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MacRumors Roundup: What We Expect for iPhone 6
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As usual some people are confused about the relationship between resolution, PPI, screen size and iOS/apps.
Here's a list of facts that may help some of you understand better :
Here's the opinion part:
I think that a lot of these facts seem to point to a larger iPhone release sometimes next year, and maybe a larger iPad too, possibly unveiled at WWDC to prepare developers for the transition. While Apple may have had some philosophical reason to not release a ~4.5" iPhone before, I think they realized at least a year ago that they were leaving a lot of money on the table. But because of the iOS legacy and bagage (which includes developers) they couldn't do it this year without hurting user experience too much (according to their standards).
I also think they will keep the 4" because of its advantage for one handed operation, and simply make their flagship iPhone available in two screen sizes. The larger iPhone screen will also likely not have more than 326PPI because of reasons mentioned above.
Here's a list of facts that may help some of you understand better :
- The first public version of iOS (on the iPhone) was built for a single screen size (no auto-layout APIs).
- The retina transition was done using a round multiple (2x) of the resolution on devices that had the same screen size as the previous non-retina version.
- The UI is physically the same size between retina and non retina versions of the same product line.
- The original iPad resolution was not a round multiple of the iPhone resolution, it didn't need to be since the size required new app layouts anyway.
- The iPhone 5 brought the first change of screen size in an iOS device product line (The iPad being a separate product line) after years of developers being used to have to deal with only one.
- Apple added auto-layout APIs in iOS 6 to help with the iPhone 5 screen transition.
- Not every developer used them and simply hard coded two layouts for the 3.5" and 4" screen.
- Many developers already had code to deal with double height status bars and the 3.5" to 4" screen transition happened in the same axis (vertically in portrait).
- The iPad mini was an increase in PPI but kept the same resolution as the 9.7" iPad.
- Apps are still usable unmodified on the mini despite the increase in PPI because it didn't make touch targets too small since they're usually designed by devs with the iPhone PPI in mind.
- iOS didn't have different sets of button sizes for iPads, they appeared bigger on the 9.7". The mini PPI simply brings them down to the same size they appear on iPhones.
- Apple has been pushing developers to use auto-layout APIs since iOS 6, but even more so with iOS 7.
- Combined with auto-layout, iOS 7's untextured design and new text engine makes it much easier to make apps with flexible layouts.
- Auto-layout APIs are used to create flexible layouts, but it doesn't deal with resizing UI elements themselves. It would not help developers deal with a 400PPI screen where buttons, icons, touch targets and text would become too small.
Here's the opinion part:
I think that a lot of these facts seem to point to a larger iPhone release sometimes next year, and maybe a larger iPad too, possibly unveiled at WWDC to prepare developers for the transition. While Apple may have had some philosophical reason to not release a ~4.5" iPhone before, I think they realized at least a year ago that they were leaving a lot of money on the table. But because of the iOS legacy and bagage (which includes developers) they couldn't do it this year without hurting user experience too much (according to their standards).
I also think they will keep the 4" because of its advantage for one handed operation, and simply make their flagship iPhone available in two screen sizes. The larger iPhone screen will also likely not have more than 326PPI because of reasons mentioned above.
Actually, I think Apple will skip that and move to wireless charging as stated in their most recent patent approval. That would be incredible, I hope its ready for the iPhone 6.
Also they will never abandon the current screen size, expect the wider screen to be an option and hopefully not 5"+, I would go for a bit bigger but nothing like those phablet phones.
I don't understand the fascination with curved screens. I had a Nexus S and a Galaxy Nexus (which was and still is a very nice phone) and... the only time I noticed the curved screens was when they were annoying.
It's not a lot, but what does it bring to the party exactly?
It's not a lot, but what does it bring to the party exactly?
Idiots already speculating at this point when it's almost a year away.
Some are probably already waiting in line...
Who needs rumor we already know...it'll be lighter and thinner. It'll be the best iPhone since iPhone. It'll "kill" Android. Ummm they'll make the screen .5" bigger, call it innovation, and say "bigger is better."
Did I miss any of the typical iPhone marketing fluff?
its size obviously. Real men only use things that are big. Read what you will about what that says about confidence.
In all seriousness, I hope they don't make it bigger. The 5 is already pushing it for me. If its bigger, I am getting a 5S and sticking with it until the iPhone mini comes out. Also, how are they going to make it bigger and keep it retina? Change the resolution again? What a PITA for developers
Sorry Apple. . .
too little too late. I have my 5" (well, 4.99") phone already. I held out as long as I could. Now that I actually switched to Android and have Torque, have all the games I played on my iPhone except for one, plus a far better "notification bar" that puts even SBSettings to shame, PLUS I can use it as a mass storage device PLUS USB host mode (for flash drives, or camera tethering), PLUS a user-replaceable battery PLUS an SD slot PLUS CIR for a fully integrated programmable remote PLUS an OLED display, PLUS the user-friendly "soft" buttons, I don't miss my iPhone any more.
You can take the large screen and shove it you-know-where.
Want to know the funny thing though? After Apple ships the large screen phone, the same fanbois who decried it and said they don't want tablets will be on here praising Apple for inventing the 5" or 6" smartphone, and how no one in their right mind would want a low resolution small phone.
too little too late. I have my 5" (well, 4.99") phone already. I held out as long as I could. Now that I actually switched to Android and have Torque, have all the games I played on my iPhone except for one, plus a far better "notification bar" that puts even SBSettings to shame, PLUS I can use it as a mass storage device PLUS USB host mode (for flash drives, or camera tethering), PLUS a user-replaceable battery PLUS an SD slot PLUS CIR for a fully integrated programmable remote PLUS an OLED display, PLUS the user-friendly "soft" buttons, I don't miss my iPhone any more.
You can take the large screen and shove it you-know-where.
Want to know the funny thing though? After Apple ships the large screen phone, the same fanbois who decried it and said they don't want tablets will be on here praising Apple for inventing the 5" or 6" smartphone, and how no one in their right mind would want a low resolution small phone.
Yes, Yes, Yes..
You are the only one. Well except for all the other OCD folks who don't seem to get that the numbers associated with the iPhone have never really meant to indicate the generation number.
Am I the only one who is still upset about the naming scheme?
The 5 was the 6th gen phone and the 5c was the 7th. Personally, I think that they should have changed it to just iPhone, like they did with the iPad
You are the only one. Well except for all the other OCD folks who don't seem to get that the numbers associated with the iPhone have never really meant to indicate the generation number.
5" screen max. with 4.7" being the minimum. Of course touch ID, NFC is a "can go with or without it" deal as where ever I go in my city of 3 million and the surrounding area I haven't really seen anyone offering NFC as an option for payment. If NFC is on the phone it would be a bonus, an extra, nothing more. I'd like to see the touch ID used more with 3rd party apps. Improved battery is another wish list item. The motion sensor tech bought recently by Apple would be a nice feature that is used effectively instead of being a gimmick. Increased RAM to at least 2 GB. I guess that's all.
There are 2 ways to size up an iPhone,
1) more pixel count,
2) bigger pixel size.
Option no.2 is much easier to handle, coz no app and other everything else needed to update, just scale up everything. However, everything will looks less sharp and more edgy. I guess no one wants such think happen.
If you adding more pixel on the canvas, you will either have to update every app in existence, or run a iphone app on an iPad in some sort of "scale up mode". That's a very big headache for app developers.
Other than that, if you are a serious developer, what you do in a bigger canvas? You will try to cramp more elements into the screen. It would be perfect normally, HOWEVER, you have to make sure the same app usable and looks great on a iPhone 4 screen as well as there are way too many ppl using the amazingly popular phone.
Furthermore, look those Mfi controllers, they looks great but NOT EVEN hit the market! If those guys release them early 2014, how those control end up after 6 months? They gonna end up in your basement, coz you're about to get a bigger iphone.
Apple never offer " Me too " product. Trust me.
1) more pixel count,
2) bigger pixel size.
Option no.2 is much easier to handle, coz no app and other everything else needed to update, just scale up everything. However, everything will looks less sharp and more edgy. I guess no one wants such think happen.
If you adding more pixel on the canvas, you will either have to update every app in existence, or run a iphone app on an iPad in some sort of "scale up mode". That's a very big headache for app developers.
Other than that, if you are a serious developer, what you do in a bigger canvas? You will try to cramp more elements into the screen. It would be perfect normally, HOWEVER, you have to make sure the same app usable and looks great on a iPhone 4 screen as well as there are way too many ppl using the amazingly popular phone.
Furthermore, look those Mfi controllers, they looks great but NOT EVEN hit the market! If those guys release them early 2014, how those control end up after 6 months? They gonna end up in your basement, coz you're about to get a bigger iphone.
Apple never offer " Me too " product. Trust me.
It always amazes me that there are people that hang out on tech websites that don't grasp the vast difference between technologies like solid state drives & micro sd cards, lol.
I remember the annoyance during the 2 years I worked for Verizon of helping users shift around dozens of apps between their slow/lame sd cards & their "real" memory, so that things would run correctly.... and then explaining why when they removed the sd card & left it in the printer at home, half of their apps suddenly quit working.. and of course fixing all the error messages from the cheap manufacturers that only include 2gb of "good" memory & rely on the cheap & inferior sd card for their claim of how much memory the phone has. Especially annoying as core apps slowly started to exceed that size & since they CANNOT be shuffled to the sd card, the user would CONSTANTLY get an "out of space" message, even though they have over 90% of their memory free on their sd card. And..... the VERY worst- the (rare, but significant) about a dozen times someone had their cheap sd card COMPLETELY fail & either refuse to be read without first formatting or simply crap out altogether deleting all of their precious photos. Ugh..... God, that sucked.
I (like all of you, I'd wager) also wish that the Apple ssd memory jumps were cheaper than $100 each doubling.
However, I would NEVER take the sd card cheapness as a trade off. Glad Apple has eschewed that... and offers larger ssd capacities than ANY other manufacturer.
You're not alone. I thought the size increase with the iPhone 5 was unnecessary but if the next iPhone gets even bigger, I think I'll have to look elsewhere for my next phone. If Apple's plan is to offer the next iPhone in 2 sizes however, I'll be happy to buy the normal sized model.
Problem is one handed compact sized smartphone is crap nowadays. So if eventually Apple goes with 4.5 to 5" iPhone, I believe you have nowhere to go for sub 4" display unless you're going with sub $200 Android or stick with current iPhone. But again someday you'll give up and buy a new phone so you're out of options. Screen is getting bigger and it's inevitable.
It took Apple how many years to implement cut and paste and a useless "Taller" screen?
Formula for when Apple will release new feature = What ever the competition or mod comunity is doing and add 3-5 years.
So mind blowing innovation is a ways off, they need to catch up first.
I agree it will be added to the current line up, if Apple was smart they will release it 1st quarter of this year.
The rumors for the SG5 sound incredible and the newest version of Android makes IOS look so out dated.
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Yep I hear Apple will finally add swipe forward and back gestures to web pages in IOS Safari.
I wait 2 iterations before buying as I always have. My 4s is still hearty enuff... A larger screen and A8 would be of great interest. I use an Android [girlfriends] and do not like it sans the larger screen which I find pretty usable.
I agree. An entirely curved screen seems pointless at best, and more likely annoying.
What I picture in my head when I hear about Apple using curved glass is just at the edges of the screen. At the moment, front edges are 'softened' slightly by the quite-nice bevels. But I wonder if they have trialled having the front glass just curve down at the edges: partly for comfort, partly for aesthetic, and maybe it helps get a thinner bezel, for an almost-edge to edge display.
End-on view:
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Only one model for iPhone 6. should be identical to the iPhone 5s but with double battery life, 16GB, MicroSD slot and sells for $450.
Colors, no. Users can change the cover AND replace the battery too.
Oh no, it's the Android phone!
Once I learn to tolerate iOS7, I will be ready to switch.
Colors, no. Users can change the cover AND replace the battery too.
Oh no, it's the Android phone!
Once I learn to tolerate iOS7, I will be ready to switch.
Quite frankly, most people are not expecting much innovation from Apple.
They'll bring out something similar to last year's crop of windows and android phones. Look at those, there's your sneak peak at the iPhone 6.
They'll bring out something similar to last year's crop of windows and android phones. Look at those, there's your sneak peak at the iPhone 6.