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That is a different issue entirely.

Every major car manufacturer offers navigation systems now. If you want to lobby for car manufacturers to do away with anything that takes a driver's eyes off the road, be it navigation systems, HVAC controls, radio controls, etc, be my guest.

Those systems are usually well integrated in the cockpit and have ergonomic commands (more or less). Not like a smartphone somehow fixed on the windshield ...
 
Well, I'm an 'old person' (62) and I certainly use my phone for more than phone calls and texting. In fact I rarely make calls. And the majority of my friends are the same. And yes, they are mostly 'old people'. Best be careful with stereotypes, you'll find you are wrong much of the time. Remember, it's us 'old people' who actually started the tech you currently use. We wrote the original code, did the original engineering, etc. Punch cards anyone??

As for me, I have a Lumia 920. The 4.5" screen is a sweet spot for me. I can use it pretty much one-handed and I'm a small woman. I'm also a small-purse woman so I don't like the really big phones.

One truth about most old people is that we do appreciate a larger screen because it's easier to see. The current iPhone is unusable for me because the screen is too small. I can easily surf, see and use my mapping app, etc on the 4.5" screen. The 920 is a bit heavy but that's mostly due to the wireless charging (which I really love and will probably be a 'must' for me from now on).

If Apple makes a larger phone I might actually consider one (especially if they include wireless charging, but we've heard no rumors towards that so far).

Could you define me an "old person" at 42 ? Probably not, since I have a perfect visus , but surely I'm part of that generation who started all of this (not punch cards, but I started coding in assembler on Z80 class CPU ).

I just think you used a bad example for what a smartphone should be, since Nokia 920 is very huge and bulky for a 4.5" display.
You define an iPhone as "unusable" and you are perfectly happy with a display that is only marginally larger (0.5") ?
I could have understood you if you were speaking about a Note ...
 
Those systems are usually well integrated in the cockpit and have ergonomic commands (more or less). Not like a smartphone somehow fixed on the windshield ...

What is your argument? Is it that people should keep their eyes on the road or is it that people should be using factory navigation systems as opposed to aftermarket ones?

The iPhone (and presumably other smarthphones as well) has a far superior user interface compared to all factory navigations systems I have ever used. For one, iOS understands and parses voice commands such as "directions to Central Park".
 
What is your argument? Is it that people should keep their eyes on the road or is it that people should be using factory navigation systems as opposed to aftermarket ones?

The iPhone (and presumably other smarthphones as well) has a far superior user interface compared to all factory navigations systems I have ever used. For one, iOS understands and parses voice commands such as "directions to Central Park".

My point is that you don't really need a big display for a car navigator, bacause you should listen to voice indications rather than watch at the screen...
 
I feel like a phablet would just take away the need for people to buy an iPad Mini. I don't think larger displays for iPhones would really be necessary.
 
No thanks!!

iPhone 5 is perfect.

AGREED! So is this Mac SEII I've been using since the early 90's. Nothing else has been better.

Sorry, I have to go saddle up my horse and go to work! ;)

I think Apple should make 2" phones out of spite.

They will, and they'll attach a strap to it and call it the iPhone Mini that can be worn around your wrist. It's not a watch, it's just a phone that you can wear around your wrist that looks like a watch, but it's not a watch, it's a WHOLE NEW REVOLUTIONARY MARKET SEGMENT!

Seriously though folks, everyone says the iPhone 5c is garbage, and as a stone cold Android fan it's the one phone that I'd get from Apple. It ACTUALLY feels better to me than the 5s. Just as good as the 3GS which was the last iPhone I used.

Now, you're telling me that in the next 2 years, you want Apple to do what with the STILL stagnating iPhone? Keep it at 4" in size and keep iOS running one app at a time with it's bad rip of WebOS and call it multitasking?

Give us a 5" iPhone Pro for folks that use their devices for more than clumsy ninja, iFart apps, and candy crush. Give it REAL stylus/pen support . . . . Wacom even. Give it REAL multitasking. Let me NOT have to stare down endless lists of apps and terrible colored folders.

PLEASE APPLE.

I feel like a phablet would just take away the need for people to buy an iPad Mini. I don't think larger displays for iPhones would really be necessary.

True, and that's why the Note II replaced my iPad. I know Apple wants to sell us 4 devices that do the same thing, but they could let up under Cook, and give users REAL productivity in one or 2 devices.

I think it would be very necessary, it definitely put Apple back on top in terms of making technology that people don't have to hack in order to get real use out of. It will also make Apple look like a company that addresses the needs of it's users. I had to carry an iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Macbook with me before. The Note II took care of everything save for the Macbook, and I only bring that out when I need to edit in Avid.
 
My point is that you don't really need a big display for a car navigator, bacause you should listen to voice indications rather than watch at the screen...

People don't watch nav screens. But people glance at nav screens - to get information that is persistent in the nav screen but is not announced by voice. For example, voice instructions typically only come on as you are approaching an exit or a turn whereas the nav screen will tell you:
  • the distance from your current location to the next turn or exit.
  • the next turn/exit after the upcoming turn/exit (this allows you to position yourself on the proper lane in case the 2nd turn is coming shortly after the first turn)
  • traffic data
  • etc.

Voice doesn't provide all the useful information that drivers consume as part of the navigation system. This is not to say that I endorse "watching" the nav display but rather I acknowledge that attentive drivers will glance at the nav display for useful information just as a driver will glance at the dashboard to consume other useful information.

And in this regard, a bigger screen is better than the current 4" screen currently provided on iPhone 5/5c/5s.
 
Sorry if I sounded offensive, I was just joking! What I was trying to say is that the only real appeal of such a big phone is that text/elements are bigger thus easier to see for those who have bad eyesight, which in itself doesn't really justify all the people saying that Apple need to make a bigger iPhone, I doubt so many people have bad eyesight.

And many people I know who do use the famous giant Samsung phones only use it for this one reason, and they don't even care about its features/design/etc... Which means that the phone will be successful with many people, even though it's not well designed and might not work as smoothly as it could.

You're probably right about the main reason being legibility (and frankly since reading things on the screen is a big part of having a smartphone, this is not a bad thing). But you're a bit off that you think not too many people value the increase in text size and screen real estate. Bad vision is not the only reason. One can have excellent eyesight and still experience eyestrain.

And what good are features/design if you can't comfortably see the screen elements? But don't be mistaken, there are a lot of people out there who actually prefer the elements and features offered by Apple competitors. Everyone has different needs/wants.

Apple will do whatever their market research tells them is right. I'm betting that that research says at least one phone needs a larger screen. I'm not too sure they will retain the 4" though. There is a possibility they go with something like a 4.2/4.5 and a 4.9/5.0.

Guess everyone will find out in 9 months to a year.
 
Could you define me an "old person" at 42 ? Probably not, since I have a perfect visus , but surely I'm part of that generation who started all of this (not punch cards, but I started coding in assembler on Z80 class CPU ).

I just think you used a bad example for what a smartphone should be, since Nokia 920 is very huge and bulky for a 4.5" display.
You define an iPhone as "unusable" and you are perfectly happy with a display that is only marginally larger (0.5") ?
I could have understood you if you were speaking about a Note ...

Any definition of what a smartphone should be is subjective. You may not appreciate the Lumia and it's size but I assure you that extra .5" makes a huge difference in the experience. Yes, it's hefty and I originally thought it would be too heavy but it's not. It feels good on the hand. Sides are rounded making it easy to hold yet my thumb can reach every part of the screen so I do use it one-handed most of the time. The Note is too large for my preferred purse size.

I happen to agree with some here that bigger is not always better. Please note that I did say that 'for me, 4.5" is my sweet spot'. And I said the iPhone is unusable "for me". If you're going to quote me please don't take something out of context.

As for the definition of 'old' once again different people have their own ideas of 'old'. Personally I don't feel old nor think of myself as old but I'm quite aware that to anyone under 45 or so I seen old and to anyone under 30 I'm ancient. Sometimes I find it rewarding to remind the young that the current tech devices they all use didn't spring to life in 2007 when the iPhone came out. And that just because their parents/grandparents aren't familiar with the current tech not everyone of that generation is a Luddite.

I do have a habit of calling out people who use wide brushes to paint stereotypes. In my experience, those wide brushes are never very accurate.
 
Any definition of what a smartphone should be is subjective. You may not appreciate the Lumia and it's size but I assure you that extra .5" makes a huge difference in the experience. Yes, it's hefty and I originally thought it would be too heavy but it's not. It feels good on the hand. Sides are rounded making it easy to hold yet my thumb can reach every part of the screen so I do use it one-handed most of the time. The Note is too large for my preferred purse size.

I happen to agree with some here that bigger is not always better. Please note that I did say that 'for me, 4.5" is my sweet spot'. And I said the iPhone is unusable "for me". If you're going to quote me please don't take something out of context.

As for the definition of 'old' once again different people have their own ideas of 'old'. Personally I don't feel old nor think of myself as old but I'm quite aware that to anyone under 45 or so I seen old and to anyone under 30 I'm ancient. Sometimes I find it rewarding to remind the young that the current tech devices they all use didn't spring to life in 2007 when the iPhone came out. And that just because their parents/grandparents aren't familiar with the current tech not everyone of that generation is a Luddite.

I do have a habit of calling out people who use wide brushes to paint stereotypes. In my experience, those wide brushes are never very accurate.
I appreciate Nokia Lumia's. Actually I've got two (a 700 and a 620). I just said that the 920 is too big for such a "small" display. There are several 5" smartphones that are smaller (and lighter) than Lumia 920.

I can't see how 0.5" could dramatically change your concept of what is usable and what is unusable, but I'm not going to argue your experience.
If I have to carry with me a device so hefty, I would like to have a bigger display to make a real difference. But my point is that I don't want such an huge device in my pocket :D

I really hope apple will be capable to fit a good 4.5-4.7" display in a body comparable with the actual iPhone (maybe just a tad larger).
It would be perfect for me.
 
Sorry if I sounded offensive, I was just joking! What I was trying to say is that the only real appeal of such a big phone is that text/elements are bigger thus easier to see for those who have bad eyesight, which in itself doesn't really justify all the people saying that Apple need to make a bigger iPhone, I doubt so many people have bad eyesight.

I disagree. Even on a bigger phone (5.5"+), the text elements are still gonna be fairly small. The biggest advantage of a larger screen is being able to do more, and do it more easily. The iPhone is great for glancing at quick shots of information, and doing some light web browsing. It's a great communications device, in other words, but if you want to go a little farther with it, things start feeling real cramped real quick.

Now you could argue that the iPhone is supposed to be a communications device primarily, and you wouldn't be wrong. But the thing is, not everyone wants just that. They want something they can talk on, text on, and do some light editing with or watch a movie comfortably. To get all that in the iOS ecosystem, you have to split your time between an iPhone and an iPad Mini, where as a 4.5-6" phone can offer up a little bit of the best of both.

It's not necessarily about who's right and who's wrong, as it is "does this product fit my needs". For some, a smaller iPhone is perfect, and they don't want anything else. For others? They want a larger screen to be able to do what they want to do. Right now, Apple only addresses some of those people.

Also, the inflammatory bit...I think browsing the web on my iPhone sucks. All that scrolling back and forth gets a little old after awhile. On the other hand, I've played with larger screened Android devices, and it does make for a more pleasant experience. I'd personally want something a little more inbetween. Not Note 3 big, but not iPhone small. 4.5-5" would be great.
 

To add to this . . . . and to do more than merely cosign . . . I will say that the iPhone was the perfect size to start with. That's all I did with it at the time. It was merely a phone and a device I used to get information from.

To take it back . . . . way back . . . . I was looking forward to the iPhone being the device that would replace my Palm TX, Treo, and iPod all at the same time. Sadly, it did none of those things perfectly. Sure it can be an iPod, but the battery life would drain fast. Sure, it was the best smartphone around . . . . once it got wireless syncing, MMS, BT file transfer, wireless printing, Office doc editing, etc. etc. etc.

No, sorry, it never came close to REALLY taking over my Palm TX. I didn't put that down until I got the HTC EVO. And the TX had a 4" display and ROCKED it as a PDA.

Yes, folks that want bigger phones, like the Note 2 and 3, are usually looking for that kind of functionality, and/or the ability to watch TV shows more comfortably, and/or the ability to replace a 7" and in some cases a full sized tablet.

I also agree, that a nice middle ground is 5". Apple and iOS aren't even close to pulling the benefit out of a 5.5" - 6" smartphone.
 
I appreciate Nokia Lumia's. Actually I've got two (a 700 and a 620). I just said that the 920 is too big for such a "small" display. There are several 5" smartphones that are smaller (and lighter) than Lumia 920.

I can't see how 0.5" could dramatically change your concept of what is usable and what is unusable, but I'm not going to argue your experience.
If I have to carry with me a device so hefty, I would like to have a bigger display to make a real difference. But my point is that I don't want such an huge device in my pocket :D

I really hope apple will be capable to fit a good 4.5-4.7" display in a body comparable with the actual iPhone (maybe just a tad larger).
It would be perfect for me.

I can't argue that it might seen heavy. I really didn't think I would keep it but after a day or two I didn't notice the weight. And I've always been a 'small phone' person. But I guess the balance makes up for it. At any rate, I do really
like it.

As for the screen size, it's about the same thing. I've had PDAs and smartphones since 2002 or so. At this place in my life and my eyesight the 4.5" seems to set the perfect balance for me. I'm not too interested in a larger screen because that would require a larger purse and I'm not willing to go there.

No, 4.5" is big enough for me to easily read but small enough to be easy to carry. Probably the same type of requirements everyone has. That's why more than one size phone to choose from is great. We're all different.

I should add that one reason I picked up the Lumia was that I wanted Win8. I actually like the OS on a phone. My whole family is on it and the integration works well for us. Plus I've been the custom ROM route. I know if I got an Android I would be flashing it every week. I love that stuff but just don't have time right now. I'm sure I'll be getting one in the next few months, just for play.

I do hope Apple comes up with a strategy that makes everyone (or as close as possible to everyone) happy.
 
without insulting people with smaller hands, I think there should be two Iphone sizes (just like iPads) therefore, the customer can decide which is the best size for them and we can move on from here without getting cursed out.
 
Pleeeeeeeease make new software features to take advantage of the new screen size / resolution.

Also Dump iOS 7 and go back to a more colorful and useful iOS6 Please

I would love a 4.7" or 4.9" screen, enough with the subtle .5" updates, 3.5 to 4 was ok but now it is time to go 4.7 or larger.
 
If they are doing away with the smaller screen all together it still shouldn't exceed 4.7 inches and even that is pushing it. 4.5 inches is the sweet spot to me
 
From iPhone 5 to Xperia Z1 'cos of screen size and Swype

Nobody? Don't be stupid plenty of people want (and would buy) a bigger iPhone. I know I would for one. Even if they do make a bigger iPhone it will be an addition to and not a replacement for the current iPhones. So you can still have your 4" iPhone if you want and others can have a 4.9" iPhone if they want.

It makes sound business sense to diversify their iPhone range given how important it is to Apple. Half their revenues and profits come from the iPhone. They can't afford to drive away potential customers into the arms of their competitors. The future of Apple depends almost entirely on the future of the iPhone.

The only people who don't want Apple to make a bigger iPhone are Samsung and people with cainotophobia.

After 3-4 years with iPhones, this fall I didn't go on with the 5S, but went for an Xperia Z1 because I wanted a bigger screen and (first of all) because I wanted a better way to enter text, for me that is by using Swype.

After two months experence, I will say that the phone size is OK or just a bit too big: That is: I would have preferred a 4,7" screen, I think. (But rather 5" than 4", if only those sizes were the options.)

The main satisfaction is that Swype (and SwiftKey) option (set as default) is so much better for me as a keyboard for text input. IMO, that was the main drawback of the iPhone, in addition to the 4" screen being a bit too small for my liking.

If Apple will manufacture an iPhone with a 4,7" screen and also opens up for using for instance Swype as a default keyboard in the next iteration of the iPhone, there is a chance that I will return to an iOS unit.

Wait, one more thing...

The option of using a micro-sd card is so convenient. It's really a shame if Apple continues the policy of not having this option in future models either.
 
Now, Apple can no longer say "We have a now direct view of phones for the customer", because they don't...


They used to, but not they want to follow all other manufactures that are cumming out of the gate with larger screen sizes.

Can Apple drop the "Think different" because it's clearly not that anymore.

The only "difference" is popularity...... That's it...


I wouldn't be surprised if future phones *did* include Micro-SD card reader.... HDMI (maybe), they'll have to do something and do away with all those dongles you need for attachments, as the competition looks better here.
 
After 3-4 years with iPhones, this fall I didn't go on with the 5S, but went for an Xperia Z1 because I wanted a bigger screen and (first of all) because I wanted a better way to enter text, for me that is by using Swype.

After two months experence, I will say that the phone size is OK or just a bit too big: That is: I would have preferred a 4,7" screen, I think. (But rather 5" than 4", if only those sizes were the options.)

The main satisfaction is that Swype (and SwiftKey) option (set as default) is so much better for me as a keyboard for text input. IMO, that was the main drawback of the iPhone, in addition to the 4" screen being a bit too small for my liking.

If Apple will manufacture an iPhone with a 4,7" screen and also opens up for using for instance Swype as a default keyboard in the next iteration of the iPhone, there is a chance that I will return to an iOS unit.

Wait, one more thing...

The option of using a micro-sd card is so convenient. It's really a shame if Apple continues the policy of not having this option in future models either.

Interesting. I'm not convinced Apple will make a phablet with a 6" screen. Like you I think 4.7" is an ideal size for a larger iPhone. I've used the HTC One a little bit and that was really comfortable to use.

I think they'll probably stick with a 3 option policy they seem to like so much:

4" iPhone Colour in polycarbonate as their mass market entry level phone
4" iPhone Air
4.7" iPhone Pro

That way most developers can continue to develop for a 4" screen across the iPhone and iPod range but they still provide a larger screen option to tempt the switchers back.

PS If they do decide to make a phablet who's to say they won't simply make a 6" iPad Nano or a bigger iPod.
 
I blame market data for this crap. Everyone is asked "do you want a bigger screen" and they always say yes immediately without thinking exactly what that means.

I for one wouldn't welcome a larger iPhone.

Here we go again. I don't get why people like you are so against a larger iphone. If you like your 4 inch iphone that's fine and I'm sure apple will keep the 4 inch available. But some really want bigger screen iphone.
 
That depends on the market I suppose. Here in the North-East USA the iPhone has become the standard. Unless you're one of the gaming kids or live in the ghetto where bigger with more bling still seems to be better.

As a business tool the iPhone has replaced the Blackberry around here. Simple as that. And let me tell you: as such I still miss my little Blackberry. Not that the iPhone hasn't it's advantages but a few things are quite annoying. Large size/form factor being one of them. I had preferred a 4s if it had been fully compatible with T-Mobile.

Obviously you don't ride NYC subways. I would call it 50/50.
 
Well, since I already have 5S, I don't care if Apple pops up with a 6-inch phone. I don't love big phones, but some do. And I'm cool with that. But it has to be a market as well for those who doesn't like big phones. Maybe keeping a 4-inch iPhone after all and add two new at screen size of 4,5- and 5-inch. That would be perfect.

But I must admit that our crazy world puts retarded demands sometimes. Or should I say media. This "I must have bigger screen because it's better"-race is nothing but stupid. Soon we'll end up having 7-inch "phones" because we want to see a movie and drain the battery or having "better" experience by playing games and internet. Which means we'll probably not have phones as a term at all. Just slim tablets.
 
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