Mockups of a 4.94-Inch 'iPhone Plus' Show Why a Larger iPhone Might Make Sense

[DaveN]

Which you will gladly do if you're lucky enough to enter the "reading glasses" generation.

Simply by definition "Retina display" means "more resolution than you can use". Wasted pixels - especially if you don't have teen-aged eyes.

I'm starting to be in the 'reading glasses' generation and agree. I don't have an iPhone but images on my second generation iPod touch can seem a bit small. I still want something that fits into my pocket. But, how long can I hold out for a larger screen? I don't know.

 

[SpectatorHere]

BTW, a 5" iPhone with Retina WOULD sell ridiculously well. They'd have to get the look right, but I see no reason to doubt that Apple wouldn't make it look and feel great.

The biggest issue is Apple deciding to either risk selling the new phone at a higher premium (risky) or take a lower cut per unit and price it at the normal 199 299 price on contract.

Another question remains: Why isn't the iPhone 5 the 5" phone? Why did they go with only a 4" display? There is obviously no reason Apple couldn't have already done this...consider the iPad 3 and 4 running with insane resolutions...and the 5" iPhone wouldn't need anything that impressive.

I'm guessing Apple had to be worried about the i 5 from pretty much the first leaks around May/June of last year. They were almost all negative...and the iPhone 4s sales were tanking right about then. And, right from the get go the iPhone 5 didn't meet sales expectations. I'd guess this new Big iPhone was always a possibility and got green lit back around Halloween. Now, we're starting to get regular rumors of a big plastic phone...just about when you'd expect them to be close to production. (Also don't forget the massive iPhone 5 order cancellations which Cook tellingly didn't deny.)

If I'm correct, I think the leaked pics are probably out by the end of Feb as they'll be going into production for an April reveal with May availability.

 

[cclloyd]

Larger screens are popular PRECISELY because you can fit more information and content there. Not because of larger pixels.

This would be so useless.

Also, 16:9 sucks for phones. It's too narrow in portrait and short in landscape. See how narrow it feels?

This reminds me of how Cook was bragging how much content the iPad showed compared to 16:9 counterparts. Hypocracy maybe?

 

[mrsir2009]

BTW, a 5" iPhone with Retina WOULD sell ridiculously well. They'd have to get the look right, but I see no reason to doubt that Apple wouldn't make it look and feel great.

The biggest issue is Apple deciding to either risk selling the new phone at a higher premium (risky) or take a lower cut per unit and price it at the normal 199 299 price on contract.

I reckon Apple should sell the smaller iPhone a bit lower than the current price point, and the iPhone maxi a bit higher than the current price point. Since the price of the iPhone is different in almost every country, lets just say that the current iPhone costs $1000. So in that case, the iPhone regular could cost $900, and the iPhone maxi cost $1100... That’d be a middle ground that would keep everyone happy

 

[etrinh]

i think some people are too precious with their magic ppi numbers.... just because apple say so..... i agree in general that the higher the ppi, the better the screen looks... but people seems a bit obsessive about higher being better.... if people can fit a 1080p screen in a 1 inch screen, does that mean it's better... sure it may look awesome and sharp but how are you going to interact with the screen with such a small surface area.....

i think it's a trade off and balance of usability, screen resolution and size..... some people prefer a bigger screen for their fat fingers or bad eye sight but can sacrifice a slight drop in display quality while others think the screen quality is the most important and will not go bigger until the the bigger size screen come in equal or higher ppi.... but i think offering the option to people while not sacrifising the apple dev/app ecosystems is probably the most important factor.....

my mum loves her ipad and would love the same os for her phone but hated the iphone compare to her S3 because the screen is too small for her to see and interact with.... there's just such a huge market for the bigger size irrespective of the decrease in screen quality..... forget about it not being innovative, if apple doesn't meet market demands and keep making the money they are making, then they won't have a chance to release whatever other truely innovative products they may have under wraps..... in some ways I think their reluctance to go the bigger screen because of their own pride have allowed the rest of the market to catch up......

i know a lot of people will disagree with me here (especially here).... i love all my apple products but i haven't had an iphone since the 3GS (screen size was only one of the initial reasons for my change).... i would love to come back to the fold (for the apps etc) but i really can't at the moment now that i'm used to my 4.8 inch screen... it's just hard to navigate and use any smaller screen....

I agree. People love bigger things. Just look at us Americans. SUV's and McMansions. It's the American dream. Go big or go home

 

[CDutch]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I'm not bothering to read 10 pages of posts...why not use the iPad 2/iPad Mini resolution? I have to imagine that would be a retina display for 5" device and you're not introducing a new resolution to developers.

 

[mkoesel]

They already did it with the iPad Mini And those cheapo plastic non-retina iphones coming soon

When apple starts positioning non-retina devices above their retina counterparts I will agree with you.

I suspect, however, that you will be waiting a long time for this to happen. Disagree? The only possible chance for it in my opinion is a retina iMac 21 preceding a retina iMac 28. But even that is not necessarily likely. And those are computers while I was referring to phones.

 

[dampfnudel]

Apple offers multiple screen sizes with their MacBooks and iPads, why leave the iPhone out. Give us a choice between a 4" display and a display larger than 4.5".

 

[fertilized-egg]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I'm not bothering to read 10 pages of posts...why not use the iPad 2/iPad Mini resolution? I have to imagine that would be a retina display for 5" device and you're not introducing a new resolution to developers.

Yes you are because iPad apps will be too cramped in the 5" display and the apps will have to be redesigned for the phone. The app compatibility is the reason why Apple didnt use the iPhone resolution for iPad Mini and will probably be the reason why they will keep the resolution for a larger iPhone if that becomes a real product, or at least that's the current speculation.

 

[pocketdoc]

I would also buy a 5 inch phone and want one very soon.

It may be your opinion that 4 inches is the right size, but that is YOUR opinion. Do not presume that that applies to everyone.

Android is passing Apple in many ways in this regard. Some are even leaving for the bigger screens. I would think that adding a larger screen phone would sell well.

No flaming. Everyone has their own thoughts...

 

[mkoesel]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I'm not bothering to read 10 pages of posts...why not use the iPad 2/iPad Mini resolution? I have to imagine that would be a retina display for 5" device and you're not introducing a new resolution to developers.

The iPad 2 and iPad Mini have a resolution of 1024x768. At 5" that is 256 PPI which is less than the proposition in the original post.

(Special thanks to the guy who pointed out this site: http://www.pxcalc.com)

 

[melendezest]

Why are people who don't want a bigger-screened phone complaining about this? Apple will not kill the current iPhone.

Adding one more phone size is not going to turn Apple back into Sculley-land.

Please, people, stop exaggerating and blowing this way out of proportion.

Fact: There is a market for larger-screened phones.
Fact: There is a market for small-screened phones as well.
Fact: Apple has ceded the large-screen phone market. They don't play in it.

There is nowhere for Apple to go with their cash cow. There is only so much innovation that can occur here, but there is room for growth if they target a different customer with larger screened iPhones.

Not playing in that space is a mistake; they are allowing users to wean themselves out of the Apple ecosystem and giving Google (and others) the opportunity to attract customers to theirs. Just like the iPod was a Halo device and led people to the Mac, the Nexus and Galaxy lines have the potential to become Halo devices. It is just not good business to stick to their guns on this one.

Again, this is not an issue of replacing the current iPhones with a bigger one (that would be counterproductive and stupid). It is an issue of adding just one more choice, smack-dab in the middle of the market.

Like many others here, I am a large screen fan and would buy a larger iPhone immediately, contract be damned.

And forget about Steve. He's gone. Not coming back. Like KnightWRX said in a different thread: "Steve said. Steve's dead". Let him go please, and let's move forward. He finished what he needed to do, what he started when he founded Apple. The iPhone/iPad was it. Easy computing for the masses. Mission accomplished. Now, give me one more choice, Apple, damn it!! (And bring back the 17 MBP!!)

 

[daneoni]

Well, you got what you want. Other people want something else.

Then they can go and get a Note/Note II, S3, 920 or Droid DNA.

 

[Jaimi]

A larger screen with no real increase in real estate is essentially useless, unless you value sacrificing PPI for size.

It's not useless for me, or the other 3 billion people in the world that are 40 or over.
I would buy this phone at full price if they would offer it today.

 

[SpectatorHere]

Wouldn't it be something if Apple's big stock crash really boiled down to one iPhone model people didn't gravitate towards in adequate numbers?

The iPhone 5 just may be a dud. There certainly aren't many going around claiming they love it. I have one and I can't say I'm excited by it. It is better than then my old iPhone 4, but not by much. It's always seemed oddly long, narrow, thin, and flat. Again, I'm not saying I hate it, but it's just not as cool as the other iPhones were at launch.

A big iPhone might just turn Apple's fortunes right back around. Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised, after all, how is the SGIII so innovative? It has bad battery life, the screen isn't nearly as good as an iPhone, it's even more delicate and breaks easier than an iPhone 4/4s...it wasn't LTE until the iPhone 5. The big innovation for many people with the SGIII is simply display size. To those same many people, Apple's small screen seems tired and old...even though Apple obviously could have gone with any size they wished.

 

[dampfnudel]

Why are people who don't want a bigger-screened phone complaining about this? Apple will not kill the current iPhone.

Adding one more phone size is not going to turn Apple back into Sculley-land.

Please, people, stop exaggerating and blowing this way out of proportion.

Fact: There is a market for larger-screened phones.
Fact: There is a market for small-screened phones as well.
Fact: Apple has ceded the large-screen phone market. They don't play in it.

There is nowhere for Apple to go with their cash cow. There is only so much innovation that can occur here, but there is room for growth if they target a different customer with larger screened iPhones.

Not playing in that space is a mistake; they are allowing users to wean themselves out of the Apple ecosystem and giving Google (and others) the opportunity to attract customers to theirs. Just like the iPod was a Halo device and led people to the Mac, the Nexus and Galaxy lines have the potential to become Halo devices. It is just not good business to stick to their guns on this one.

Again, this is not an issue of replacing the current iPhones with a bigger one (that would be counterproductive and stupid). It is an issue of adding just one more choice, smack-dab in the middle of the market.

Like many others here, I am a large screen fan and would buy a larger iPhone immediately, contract be damned.

And forget about Steve. He's gone. Not coming back. Like KnightWRX said in a different thread: "Steve said. Steve's dead". Let him go please, and let's move forward. He finished what he needed to do, what he started when he founded Apple. The iPhone/iPad was it. Easy computing for the masses. Mission accomplished. Now, give me one more choice, Apple, damn it!! (And bring back the 17 MBP!!)

I agree with you almost 100 percent (no need for the 17 MBP to come back IMO).

 

[TheIguana]

Has Apple learned nothing from what happened to them in the 90s. Just because you can have a big product line doesn't mean you should. It is starting to seem like serious brand dilution with them trying to appease every single consumer "wish."

 

[kalsta]

Perhaps for "evidence" you should look at the fact that the Galaxy S III is outselling the Iphone V in most markets.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with me? As I said right before the bit you quoted, 'IF … Apple does go with an even larger screen, it will most certainly be a reaction to the market'.

 

[SpectatorHere]

Has Apple learned nothing from what happened to them in the 90s. Just because you can have a big product line doesn't mean you should. It is starting to seem like serious brand dilution with them trying to appease every single consumer "wish."

They know that very well.

What they also know is that their company has lost 1/3 of its value since they launched the iPhone 5.

They aren't doing this for charity, so they'll be rolling out a large iPhone 6 soon.

 

[JoeG4]

Let's do the following:

1) make an iphone with a competing LARGER SCREEN such as 5" keeping the high ppi
2) Make the camera worthy of use; enhance the DR, enhance the auto focus, allow some kind of microSD card for video/still image output so i can go to costco and print my goddam pictures without a computer, and put in a real xenon flash

Do the above 2 things, you're gonna sell 10 million in one day.

I get the feeling Apple should just introduce an Extreme product line; Have a larger phone that supports everything, has a really amazing camera, and MicroSD that doesn't require the ridiculous slot most phones have. Give it twice as much storage space and RAM as a regular iPhone has..

Introduce a 13" (and 15" macbook extreme). They'd have retina screens, bluray burners, and fusion drives. The 13" would be around the same size as the current 13" (maybe 1.1" thick or something to allow for more battery and cooling to handle a discrete GPU),

The 15" could have a tapered design like the macbook air, going from say 0.7" to 1.2" (yea, kinda chunky). On the other hand, it could have a ridiculous GPU and not fry your lap if you used it. Again, high end discrete GPU, lots of RAM, a retina screen, fusion drive - maybe this could have 2 SATA slots instead.

I'd love to see Apple make a workstation class laptop for once instead of just selling $700 laptops in $2000 cases.

 

[Oracle1729]

This would be a first day pre-order for me.

I'm not holding my breath though and have every expectation I'll have to get used to android on my next phone.

 

[Renzatic]

Has Apple learned nothing from what happened to them in the 90s. Just because you can have a big product line doesn't mean you should. It is starting to seem like serious brand dilution with them trying to appease every single consumer "wish."

I guess so, considering they haven't repeated any of their past mistakes on that front.

Right now, just about every Apple product with a screen has 2 selections to choose from. You've got the iPod Touch and the iPod Nano. The iPad and iPad Mini. the 11" and 13" Macbook Airs. The 13" and 15" retina/classic Macbook Pros. The 21" and 27" iMacs. The 4" iPhone, and...nuuuhhhhh.

Adding a larger iPhone to the lineup wouldn't exactly cause widespread consumer panic. If anything, it'd bring the iPhone in line with everything else they offer.

 

[Maschil]

I guess so, considering they haven't repeated any of their past mistakes on that front.

Right now, just about every Apple product with a screen has 2 selections to choose from. You've got the iPod Touch and the iPod Nano. The iPad and iPad Mini. the 11" and 13" Macbook Airs. The 13" and 15" retina/classic Macbook Pros. The 21" and 27" iMacs. The 4" iPhone, and...nuuuhhhhh.

Adding a larger iPhone to the lineup wouldn't exactly cause widespread consumer panic. If anything, it'd bring the iPhone in line with everything else they offer.

excellent point never noticed this... i think they should.... before 5 inches was way to large but after using the nexus 4 if my fingers can touch all points of the screen. then its good to go

 

[AppleScruff1]

Why don't they make the new iPhone with the retina iPad's resolution on a 5 inch screen?

2048 x 1536 resolution with a 512 PPI would be sick.

That would be killer. They need to widen it up a bit. It's too skinny now.

 

[mkoesel]

I would also buy a 5 inch phone and want one very soon.

It may be your opinion that 4 inches is the right size, but that is YOUR opinion. Do not presume that that applies to everyone.

Android is passing Apple in many ways in this regard. Some are even leaving for the bigger screens. I would think that adding a larger screen phone would sell well.

No flaming. Everyone has their own thoughts...

I think that, generally speaking:

- Most people do want a larger screen, or at least would not dismiss one outright, sight unseen, if made aware of the option.

- Most of the people (perhaps approaching all of them) who really do believe they don't want a larger screen in reality simply don't want a larger device. If their current phone were replaced by an identically sized device tonight while they slept, except that the impostor device had a larger screen (and therefore a smaller bezel) they would perhaps not even notice right away, and would in all liklihood be delighted once they did.

- Most people don't want a screen with a lower pixel density, or at the very least would not dismiss any device without such a feature outright, sight unseen, if made aware of alternative options.

- Most of the people (perhaps approaching all of them) who really do believe they want a screen with a lower pixel density simply don't want smaller icons, fonts, and UI elements. If their current phone were replaced by an identically sized device tonight while they slept, except that the impostor device has a higher pixel density screen (and identically sized UI as before) they would perhaps not even notice right away, and be delighted once they did.

So, indeed, the fact that Apple grew the iPhone's size to provide the new larger screen for the iPhone 5 probably put some people off, even though it also got thinner and lighter. And I agree that if that trend continues it's not a good thing. Articles like the one that is the topic of this thread touch a nerve because they sort of suggest the trend may or could continue. In addition, in this case we are talking about sacrificing pixel density too. Doubly bad.

The current iPhone 5 is 4.87" x 2.31". For a moment let's suppose that a 5" x 2.5" phone is really as big any anyone who has "grown up" with the iPhone from the beginning is willing to tolerate. So just slightly larger than what we have today. Still very manageable, and noticeably smaller than a Galaxy S3 at 5.38" x 2.78" or, certainly, a Note II at 5.95" x 3.16".

Now, let's consider the current state of the art phone screen: 5" diagonal, 1920x1080. Such a screen has a pixel density of 440 PPI and its dimensions are 4.36" × 2.45".

So put simply, if Apple can deliver the device at the size and screen size I mention above, then pretty much everyone would be happy, assuming battery life does not suffer vs. the outgoing model (we'll assume advancements allow for this).

I personally think that device will arrive sooner than later, although probably not for the iPhone 6, and maybe not the 7. In the meantime, though, we'll get incrementally more pixels and smaller bezels, but I don't think the phone will get bigger than what I outline above, and I don't think pixel density will get lower than it is today.