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Screen Size

  • Wish for a bigger screen?

    Votes: 62 64.6%
  • The screen size is fine?

    Votes: 28 29.2%
  • I really dont care!

    Votes: 6 6.3%

  • Total voters
    96

bid2ask77

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 29, 2010
139
0
New York
I dont know why people are going nuts wishing for a new iphone with a bigger screen. How many of you wish for a bigger screen.
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
4 inch would be nice, keep the same resolution, would still look very good.
 

wikoogle

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2009
929
0
Anyone that doesn't want a bigger screen, even if the phone overall retains the same size and shape, is an idiot.

A bigger screen makes routine tasks much more pleasant, browsing the web, reading ebooks, watching videos, playing games, everything looks much nicer on a bigger screen.

I worked some mock-ups in my cad program and a 4" screen will fit (in the iPhone, without making it bigger):

attachment.php

If Apple cuts down on the amount of room the bezel takes, the screen could be made 4 inches without making the phone any bigger.

It would be like having to choose between two otherwise identical tvs, both with the exact same size and shape, with the only difference being that one is 13" with a really thick bezel, and the other is 17" with a slimmer bezel, and opting to go with the 13" inch version with the thick bezel. There is no rational reason why someone wouldn't atleast want a 4" screen if the phone remains roughly the same size and shape.

Unless you actually like looking at a black bezel and want the bezel to be as thick as humanly posible.

Hell, here's a picture of the iPhone retaining the same height while housing a whopping 4.5" screen...

new-iphone-concept.jpg


With all the new media apps coming this yr and into next, it's ridiculous to watch all that on a 3.5 inch screen no matter how high the resolution. I'm a media guy and would much rather watch all that hi-res on a 4.whatever screen rather than a 3.5. At least sell two phones. One for the soon to be minority 3.5ers, and one for the rest of us. Why waste all that valuable iPhone space on those black bars on the side of the screen?

Take a look at this picture, comparing the iPhone to the HD2 which offers a 4.3" screen, and yet manages to be approximately the same size and weight as the iPhone, while offering superior battery life!

Ignore the OS on the HTC HD2 and just compare the screen size between it (4.3") and the iPhone (3.5").
4140276139_72c2ebe213_o.jpg

The pic also depicts the subtle difference in size. Not much at all.

"From my experience, it's far easier to use the on screen keyboard, browse online, read pdfs, emails and e-books, and watch movies with an extra inch of diagonal real estate. Everything just looks nicer, especially games, websites read easier when the text isn't quite so tiny, and movies feel more immersive. It's shocking how big a difference that extra inch makes." -iPhonedHome


Apple could continue to sell/manufacture the 2010 iPhone 4 for $99 for people who want that, and manufacture a 4 inch screen alongside it priced at $199 or $299 for everyone else.
 
Last edited:

Mac'nCheese

Suspended
Feb 9, 2010
3,752
5,108
That's what she said..

I wouldn't mind something slightly larger. I have two kids in gymnastics, netflixs on a slightly larger screen would be better on the eyes.
 

SnowDX

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2010
388
37
The Great White North
The post above with all the pics solidified my thoughts that I don't want the screen larger. I didn't buy an iPhone until the 4 specifically because the size of the phone was uncomfortable/too large for my hand. The reduced width of the 4 made it so it was usable for me. But, the 4 is the max size I am comfortable with. If the larger screen size meant it had to go back to the older iPhone size, then no thanks.

Also, in the pics showing the "real" iPhone with a 4.5" screen, I'd spend a lot of time with my fingers/thumbs over the edges of the screen anyway (in landscape) or it would end up getting dropped a lot due to nowhere to hold the phone. So I'm fine with having the current space to put my fingers/thumbs. And I have skinny, kid fingers/hands, so I'd think the folks with big digits might find the 4.5" screen even more cumbersome.
 

Bodygard

macrumors regular
Aug 12, 2009
128
33
Yes i think apple should put a bigger screen in the next iphone BUT only if they can keep the phone dimensions like the iphone 4 or very similar.
 

hcho3

macrumors 68030
May 13, 2010
2,783
0
Wear glasses. I don't need bigger screen. That's what iPad is for. If you want 4 inch screen, then good luck waiting. Uncle Steve doesn't believe in making things bigger.
 

Rooftop voter

macrumors 6502a
Jan 26, 2010
579
0
Wear glasses. I don't need bigger screen. That's what iPad is for. If you want 4 inch screen, then good luck waiting. Uncle Steve doesn't believe in making things bigger.

While I really want a bigger screen, I don't think it will happen. I've played around with a samsung galaxy s phone yesterday with a 4 inch screen and pretty much made up my mind that my next phone will probably be an android with a 4 inch screen as long as it's high res, fast, and can take pictures as good as my iPhone. The galaxy s was pretty fast, so I'm sure by summer next year, they will be even faster, and android will be even more polished. Having mini hdmi cables will be cool too. Can't wait till next year. I still wanna see what apple puts out, but if it's just a slightly tuned or revised 4, then no thanks.
 

CosmoPilot

macrumors 68000
Nov 8, 2010
1,537
373
South Carolina
A bigger screen on the iPhone WILL HAPPEN! It may not be this year or next, but as I've said before, the smartphone is becoming the personal computer. EVERYONE will have one soon! Apple will have to increase its iPhone lineup with different versions to appeal to the masses. This is no different than having a 13" 15" & 17" MBP lineup.

This WILL happen...when is anyones guess! IMO, Apple will roll out a larger screen version and keep the same form factor in June of 2012 when the LTE iPhone comes out (purely speculation), while also keeping the 3.5 version for consumer choice.

Cosmo
 

nfl46

macrumors G3
Oct 5, 2008
8,350
8,704
Wear glasses. I don't need bigger screen. That's what iPad is for. If you want 4 inch screen, then good luck waiting. Uncle Steve doesn't believe in making things bigger.

Hmm, then why would he say there won't be a smaller iPad screen? From the looks of it, there won't be a 7" iPad.

I'm all for a bigger iPhone screen. 3.5" is so 2007 for the iPhone. They should start making 4" standard now.
 

shakeman0

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2009
632
22
I've held my iPhone 4 up to some of the Android phones and the Androids look huge! I'd like a larger screen, but don't want to sacrifice the portability of the device. According to those markups, it is possible to make an iPhone with a 4" screen in the same form factor as a 3GS. Since they just introduced the Retina display at 3.5", I would predict a screen size change in the 2012 update.
 

deeesea

macrumors 6502
Aug 14, 2010
353
1
3.7 inches is perfect. Honest sweet spot if you ask me, I find 4 inches to be pushing it, and 4.3 is just huge and stupid to try to text with one hand on. I think 3.7 is a good size though having used that on the droid and N1.
 

kasakka

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2008
2,361
1,060
Moving the home button on the side or back would make that area free for the screen. I think the iPhone 4 form factor is perfect but a slightly taller screen would be nice. I don't see a need for more width though because with a case the edges would be hard to use.
 

matt78

macrumors member
Nov 23, 2010
46
0
i don't really know....i like it like this....but maybe a bigger screen would be nice, even if i don't want a bigger phone... :(
 

Sedrick

macrumors 68030
Nov 10, 2010
2,596
26
Apple has to be careful since they bucked the trend of making a phone that has a nice smooth form-factor to fit in your hand. The square, hard edges of the iPhone 4 will not translate into anything even slightly bigger.

I think they painted themselves in a corner with the current style.

To that point, even as huge as the EVO is with a 4.3 in screen, it felt much better in the hand than the iPhone 4, because it had a rounded back. It did not feel big at all. Square the whole thing out like the iPhone 4 and it would be horrid to hold and to pocket.

I, myself, would not buy the next iPhone if they made it bigger, because that square, hard shape does not feel good in the hand and would bulge terribly in the pocket.

Again, I think they've painted themselves into a corner with those hard corners, so they'll probably just keep it the way it is.
 

Wicked1

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2009
3,283
14
New Jersey
I do not want a bigger screen, tha tis what my iPad and MacBook are for. I see friends with the Droid X but that phone is much bigger and blukier because of the screen, I would rather keep my screen or maybe 3.7 but no larger
 

MrX8503

macrumors 68020
Sep 19, 2010
2,292
1,614
Its already been shown that a 4" screen can fit on an iPhone while keeping the same dimensions...yet people say....

"A 4" screen will make the phone HUGE!"

That is utterly stupid and ridiculous, the phone is the same size. People must love jumbo bezels.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
If Apple cuts down on the amount of room the bezel takes, the screen could be made 4 inches without making the phone any bigger.

Horrible idea.

Cutting down on the bezel would lead many more unintentional screen taps.

You know how I'm right? The real-world example you show IS bigger than the iPhone. That's a nice trick...tell us it wouldn't be bigger and then as "proof" show us a phone that's bigger.

Sorry, if you want a bigger screen you'll get a bigger phone. That's fine to want that, but you don't get to call us "idiots" for not believing your "bigger-screen-same-sized-phone" story.

I'm sure there will be bigger iPhones someday, but that's what they'll be: A "bigger iPhone." It won't replace the current size any more than the 15" MacBooks replaced the 13" MacBooks. They still sell both of those because some people like smaller MacBooks. Same thing with the iPhone. Not everyone will want a larger phone. They'll sell both.
 
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applefanDrew

macrumors 65816
Jul 17, 2010
1,437
4
Screen size not changing. Jobs said the Retina display they have now will set the standard for a few years. They won't increase the size and have less pixels than 326/inch.
 

wikoogle

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2009
929
0
The point of the retina display is to have approximately 300 ppi, that's what Steve Jobs said was the threshold for the human retina.

A 960x640 on a 3.8" screen does indeed have over 300 ppi.

Even a 4" screen at that resolution is close enough to 300 ppi.
 

Squid7085

macrumors 6502a
Aug 14, 2002
558
48
Charlotte, NC
I would not mind the screen getting a bit larger, but not a larger form factor. Like most people were saying, make the face of the phone more of a "screen," Apple could make it a 4 inch screen pretty easily without making it unnaturally large. I don't really have issues with the screen size, but there is times when I could see it being a benefit to be larger. As long as Apple doesn't go crazy, the likes of the EVO and Droid X, I will be happy. I has to still fit in my pocket, thats what my iPad is for. :rolleyes:
 
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