There are a lot of people complaining about the possibility of Apple increasing ONLY the vertical length of the screen to reach a 4" screen. I can think of 4 possible solutions that Apple could do with screen size.. and when I analyze all of them I believe that the rumored 16:9 screen is the best possible solution. Let's take a look.
Option 1: Keep 3.5" screen
This would obviously be the simplest solution, not to mention the least risky. However in a growing screen size world, Apple wouldn't want to be left behind. 4"+ really are the standard, so I think if it is possible to get to 4", I think Apple should. PLUS it would be helpful to have a slightly larger phone to accomodate a larger battery for the LTE battery drain.
Option 2: Increase to 4", but keep the same resolution
Like the option 1 above, this would be very easy with very little risk.
Pros: It achieves a 4" screen. It creates a larger phone to accomodate a larger battery. It would instantly work perfectly with all existing apps
Cons: It adds ZERO extra real estate (see: why bother?). It would technically fall outside of Apple's definition of "retina". Would feel like a cop out, just Apple succumbing to peer pressure.
Option 3: The rumored 4" 16:9 aspect, only adding height
Pros: Keeps retina display. Larger phone, larger battery. Adds larger screen real estate. Would allow for 4 extra icons on each home screen. Width would still allow to fit in all existing docks (forgetting for a moment the rumored new port). Is easily scalable for many apps. Zero black bars for watching videos.
Cons: Some apps would have to be adapted. Subjective: Some people want added width or think ratio may look "funny" or "bad"
Option 4: 4", maintain aspect ratio but increase resolution to maintain PPI
Pros: Keeps retina display. Larger phone, larger battery. Adds larger screen real estate.
Cons: All apps would have adapted. Not enough room on home screen to add additional icons.
I think all 4 options are conceivable, but ultimately I personally like option 3 because...
Option 1 is out because I want a larger screen. I don't like option two because it doesn't add any real estate, it simply gives larger font for weak eyes. And I'm no developer, but I would think that option 4 would be kind of a nightmare. I like option 3 because I feel it is a decent compromise. It adds screen, adds real estate, perfect for video, adds a more useful home screen (4 more icons) and, although it does require effort from devs, is relatively painless.
I hope I've given a pretty accurate depiction for each option. Which option do you all think is best?
Option 1: Keep 3.5" screen
This would obviously be the simplest solution, not to mention the least risky. However in a growing screen size world, Apple wouldn't want to be left behind. 4"+ really are the standard, so I think if it is possible to get to 4", I think Apple should. PLUS it would be helpful to have a slightly larger phone to accomodate a larger battery for the LTE battery drain.
Option 2: Increase to 4", but keep the same resolution
Like the option 1 above, this would be very easy with very little risk.
Pros: It achieves a 4" screen. It creates a larger phone to accomodate a larger battery. It would instantly work perfectly with all existing apps
Cons: It adds ZERO extra real estate (see: why bother?). It would technically fall outside of Apple's definition of "retina". Would feel like a cop out, just Apple succumbing to peer pressure.
Option 3: The rumored 4" 16:9 aspect, only adding height
Pros: Keeps retina display. Larger phone, larger battery. Adds larger screen real estate. Would allow for 4 extra icons on each home screen. Width would still allow to fit in all existing docks (forgetting for a moment the rumored new port). Is easily scalable for many apps. Zero black bars for watching videos.
Cons: Some apps would have to be adapted. Subjective: Some people want added width or think ratio may look "funny" or "bad"
Option 4: 4", maintain aspect ratio but increase resolution to maintain PPI
Pros: Keeps retina display. Larger phone, larger battery. Adds larger screen real estate.
Cons: All apps would have adapted. Not enough room on home screen to add additional icons.
I think all 4 options are conceivable, but ultimately I personally like option 3 because...
Option 1 is out because I want a larger screen. I don't like option two because it doesn't add any real estate, it simply gives larger font for weak eyes. And I'm no developer, but I would think that option 4 would be kind of a nightmare. I like option 3 because I feel it is a decent compromise. It adds screen, adds real estate, perfect for video, adds a more useful home screen (4 more icons) and, although it does require effort from devs, is relatively painless.
I hope I've given a pretty accurate depiction for each option. Which option do you all think is best?
