As we've learned over the years, tech blogs are filled with comments by a very vocal minority.
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New A9-Based 4-Inch iPhone Expected to Launch Early 2016 With Apple Pay and Colorful Metal Casing
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As we've learned over the years, tech blogs are filled with comments by a very vocal minority.
I could say the same thing about a 2 inch phone.
There is simply no way to actually test this other than releasing a 2 inch phone.
The world has changed. People are using their phones very differently than when the iPhone first came out. larger screens are expected, especially for premium level phones.
Apple does a ton of research, especially on iPhone their most important product.
Tech blogs are also constantly telling me that nobody likes small phones....yet I see 5C's, 5S's and 4S's all over the place, all the time.
huh?
2"?
Nobody is saying "test every possible thing".
I guess you (and perhaps Apple) were wrong about 4" phones if they are even considering bringing them back though, 'eh?
And you keep saying "the world has changed" - You know what hasn't? The size of my hand. Bring on the 4"! ;-)
Anyway, not sure why this bothers some people. If you don't want a 4", don't worry about it.
The problem is miniaturization is expensive. There's a reason you don't see smaller Android phones - it's because shrinking down powerful components and getting suitable battery life is very very difficult. What Apple was able to achieve with the iPhone 5s was remarkable because of their custom silicon, i.e. the custom built A7 chip.
Now the trends do indicate people like larger phones, and larger Android phones can be thanked for that. I remember being jealous of my friend's S5 screen, but my battery on my iPhone 5 outlasted his. Simply put, Android had to implement bigger screens due to battery and performance issues, and the bigger screens caught on. I think it's a decent trend, and I'm more than happy with the my iPhone 6.
But shrinking iPhone 6 components down and getting the performance/battery ratio correct is a difficult engineering problem. I think if anyone can do it, it's Apple, but they probably want to maximize their ROI on it. So they're not going to go feature rich on a downward trend that is smaller screen sizes.
Fair enough
Give me the older specs then. I just want Apple Pay on a 4" phone. lol
I'm tired of carrying around a patio paver in my pocket just for Apple Pay
(no I don't want the watch, please no mentioning that.)
All this speculation is meaningless because a phone is more than this or that specification. I honestly don't know why I would care about a faster CPU -- the email and apps for which I use my 5s don't seem to overly tax the system. However, if the A9 is more efficient and thus delivers better battery life from the same size package, then I'll be interested. If the camera specs don't change, then I'll be less interested. And so on.
As for why people would want a 4" phone instead of a larger one, there are several reasons. The top one for me is that I have accessories such as my Mophie juicepack case that I don't particularly want to have to re-purchase for my next phone. The only reason I haven't upgraded to the 6s is the combination of unimpressive batter life and the phone not fitting my $100+ battery case. If Apple fixes either of those then I'll likely upgrade. But I won't get angry with you for having a different point of view.
As for why people would want a 4" phone instead of a larger one, there are several reasons. The top one for me is that I have accessories such as my Mophie juicepack case that I don't particularly want to have to re-purchase for my next phone. The only reason I haven't upgraded to the 6s is the combination of unimpressive batter life and the phone not fitting my $100+ battery case. If Apple fixes either of those then I'll likely upgrade. But I won't get angry with you for having a different point of view.
I've written final stab, not deadly stab.
An old style true Apple lover needs more than this to die
No 2GB of RAM, no 12MP camera, no buy.
I currently have a 5S and absolutely love it. It's fast, runs excellent, and has no signs of stopping (that is...unless I update it to the inevitable iOS10 or 11). If the iPhone 7 Mini keeps 1 GB of RAM, 8MP camera, and no force touch...then there is literally no reason for me to upgrade from my 5S.
I won't go for a 4.7 inch screen model. The form factor is meh, and I hate reachability mode. This is coming from someone who has had an iPhone 4, 4S, Galaxy S4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Galaxy S6 Edge, and an iPhone 5S. The form factor and screen size of the 5S is perfect (and I am a six foot guy with big hands).
A big "NOPE" towards Apple, if this is all true.
I currently have a 5S and absolutely love it. It's fast, runs excellent, and has no signs of stopping (that is...unless I update it to the inevitable iOS10 or 11). If the iPhone 7 Mini keeps 1 GB of RAM, 8MP camera, and no force touch...then there is literally no reason for me to upgrade from my 5S.
I won't go for a 4.7 inch screen model. The form factor is meh, and I hate reachability mode. This is coming from someone who has had an iPhone 4, 4S, Galaxy S4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Galaxy S6 Edge, and an iPhone 5S. The form factor and screen size of the 5S is perfect (and I am a six foot guy with big hands).
A big "NOPE" towards Apple, if this is all true.
Economics also tell you that those are the most affordable iPhones, and that perhaps cost of purchase is a factor in why you see so many of these devices.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a research note corroborating rumors that Apple will release a new 4-inch iPhone next year, which he believes will resemble an upgraded iPhone 5s and launch in early 2016.
Kuo expects the new 4-inch iPhone to have an A9 chip manufactured by both TSMC and Samsung, 2.5D cover glass with curved edges like on the iPhone 6s, NFC for Apple Pay, metal casing with at least two to three color options, and identical camera specs to the iPhone 5s -- an 8-MP rear-facing camera and 1.2-MP front shooter.
Kuo forecasted that full-year shipments of the new 4-inch iPhone will reach 20 million units, with production beginning in the first quarter of 2016. The research note said the new 4-inch iPhone could be priced at between $400 and $500 in the U.S., which would be $149 to $249 cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 6s.
The analyst also reaffirmed that the iPhone 6s may not outsell the iPhone 6, with a possible 30%-40% decline in quarter-over-quarter shipments, based on recently slowed orders within the supply chain. Kuo believes the new 4-inch iPhone could help the slowdown for suppliers.Kuo added the iPhone 7 will enter mass production in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.
Article Link: New A9-Based 4-Inch iPhone Expected to Launch Early 2016 With Apple Pay and Colorful Metal Casing
Don't get me wrong...I hope they do make a new 4" phone. Choices are great.
I think the A9 is highly plausible. Here's why:
Early next year, the 5s will have been the remaining/current/top 4" iPhone for ~1.5 years (not counting its first year, when there were no larger iPhones). Then the "6c" will come out with an A9 processor. 6 mos. later the iPhone ~7/7+ will come out and the 6/6+ will drop out. So very soon (looking at the chart above) there will be only A9 and A10 processors. This will be simpler (and maybe more economical) for Apple, and consumers will benefit as well. If they want to stop all A7/A8 production I think they can update the iPod touch reasonably easily - especially after having created this phone. The market for the 4" phone should be small enough that they no longer have to worry about cannibalizing sales with an equally powerful iPod touch.
The A9 will allow the new 4" iPhone to remain current for 1.5 years. At that point they'll evaluate whether they want to make any more 4" phones. And if sales turn out to be poor, they'll know it's not because it was under-powered, but that most people probably don't want that screen size any more.
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..and a couple of years ago all the tech blogs said phablets were a joke haha that no one wanted. Most here parroted what they read. It's an echo-chamber where everyone loves smelling theiown farts.
There is room for both. I want each for different reasons. It's never one or the other.
Used to have the blue 5c and really liked the form and size. Now I have the 6 plus and its way more troublesome to bring along. To justify my next iPhone buy I seriously would consider a smaller 5C like phone. At least when I see the horrible pricetag for the 6s/plus s. We have to pay $1000 for the 6s 64gb in Norway. Or maybe #droid up for keeps again....
The pendulum swings. Cell phones started out the size of of large bricks. For many years after, smaller was more desirable by those who could afford it. The tinier the flip or candy bar, the better, and the more people would pay for it.
Then for just the past few years, bigger was seen as more desirable by some.
Now, it may be that the pendulum swings back for those who don't want something that doesn't fit as well in their hand or makes a bulge in their pocket. There are a ton of wealthy people with small hands and small pockets, and who maybe already have tablets (iPad Mini's, etc.) sitting by their couch.
When fashion models start carrying smaller mobile devices, tiny iPhones might become sexy again. The latest iOS SDK still supports the 4s. Maybe a new 3.5" iPhone in 2018?
Then for just the past few years, bigger was seen as more desirable by some.
Now, it may be that the pendulum swings back for those who don't want something that doesn't fit as well in their hand or makes a bulge in their pocket. There are a ton of wealthy people with small hands and small pockets, and who maybe already have tablets (iPad Mini's, etc.) sitting by their couch.
When fashion models start carrying smaller mobile devices, tiny iPhones might become sexy again. The latest iOS SDK still supports the 4s. Maybe a new 3.5" iPhone in 2018?
Actually I do want a 3.5 inch phone again. But I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed.
I'm hoping this rumor is true because I would like to get my kid a new iPhone in a few months. My mother-in-law could use an upgrade from her iPhone 3-something. And so MIL could get the iPhone 5s my daughter currently has since MIL only uses iPhones for emergency calls and the occasional game of bejeweled. So it would be a nice transition for the whole family if Apple releases this iPhone.
The 6's are too big for my kid and too expensive. This one should be just right and would be possible for her to earn or save up for at least halfway and we could pay for the other half. She's responsible enough so far with the hand-me-down that I'm comfortable getting her a new phone.
I think if they are going to keep the small portable form factor it SHOULD be the old 3.5. That was a real nice pocketable device. It would certainly work for me as the less intrusive model. And I think a lot of people who would own a 3.5 would also have a bigger second iPhone. For me a top of the line 3.5 would be my daily driver and the bigger one would be my second iphone.
Your use case is 1 in 10,000
How on earth do you use two phones? Do you just switch the SIM card each time?
Lot's of people have more than one cell phone. Far more than 0.01% Like one paid for by work and a private one for Tinder/et.al. See: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304432604579475303715000912
I think a shorter 3.5" version of a 5/5s style iPhone would be great. But I'm not so sure its battery life would be good enough. The 5s is filled with battery.