than the current model and probably the same height, so relax kids, you'd barely be able to tell the difference.

 

[Glideslope]

looks like Apple is better at blurring the rumors related to the future iPhone... this time...

Masterful job.

 

[newyorksole]

My bad, I forgot to make one of those smiley things.

I was making a joke, pretending to misunderstand what you meant by date.

Now I have too many of those dumb smilies

Lmaoo that's pretty funny .. Not getting the joke and then Bushido getting mad then I got the joke

 

[spacemanspifff]

No signal

The new phone will NOT have a metal back like the iPad 2 unless it's plastic painted to look like metal as you can't send a mobile signal through metal. Look at the original iPhone or the iPad (1 and 2) with 3G and you'll see that there is a black plastic area where the phone antenna is. The iPhone 4 has the antennas built into the chassis (the band around the outside) which gets around the issue, but remember how people complained about that!

So if this new report says the antenna is built into the chassis, then I'll say again what I've said before. The iPhone 5 is going to look pretty much like the iPhone 4, ie glass both sides - maybe they'll redesign the antenna band (possibly thinner) to increase the reception and remove the dead spot. I guess they could lop a bit off the ends to make the screen "appear" larger but they will not be making a bigger screen just yet, if ever. Remember how Steve said all these other phones were too big like "trucks"

Anyway, we don't have long to wait now.

 

[Žalgiris]

depends on the eye of the beholder, thx god

widgets would be a start, its quiet embarrassing if someone asks u for the weather and u have to unlock ur phone, enter the passcode, tap the icon, open the app and look while my 5 year old nokia was able to do it from one look at the screen

First thing: iOS 5, hello?
Second: the way you said it it sounded like it requires some drastic change from the ground up, which it doesn't. Absence of the feature you like doesn't make it boring nor it raises the need for CHANGE.

 

[kirk26]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; de-de) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)



the updated S2 has a 4.5 screen :-o and LTE

Yea, but the downside is that it's running Android. Ew.

 

[boss.king]

That's right, even though I prefer a 3.7"-3.8"; anything larger than that sucks, it's a phone if you need something bigger get an iPad.

Yeah, cos an iPad is pocketable and works as a phone right? Oh, no it doesn't.

We don't all have delicate children's hands.

 

[diamond.g]

First thing: iOS 5, hello?
Second: the way you said it it sounded like it requires some drastic change from the ground up, which it doesn't. Absence of the feature you like doesn't make it boring nor it raises the need for CHANGE.

You still have to unlock your phone to get to Notification Center...

 

[DirtySocks85]

Anything smaller than a 13" screen on the iPhone will be a disappointment.

I want people to cower in fear when I answer the phone.

In all seriousness though, I think a 13" iPad would be neat. It's very easy to visualize when you look at the screen of a 13" MBP or Air.