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Small iPhone to Have Edge to Edge Screen, Voice Navigation?
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Edge to edge would make the phone very difficult to use. You need that tiny bit of Bezel so the chubby-ness of your fingers doesn't interfere with using the device.
If this small iPhone really does happen, I may buy my first new iPhone. The current iPhones are too expensive to buy outright imo. When I look at the price for the 32GB iPhone, I keep on thinking I could get a good Mac Mini instead.
I hope this rumour is true.
I hope this rumour is true.
Voice navigation Shuffle-style: press and hold the button 3 times in a row, and the voice will read out the possible things you can do. Press it again to do the thing it says.
I don't know about you guys, but while voice navigation sounds cool, I would never really use it. I feel stupid saying commands to a phone, and especially when I have to repeat them 5 times for it to get it right. Then of course by that time you could just have done it with your hands.
But the rest sounds good, if this is really true, they are probably making the device much smaller, but only making the screen slightly smaller. And since the screen already touches the edges as much as possible on the sides, they are probably going to cut off the top and bottom (speaker and home button part) of the phone. That's something I think they should do with the normal-sized iPhone as well, if they can. Well, I'm sure they will do it as soon as it is technically possible!
I don't know about you guys, but while voice navigation sounds cool, I would never really use it. I feel stupid saying commands to a phone, and especially when I have to repeat them 5 times for it to get it right. Then of course by that time you could just have done it with your hands.
But the rest sounds good, if this is really true, they are probably making the device much smaller, but only making the screen slightly smaller. And since the screen already touches the edges as much as possible on the sides, they are probably going to cut off the top and bottom (speaker and home button part) of the phone. That's something I think they should do with the normal-sized iPhone as well, if they can. Well, I'm sure they will do it as soon as it is technically possible!
iPhone Nano : Now includes sandpaper. The iPhone nano will happen when the 7" iPad does. If you haven't noticed, screen sizes have gotten bigger with smartphones. Apple won't go backwards. WSJ is wrong. And if you haven't noticed, the competitors are moving to iPad screen size, not the other way around. Apple would have to include some awesome sandpaper with these alleged products.
Imagine if you will that Apple is trying to steal market share from Android by creating more choices.
This summer, iPhone 4 stays and is just called iPhone. And then they introduce the iPhone Nano (same screen as ipod touch 4 but no bezel at all) and also an iPhone Pro, 4" screen with small bezel around it and same retina resolution. Then their lineup becomes:
iPhone Nano : $0 on contract
iPhone: $199 on contract
iPhone Pro: $299 on contract
Now come back to reality and realize Apple will never do this. An iPhone nano, maybe, but im still doubtful about any of it. None of this fits Apples "one size fits all and makes us boatloads of cash" design.
This summer, iPhone 4 stays and is just called iPhone. And then they introduce the iPhone Nano (same screen as ipod touch 4 but no bezel at all) and also an iPhone Pro, 4" screen with small bezel around it and same retina resolution. Then their lineup becomes:
iPhone Nano : $0 on contract
iPhone: $199 on contract
iPhone Pro: $299 on contract
Now come back to reality and realize Apple will never do this. An iPhone nano, maybe, but im still doubtful about any of it. None of this fits Apples "one size fits all and makes us boatloads of cash" design.
It sounds very interesting. After cutting out a peice of cardboard the size of the screen and holding it, it does feel quite small, they would need to make it feel comfortable and still includle a camera which would be a challenge, but at $200 and free w/contract could get a lot of the people who would opt for a cheap Android.
To be fair, nothing in this release says that the iPhone nano would have a smaller screen size--just a smaller form factor. But I agree this would all make a lot more sense if we were talking about a 3.7" iPhone nano and a 4.0" or 4.3" iPhone.
Roughly 1/3rd of the current iPhone screen is unusable, with narrow vertical bands on each side and larger horizontal strips of unusable space at the top and bottom of the display. If it is really possible to have a usable screen that extends to all four sides of an iPhone that is 1/3rd the current size, wouldn't the usable display be about the same size as the usable display on the iPhone 4.
Personally, I would prefer a slightly larger phone having a usable display that extends to all four sides.
Personally, I would prefer a slightly larger phone having a usable display that extends to all four sides.
This is not going to happen. Let's think in terms of business. If they released a similarly capable phone for less than the 4, nobody would buy the 4. The iphone 4 is basically like printing money. Apple is smarter than this although it makes for good news to sell papers with.
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Voice control? I've never gotten the current voice garbage to work well.
Voice control? I've never gotten the current voice garbage to work well.
This rumor suggests that Apple will be integrating in the tech they bought when they acquired Siri last year. Not a big stretch.
John Gruber touched on this a few minutes ago:
"As for the smaller iPhone, I doubt the screen will be much smaller than 3.5 inches diagonally (if at all). Im guessing its just thinner and with a smaller chin and forehead. But this Journal story says One of the people, who saw a prototype of a new iPhone several months ago, said the new device is intended to be sold alongside the current line of iPhones and would be about half the size of the iPhone 4. Its unclear what half the size means, but surely it doesnt mean a 1.75-inch diagonal screen."
"As for the smaller iPhone, I doubt the screen will be much smaller than 3.5 inches diagonally (if at all). Im guessing its just thinner and with a smaller chin and forehead. But this Journal story says One of the people, who saw a prototype of a new iPhone several months ago, said the new device is intended to be sold alongside the current line of iPhones and would be about half the size of the iPhone 4. Its unclear what half the size means, but surely it doesnt mean a 1.75-inch diagonal screen."
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I could see this happening. And furthermore, the iPod classic and shuffle discontinued. Then the current nano would become the new shuffle, an iPhone nano sized iPod touch would become the new iPod nano and the iPod touch renamed iPod.
In addition I could see the iPhone nano using either a retina quality 3.2" or 3.5" 3GS display. If the device uses a smaller display it could retain the front facing camera and home button or with the 3GS display drop them.
Lineup
iPod shuffle - current iPod nano
iPod nano - iPhone nano sized device
iPod - iPod touch renamed
iPhone - remains untouched
iPhone nano
I could see this happening. And furthermore, the iPod classic and shuffle discontinued. Then the current nano would become the new shuffle, an iPhone nano sized iPod touch would become the new iPod nano and the iPod touch renamed iPod.
In addition I could see the iPhone nano using either a retina quality 3.2" or 3.5" 3GS display. If the device uses a smaller display it could retain the front facing camera and home button or with the 3GS display drop them.
Lineup
iPod shuffle - current iPod nano
iPod nano - iPhone nano sized device
iPod - iPod touch renamed
iPhone - remains untouched
iPhone nano
That makes it a pretty pointless device, TBH. Doesn't differentiate the product line in any significant way (which is what they need).
A larger iPhone would be easier technically, but it would likely appeal mostly to 'Pro' users, and they aren't the market Apple needs to go for right now (the people growing the smartphone market are everyday users, who would likely prefer a smaller device).
The way I could see this working is like this: the iPhone gets LTE. The iPhone nano comes out with 3G only, with a slightly smaller screen but keeping the 480x320 resolution. All of that can be done in a ridiculously thin device (see iPod touch). The only remaining issue is with the keyboard. One solution would be to include a hardware keyboard, which would also solve a big gripe a lot of users have about the iPhone, further broadening appeal.
Having a slide-out keyboard is quite un-Apple like, but so is poor usability. Personally, I don't think an iPhone nano is going to come out for this very reason (incl. product differentiation), but if it were to happen, this is how it would.
Ok, everyone replying to this is saying that the UI will be destroyed...The article says it will be a smaller device, and have an edge to edge screen. Why are they assuming the screen will be smaller? They seem to forget that the current iPhone has a black border around the display. Isn't it possible that the device will shrink but the display stays the same size, getting rid of the black border (at least on the left and right sides)?
P.s. just registered for this site and think its funny how the thread comment plane uses a windows '98 looking UI.
P.s. just registered for this site and think its funny how the thread comment plane uses a windows '98 looking UI.
Wow, it's really lighter? I wonder how they could make a smaller phone weigh less?
i vote for them removing the optical drive. i bet most people dont use it on even a weekly basis.
OPTICAL MEDIA IS DEAD!
'finally'? - they seem to have been pretty successful on the old 'right move' front in recent years.
