Survey Shows Strong Consumer Interest in Larger-Screen iPhone 6

[junkster]

So much of this hinges on how easy it is for developers to support all the different display sizes.

At the moment you need to design for 640x960 and 640x1136. For most apps that's more work than most people realize. Then you also want to support iPad, which is both a different resolution and different aspect ratio. That's the big reason you don't see more apps with native iPad support; it's too much trouble to redesign everything.

Now add two more display sizes into the mix.

This isn't just about whether or not people want bigger phones. It's about whether developers can design beautiful apps--and redesign all of their already released apps--for those phones.

 

[willcapellaro]

Of course it will have a different resolution and of course developers will be impacted. You can’t increase the screen size and keep the same resolutions unless you like seeing dots all over the place. And developers will have at minimum 3 resolutions to worry about. If history tells us anything over 99% of the apps on release day will not take advantage of the large screen. Apps are going to have black bars or maybe Apple finds a way to expand apps to fill the screen in iOS 8 until those apps can be re-written.
I would be shocked if Apple uses the same Retina resolution on a larger device. It would be logical but Retina today has much less meaning when you have Android phones over 400 and 500 dpi.

Assuming it's still 16x9, I bet scaling will not look as bad as the first non-retina apps on iPhone 4.

Apple will have to incentivize developers to update by giving them a higher margin on apps sales like they did back then.

 

[Lifes]

I don't want a bigger screen, I like the 4-inch ... am I the only one? People with bigger screens look ridiculously.

 

[cdmoore74]

I don't want a bigger screen, I like the 4-inch ... am I the only one? People with bigger screens look ridiculously.

I think I speak for everyone here that Apple should not get rid of 4” altogether. All I’m saying is that we should have options. I believe that 3 sizes could co-exist at any given time. Look at the iPad mini and iPad Air. Other than physical size and a very minor cpu attributes there’s not much difference between the 2. Also compare that to the Note 3 and the Galaxy S4; both have 1920x1080 displays and similar processors yet one is 5.0” and the other is 5.7”. Why can’t Apple do the same with a 4”, 4.7” and 5.5” iPhone? I would even live with 4” and 4.7”.
Don’t blame people for wanting a larger device? Blame Apple for not making choices.

 

[Glideslope]

Count me in… but I would not go for the biggest size… either the current size or the 4.7… all depends on how easy the bigger phones are to carry. I don't want a brick in my pocket.

Agreed. I think the 4.7 may be the big seller. Personally, I could be tempted with the 4.7. Need to see the screens first.

 

[bzero]

Where's the "heck no" option?

 

[xmichaelp]

You people that don't think Apple is releasing a larger iPhone KILL me. You really think they're sticking to 4" on the new phone? Give me a break.

The denial is hilarious. I saw "Apple will NEVER release a phone bigger than 5'' the other day.

And the "giving into the market demand isn't innovation" thing is funny too. As if staying at 4'' forever is innovative.

 

[Tech198]

Isn't the whole point of a survey to be as accurate as possible??

How can you bring this numbers as accurate, if its rumoured and not actually in use yet ?

This survey will change.

 

[The Game 161]

Screen size is a big reason I left the iphone in the first place. Bigger phones aren’t for everybody know. I’m to the extreme..I have the 5.7 note 3 and the 12.2 note pro. I love the bigger screens for on the go and at home. Depends on your needs. But least with Samsung they give you an option for what size you want and now apple will be doing the same. Which is great.

 

[zipa]

Where in the question does it say larger screen?

Right here:

40% of respondents indicated they are 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to buy an iPhone 6 that is described as having a "larger screen size" and a "faster processor" along with an "updated iOS operating system" at a starting price of $199 with a two year contract.

 

[zipa]

A phone that requires 2 hands to use would never, and I literally mean it, never be helpful to me. I wouldn't be able to answer calls. I wouldn't be able to check and reply to a quick message form the wife. I wouldn't be able to catch up on news while pinning/holding a kid for a nap.

None of these activities require more than one hand on any current phone on the market. All these things are done in the bottom third of the phone on all phones, so it doesn't matter whether or not you can reach the remaining 70% or so of the screen with your thumb.

 

[TroyBoy30]

Your two examples are taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 5/s. How does that assist the argument that people are assuming a larger display means larger phone?

sorry, i should have said tablet sized phone. both of those phones are only slightly larger than the iphone with a much larger screen. if i could make calls on my nexus 7 i would, but i don't have girl hands like most here

 

[rsocal]

Screen size increase is a given with iPhone 6

Don't worry, I'm positive Apple is going to increase screen size!

Apple is an incredibly smart company and understands a bigger screen size is now needed for iPhone 6! Possibly 2 choices, the 4.7 and 5.5 would be great for the people who now prefer 5 or bigger! I'm sure it's going to bring back some people that switched to Galaxy S3/4/5 or Note for the screen size. I know 2 people who have been biting the bullet to go back to an iPhone with a screen size increase.

I myself love the iPhone 5/5s size and welcome the 4.7in.(5) screen size increase but do not need the 5.5. When I need bigger then my iPhone I use my iPad Air or even my MacBook Pro.

I think the 4.7 will be perfect for myself
The 5.5 is perfect for people choosing not to have a tablet and just a phone to serve both functions of a tablet & phone.

 

[1Zach1]

sorry, i should have said tablet sized phone. both of those phones are only slightly larger than the iphone with a much larger screen. if i could make calls on my nexus 7 i would, but i don't have girl hands like most here

I currently use an HTC One X+, which is a 4.7" screen. I don't have any trouble carrying it in my pockets whether it's jeans or a suit, or operating it.

My biggest issue is that this is a 2 year old design, if Apple can't make a phone with a 4.7" screen that is physically smaller than the X+, they just aren't trying hard enough.

 

[redscull]

None of these activities require more than one hand on any current phone on the market. All these things are done in the bottom third of the phone on all phones, so it doesn't matter whether or not you can reach the remaining 70% or so of the screen with your thumb.

What? Maybe I just didn't feel like typing an exhaustive list of everything I do on a phone. I certainly need to reach everywhere on the screen quite regularly. The URL bar and generic "back link" in most apps are at the top of the screen. And those are critical to app use.

You do make an interesting observation though. If there were literally no touch interaction points outside of my thumb arc, because the top and sides were 100% exclusive content-only, the screen could actually be much larger and still 1 hand operable. Assuming it wasn't too big to grip securely. But current iOS has me quite regularly touching all 4 corners of the screen.

 

[Naimfan]

Count me among those who would buy a larger screen iPhone. I have a 5 now and it feels too small. My wife has a 4S and I find it unusable - I don't know how I put up with a 3GS as long as I did.

That said, I'd have to see and hold both a 4.7 and 5.5 to determine preference. I can imagine the 5.5 verging on too big or being just right, and many people I know are in the same place.

 

[zipa]

What? Maybe I just didn't feel like typing an exhaustive list of everything I do on a phone. I certainly need to reach everywhere on the screen quite regularly.

I get that, but I'm also pretty sure that most people do not have one hand tied up most of the time they do something that requires more than a cursory involvement with their phone.

 

[redscull]

I get that, but I'm also pretty sure that most people do not have one hand tied up most of the time they do something that requires more than a cursory involvement with their phone.

I certainly can't claim to know what "most" people are doing, but I don't feel like I'm some small minority. It's literally very rarely that I can commit two hands to a phone, and the reason is generally the busyness of being a parent, of littles anyway. And being a parent isn't a small minority of the population.

When I'm not parenting, like at work, I certainly have two hands available. But that's completely irrelevant. I'll use a computer or tablet for whatever task. That's kind of the point. The only time I use a smartphone for tasks is specifically because I require its 1 handed convenience. If I am able to use 2 hands, I'm on a computer or tablet. The phone's entire purpose is to be the go-to portable, 1 hand device.

 

[Dave.UK]

Apple can get back lost marketshare with larger iPhones, isn't that the only reason people switched to android ?

I find it laughable that people honestly think that by Apple releasing a larger screen phone that millions of people will come flooding back!

----------

No. Many people buy on price instead of value. Many others simply have an ongoing hate for anything Apple because it represents a class of people that enjoy a better lifestyle than theirs.

Apple users have a better lifestyle then people that use Android phones?

Think ive heard it all now!

 

[Renzatic]

And the "giving into the market demand isn't innovation" thing is funny too. As if staying at 4'' forever is innovative.

Right. It's not like everything Apple does has to be entirely unprecedented and never before seen. Yeah, bigger screens. Plenty of companies have released plenty of larger phones since the iPhone first came out. Apple won't be blazing any new trails here, but...

In lieu of true innovation, I'll happily take a predictable but solid upgrade in the interim.

 

[ghost of jobs]

No. Many people buy on price instead of value. Many others simply have an ongoing hate for anything Apple because it represents a class of people that enjoy a better lifestyle than theirs.

Brilliant, but its this egotistical up your own @rse attitude which aliens folk from Apple.. in the UK, which is by far not a cheap place to live.. u can get a ip5, with a good plan for 27 pounds a month all in... If this massive ammount suggests that the buyer is driving ferraris and drinking champagne every night well then I don't know..
In the USA the data plans are v similar, it's just the upfront cost.. 200 to 399 for flagship phones.. So that possible one off fee of 200 bucks extra means the owner of a 5s enjoyed a.better lifestyle.. Wow.. I bet you wear fake ugg boots and a Burberry baseball cap as well...

 

[brinary001]

In other news, the sky is blue and the Pope is Catholic.

 

[Dave.UK]

Brilliant, but its this egotistical up your own @rse attitude which aliens folk from Apple.. in the UK, which is by far not a cheap place to live.. u can get a ip5, with a good plan for 27 pounds a month all in... If this massive ammount suggests that the buyer is driving ferraris and drinking champagne every night well then I don't know..
In the USA the data plans are v similar, it's just the upfront cost.. 200 to 399 for flagship phones.. So that possible one off fee of 200 bucks extra means the owner of a 5s enjoyed a.better lifestyle.. Wow.. I bet you wear fake ugg boots and a Burberry baseball cap as well...

Exactly. Nearly every chav I see has an iPhone - hardly those with an exclusive lifestyle.

I even bet Vicky Pollard has an iPhone and an iPad.

 

[Dontazemebro]

And in other news Apple starts with an A

 

[briPhone]

After about a decade of reading here, I finally registered to comment on this one.

I think that big issue on why folks are jumping at an iPhone6 versus the last few models isn't the screen size, but rather how many (myself included) came into the iPhone fold with the iPhone4 and have continued to use that same model for 3+ years now to the maximum length of new software-upgrade support (realizing that iOS8 isn't going to be supported by it). Remember that that was the model first sold on non-AT&T platforms and the one that really exploded in sales among folks who had waited years for one without wanted to change providers (as a Verizon customer, I was one of those).

While the tech savvy are known to upgrade annually or every two years, there's also the group that uses a phone until it wears out or is no longer supported -- and true to form, the iPhone4 is a hell of a beast. As such, it's outlasted a 2-year contract period, so many of us holding on to grandfathered unlimited plans have kept ours as long as Apple supports it via software upgrades. Even if releases like Siri have not been supported and parts of iOS7 have been disabled, it's been worth it to save the money of buying a new smartphone and getting a new plan.

However, the development of new philosophies in interaction between mobile tech -- growth of the cloud, iBeacon, talk of Siri in AppleTV and/or Macs -- is the advent of a paradigmatic change in iOS8 and beyond, software that *won't* be supported by those phones bought up by the crop of folks on Verizon/Sprint/etc who got the iPhone4 when AT&T's exclusivity ran out. As such, the iPhone6 is not just a new iPhone, but it's the replacement for that long-term user, the same way that an iPhone5 may have been for an earlier AT&T customer. This new model just happens to also subsume any iPhone 4 AT&T customers (remember that the model was placed to be the obvious replacement for the original in the same cycle AND a major tech advancement too).

-----

P.S. As a long-time iPhone4, I actually hate the idea of a 4.7" or larger screen -- I still find the 4" screen of current models to big for my tiny, tiny hands (I'm the largish man that one will find shopping in the children's glove section) -- the propensity for large screens is one reason that I've steered away from Android; hell, the growth of controller size is partly why I don't join my fellow thirtysomethings in playing videogames!