Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
No chance in hell.

I dunno. I've been out of the loop as far as 5S rumors go, but maybe they want to make a big change to go along with the release of iOS 7? Just a thought. Lots of people have complained about the 4" screen. Personally I like the size of my 5. But maybe Apple listened to the complainers and caved.
 
All the information we have, outside this report, points to a 4" iPhone 5S.

This is unfortunate for Apple's shareholders (or anyone affected by the stock price), because consumers generally don't get "upgrade envy" or "upgraditis" when they see a new phone that looks exactly like the one they already own. Apple should have targeted a 4.3" screen, in a iPhone5-like form factor, for this holiday season. A small to moderate increase in screen size would encourage far more people to upgrade than the other features rumored for the 5S.

Apple needs to squeeze as many upgrades as they can out of the installed base of iPhone users to satisfy shareholders, and a 4.0" phone won't accomplish that. With a 4.3" IP5S, tens of millions of IP5 users would upgrade. And then many would upgrade again next year for a 4.7" IP6. Skipping directly from 4.0" this year to 4.7" next year eliminates an upgrade cycle that would net billions of dollars for Apple and its shareholders. It is arguably a $25 billion dollar mistake.

Edit: Yes, Apple could postpone the 4.7" iPhone 6 and release a 4.3" iPhone 6 instead, so as not to skip an upgrade cycle, but that would effectively "give away" billions to Samsung and Motorola. A certain segment of the market demands a larger screen and those customers will look elsewhere if Apple doesn't deliver.
 
Last edited:
Everyone seems to think that the next iPhone has to have a bigger screen. Then next year they will want a bigger one... by the time of the iPhone 8 or so it will be as big as an iPad 4 and unusable as a phone.
 
Everyone seems to think that the next iPhone has to have a bigger screen. Then next year they will want a bigger one... by the time of the iPhone 8 or so it will be as big as an iPad 4 and unusable as a phone.

It's been said many times before.. If the enthusiasts had their way we would all have 10" iPhones and 3" iPads. XD
 
The S models aren't redesigns.

It will either be upgraded specs like every other S model. Or it will be a redesign and skip the S model (unlikely).

What you are suggesting is like if the 5 was the 4S and the 4S didn't exist. The 5 doesn't share anything with the 4 therefore there is no point in calling it the 4S....same applies for a redesign now, if it doesn't share anything with the 5 then why would it be named after it?
 
Keeping the same body chassis. Is it possible to put a 4.3 inch screen in?

It should fit, I don't know if its technically possible however. Other phones have smaller bezels but that doesn't mean much.

I'd still consider that a redesign. Saving the housing at that point is near pointless if all the high dollar items are replaced.
 
The S models aren't redesigns.

It will either be upgraded specs like every other S model. Or it will be a redesign and skip the S model (unlikely).

What you are suggesting is like if the 5 was the 4S and the 4S didn't exist. The 5 doesn't share anything with the 4 therefore there is no point in calling it the 4S....same applies for a redesign now, if it doesn't share anything with the 5 then why would it be named after it?

Whoever said this was going to be an "S" model? Everything is pure speculation at this point. I agree that the chances are better than 99% that the next iPhone will sport a 4inch display but there's always the chance they could surprise us with something else...
 
I don't care if the screen is bigger, but I would like to see a screen that is easy to read outdoors in strong daylight.

That is the feature that will sell a ton of new phones. And it is easily do-able. All the screens on my boat are easy to read in direct sunlight, and some of those instruments sell for a lot less than the iPhone.
 
Basing on rumors, no. Early 5S prototypes have been spotted and they all had a 4" display size. It's also reasonable to assume, at this point in time, that if the next release will be a 5S and not a 6 (uncovered eventuality), it will pack almost the same exact exterior design of its predecessor, while upgrading the processor and perhaps the camera (probably there won't be neither RAM nor storage upgrades).

I'd like to point out that bigger doesn't mean better by any means. A deciding factor in this context is strictly the competition, in my opinion, not the need for a "better" (read: with a bigger screen) phone.
 
I doubt it, I think they will change it to a ~4.7" screen for the iPhone 6 though.

I think 1920x1080 (to keep the 16x9) rather than something more unconventional like 2272 x 1280.
 
I think it is to be expected. Bigger screen means more space for battery capacity. The new radical design on iOS 7 with gesture feature, blur effect and stuff. Processor and GPU usage will become a lot more jumpy compared to just pressing home button directly and that inevitably will suck the battery more.
 
Apple has really fallen behind and hopefully they will release a phone with bigger than 4.3 inches screen, but maximum 4.7-5 inch. I hope they do, but it will probably be too late. Everyone wants a Galaxy now from what I hear. I will buy one to replace my iPhone 5 if Apple does not release a phone with a bigger screen.
 
I hope not. Making the screen bigger would suck, like how razor blade manufactures can only seem to innovate by adding more blades to a razor. In 2 years time I guess the moaners will want a 6 inch phone? What about after that?
 
I hope not. Making the screen bigger would suck, like how razor blade manufactures can only seem to innovate by adding more blades to a razor. In 2 years time I guess the moaners will want a 6 inch phone? What about after that?

No they won't. There is a natural limit corresponding to the size of a palm and a pocket. Look at the sales. 4.7-5" is the end of that scale. The argument that 4" is so much better for operation is not that good. Iphone 5 is not very ergonomic compared to a rounded galaxy, so it is bad to hold even if only 4 inch. And you should use two hands to operate a smartphone fast anyway.
 
No they won't. There is a natural limit corresponding to the size of a palm and a pocket. Look at the sales. 4.7-5" is the end of that scale. The argument that 4" is so much better for operation is not that good. Iphone 5 is not very ergonomic compared to a rounded galaxy, so it is bad to hold even if only 4 inch. And you should use two hands to operate a smartphone fast anyway.

I actually prefer the iPhone 4S screen size to the 5. I guess my point is, no one complained for past 5 years about the iPhone screen - so why now? Other manufactures have created larger devices (probably because it's much easier fit in a large battery, miniaturisation costs more so they can sell it cheaper, etc) and I think they will fill the gap in the market for the few who do want a massive phone. Don't ruin the iPhone because of this, and certainly don't ruin the ecosystem of apps that are generally better than Android precisely because developers can spend hours perfecting the UX, hours that that would have otherwise be spent fixing things because of the wide variation in screen sizes.
 
No they won't. There is a natural limit corresponding to the size of a palm and a pocket. Look at the sales. 4.7-5" is the end of that scale. The argument that 4" is so much better for operation is not that good. Iphone 5 is not very ergonomic compared to a rounded galaxy, so it is bad to hold even if only 4 inch. And you should use two hands to operate a smartphone fast anyway.

Go buy your Galaxy already and leave my iPhone screen alone.
 
I hope they don't increase the screen size, for me this is one of the main reasons I stick with the iPhone (the other being iOS). The advantages of 4.3 inch screen vs 4.0 are minimal to none (and I have being using the GS2 for a while), while the phone becomes bigger and more difficult to handle with one hand.

Also I think this is one big advantage for Apple, as right now they are the only manufacturer to offer a top of the line smartphone with such a screen size. And there are many people who appreciate this.

Just look at one of the top Android smartphones in this screen category-the Galaxy S4 mini. Cheap plastic, worse low-res screen, sub-par camera, noticeable lag in games (first hand experience), seriously overpriced for what it offers.
 
Apple has really fallen behind and hopefully they will release a phone with bigger than 4.3 inches screen, but maximum 4.7-5 inch. I hope they do, but it will probably be too late. Everyone wants a Galaxy now from what I hear. I will buy one to replace my iPhone 5 if Apple does not release a phone with a bigger screen.

Speak for yourself. I, for one, prefer a phone that I can use with one hand. Not a surf board that is galaxy. Anything above 4.3" is an overkill.
 
Speak for yourself. I, for one, prefer a phone that I can use with one hand. Not a surf board that is galaxy. Anything above 4.3" is an overkill.

My writing included "from what I hear". That is what people say now. They say "the choice is easy now. Galaxy...".

I would really like to avoid buying one, as I hope that Apple offers iPhone with bigger screen soon. But it will not happen I think.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.