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Let's say the next iPhone will look how the rumors are saying they'll look...

S

Sangdushi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 9, 2011
128
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With the body and design of the current iPhone but a longer screen, how do you think the mainstream media will react? iPhone is pretty much the only phone that the mainstream media talks about upon release, hell even Letterman talks about it.

I'm pretty sure it'll still outsell every other phone because its among the best performing and everyone is comfortable with iOS but I think the way people see the iPhone and it's standard as the best in class may diminish. Apple may look like they're resting on their laurels the same way blackberry did. What do you think?
 
Hard to say right now exactly what Apple will do. In addition to a larger screen I'm hoping, like most for a redesigned chassis, maybe a more rounded, brushed aluminum back.
 
It'll be thinner. I expect they'll continue to use the "antenna as the structure" idea. That's the only way to keep packing new stuff inside.
 
Sangdushi said:
With the body and design of the current iPhone but a longer screen, how do you think the mainstream media will react? iPhone is pretty much the only phone that the mainstream media talks about upon release, hell even Letterman talks about it.

I'm pretty sure it'll still outsell every other phone because its among the best performing and everyone is comfortable with iOS but I think the way people see the iPhone and it's standard as the best in class may diminish. Apple may look like they're resting on their laurels the same way blackberry did. What do you think?
Click to expand...

It's going to sell better than the dreaded Samsung Galaxy S3. Most people want a bigger screen on their phones. The others are fine with huge and small.
 
There's only so much physical design innovation that can be brought to a slab with a screen. Even if they make it bigger there's not much bragging rights since other manufacturers have already covered the territory of large high resolution phones.

That's not to say a larger screen is a bad thing, it's just hard to promote as a tent pole feature in a market where 5" phones are per-existing options. Good design and software are, in my opinion, the most important things to differentiate a mobile device. Again, everyone will have a different opinion as to which company does these things 'best,' but that feels like a more useful determining factor than raw screen size and resolution.

Case in point: I have an iPhone and iPad now (and feel ridiculously decadent for it) and while the iPad screen is gorgeous for content consumption, if i had to pick between them, i would ALWAYS pick the 'tiny' screened iPhone because it gives almost all of the 'experience' in an incredibly mobile package.
 
applefanDrew said:
It'll be thinner. I expect they'll continue to use the "antenna as the structure" idea. That's the only way to keep packing new stuff inside.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think they are trying to move past without using the band, and are more or less trying to make the phone a full body without the antenna band working as a separator to the casing of the phone. It has been done for 2 phones now, I'm sure by now they have thought of something that is more innovative.
 
AirZoom said:
Actually, I think they are trying to move past without using the band, and are more or less trying to make the phone a full body without the antenna band working as a separator to the casing of the phone. It has been done for 2 phones now, I'm sure by now they have thought of something that is more innovative.
Click to expand...

I think they'll use antenna as a band around the perimeter the phone. But it won't necessarily be on the outside. It'll be around the perimeter of the backplate which well join directly to the front glass. That's my guess.
 
Why does "innovate" mean "needs to look completely different" to so many people? There isn't really anything about the 4/4S design that physically made it better than any other iPhone out there. I agree it's the nicest looking of the three models, but the look isn't what defined how innovative the product was IMO. Most of the innovation happening AFTER the original iPhone has been purely software based.
 
I wouldn't mind the physical form factor of something similar to the nexus and the one x. Except I would hope it would be thinner and use higher quality more shock resistant materials cause I hate using a case
 
Guess I'm the minority but I really would prefer an iPhone 5 with the exact same form factor of the 4 and 4S. It's absolutely perfect. I don't want a phablet, I don't need more screen real estate. They could just update the internals (A5X/A6, more RAM, better optics) and I'd be 100% OK with that.
 
I don't care if the iPhone itself stays the same size or slightly changes in size. As long as the screen is bigger. A bigger screen /w minor hardware improvements and software improvements from iOS6 will be enough to make me upgrade from my 4.

If the screen stays the same size, then I'll be using another smartphone until Apple updates to my liking. I love iOS, but I've never stayed with the exact same design of hardware for this long. It's time for a change, I hope Apple delivers.
 
I would not reward Apple by giving them my hard earned money if all they had to show for 2+ years development was to add a row of icons at the top of a taller screen. Absolute F.A.I.L.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have more faith in Apple than that pitiful example of a 4" iPhone.
 
chiefpavvy said:
Guess I'm the minority but I really would prefer an iPhone 5 with the exact same form factor of the 4 and 4S. It's absolutely perfect. I don't want a phablet, I don't need more screen real estate. They could just update the internals (A5X/A6, more RAM, better optics) and I'd be 100% OK with that.
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I'm actually quite happy with the current size. Maybe it's a European thing, but everyone I've spoken to hasn't looked too impressed when I tell them the iPhone 5 will be bigger.
 
Innovation to most people would mean leaving the internals completely untouched, but making the outer shell look a bit different and possibly have a bigger screen.
 
Sangdushi said:
With the body and design of the current iPhone but a longer screen, how do you think the mainstream media will react?
Click to expand...

No idea, but if that rumored 640x1136 screen on a device with the current iPhone's dimensions becomes reality, I'll order it factory unlocked the day it's released. I trust they redesign the case as well.
 
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