There's a reason a taller screen makes sense.

M

Matt912836

macrumors newbie
Even though the screen only physically changed in one direction, the resolution has increased, meaning more content can be displayed. Enlarging the screen proportionally only means content will be visibly bigger, elongating the screen adds more vertically scroll-able content, meaning less scrolling, while keeping the horizontal resolution the same, thus very minimal changes have to be made for apps to work with the new iPhone. The main thing is more content is displayed. More notifications on your lock screen. More rows on the home screen. Longer notification center. Less scrolling overall, since most is scrolled through up and down, not left and right, it makes sense for a vertical increase in height. Also, making it wider will definitely hurt people with small hands. The point is that you can reach everything comfortably, for as many people as possible. Your thumb can reach further up and down more than it can left and right. Take your iPhone in your right hand and try to touch the top left corner with your thumb (top right corner for left handed people). Most people can reach that spot one handed, which is where the extra space would be. Try putting your thumb over the silent switch aligned with the front facing camera. That would be where the corner of the screen would be if width were added, a lot harder to reach.
 
Doesn't a wider AND taller screen mean even more content?

I wouldn't mind the iPhone a little wider in exchange for a larger screen.
 
irDigital0l said:
Doesn't a wider AND taller screen mean even more content?

I wouldn't mind the iPhone a little wider in exchange for a larger screen.
Click to expand...

But the wider screen doesn't add as much usefulness. It wouldn't be wide enough for split screens like the iPad, so you don't gain as much.
 
irDigital0l said:
Doesn't a wider AND taller screen mean even more content?

I wouldn't mind the iPhone a little wider in exchange for a larger screen.
Click to expand...

Increasing physical size horizontally would mean either less pixel density meaning not retina standard, or added resolution horizontally which would mean a lot more UI changes and fragmentation. Vertical only increase means minimal if not any UI changes (status bar stays the same, bottom bar of apps, etc) but with added functionality (more content). A vertical only increase is also a lot more visually noticeable and will probably look a lot bigger than you think, while a horizontal increase requires a more significant amount to be noticed.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
You neglected to read the last half of the OP.
Click to expand...

I did read it, you talked about people with small hands.

I really don't find it that hard at all. I mean people have two hands for a reason.

There's a point where it gets WAY too huge (talking about 4.8 inch and 5.5 inch).

But I mean, 4.3 feels great, just some of the Android phones I tried it on didn't feel as good as the iPhone.

In the end its all about compromises.

----------
Matt912836 said:
Increasing physical size horizontally would mean either less pixel density meaning not retina standard, or added resolution horizontally which would mean a lot more UI changes and fragmentation. Vertical only increase means minimal if not any UI changes (status bar stays the same, bottom bar of apps, etc) but with added functionality (more content). A vertical only increase is also a lot more visually noticeable and will probably look a lot bigger than you think, while a horizontal increase requires a more significant amount to be noticed.
Click to expand...

I would expect that if Apple chose to change to a different screen size, that they would stick with it for at least 5+ years.

I'm just not sure where 4-inches will go and whether Apple will bump it up several years later. Now that would be fragmentation.

Even if no horizontal increase, Apple should then utilize the extra vertical space more efficiently (aka not another row of icons).
 
irDigital0l said:
Even if no horizontal increase, Apple should then utilize the extra vertical space more efficiently (aka not another row of icons).
Click to expand...

What do you think they should do with the extra space on the home screen? I for one am glad that I'll be able to have more icons per screen. I can already do this since I'm jailbroken but it's nice to be able to do it on stock too.
 
All I know is that when I tilt my iPhone into landscape mode in Safari I don't usually think about the lack of screen to the sides but rather up and down. That is where the current iPhone really suffers and with the taller screen Apple completely ignores this problem.
 
therealjustin said:
All I know is that when I tilt my iPhone into landscape mode in Safari I don't usually think about the lack of screen to the sides but rather up and down. That is where the current iPhone really suffers and with the taller screen Apple completely ignores this problem.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. This is also a problem when using Mail or Messages in landscape mode... there's barely enough room for the keyboard, and you only get one line of text above it.

Apple addresses this in iOS 6 in Safari with full screen mode, but it's still not enough. We need a wider screen!
 
Taller doesn't make sense when text is consumed more than media,which is the case 90% of the time.
 
Matt912836 said:
Even though the screen only physically changed in one direction, the resolution has increased, meaning more content can be displayed. Enlarging the screen proportionally only means content will be visibly bigger, elongating the screen adds more vertically scroll-able content, meaning less scrolling, while keeping the horizontal resolution the same, thus very minimal changes have to be made for apps to work with the new iPhone. The main thing is more content is displayed.
Click to expand...

Matt912836 said:
Increasing physical size horizontally would mean either less pixel density meaning not retina standard, or added resolution horizontally which would mean a lot more UI changes and fragmentation. Vertical only increase means minimal if not any UI changes (status bar stays the same, bottom bar of apps, etc) but with added functionality (more content). A vertical only increase is also a lot more visually noticeable and will probably look a lot bigger than you think, while a horizontal increase requires a more significant amount to be noticed.
Click to expand...
There would have fragmentation anyway, for any screen change.

Such a 4" 3:2 screen could be a solution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79265446@N04/7546331808
Still retina, no work from developer at launch for compatibility.

For instant compatibility, actual apps could simply be run at 3x 480x320.
So, no advantages, everything appear just bigger as now, no apparent resolution win (though small fonts becoming more readable as everything grow, practically already more text content could be displayed).

iOS could draw the standard keyboard at the same physical size as on the 3.5" screen (dpi vs ppi), for effective benefits in content area.

Auto Layout coming to iOS, every apps could be written to take advantage of the new screen, while still support the actual size/resolution.

Elements like toolbars could be drawn at the same physical height as on the 3.5" (dpi vs ppi again), Auto Layout constraints taking care of the horizontal placement, and every buttons would appear at physically the same size or horizontally elongated. Developers only would have to supply bitmaps at 1x, 2x and now 2.7x too.

A growth to a 3:2 4" screen bring more advantages than going to 16:9 4" (unless you only consider watching 16:9 movies).

See these 3 posts/pictures too: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15410765#post15410765
 
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irDigital0l said:
Doesn't a wider AND taller screen mean even more content?
Click to expand...
Yes it does. Furthermore Apple could still provide the 16:9 ratio they seem intent on using. It would be a very nice improvement.

However, Apple is notorious for holding back features. Nor do they choose to apply common sense in some cases. Therefore by going the route we've seen in these rumored elongated form factors, they only give us a partial upgrade. Saving more for later.

Much like they did from day one with the first iPhone. Delivered running only EDGE, when all of the competitors like Samsung were running 3G, Apple held back. Then introduced 3G in the next version. They made a huge savings & resultant profits on the first iPhone. It's the Apple way.

They know their buyers will take whatever their given, praise Apple, and wait for the next model. It's a phenomenon only Apple can get away with.

Just remember they didn't get to be the richest company with deep pocked by being nice and accommodating. They did it by outsmarting everyone else & convincing their buyers that Apple knows what's best for them.

Apple only does that, which benefits Apple. Having convinced the masses they are the only company with "cool" products, all the profits go directly into their corporate coffers.
 
ixodes said:
However, Apple is notorious for holding back features. Nor do they choose to apply common sense in some cases. Therefore by going the route we've seen in these rumored elongated form factors, they only give us a partial upgrade. Saving more for later.

Much like they did from day one with the first iPhone. Delivered running only EDGE, when all of the competitors like Samsung were running 3G, Apple held back. Then introduced 3G in the next version. They made a huge savings & resultant profits on the first iPhone. It's the Apple way.

They know their buyers will take whatever their given, praise Apple, and wait for the next model. It's a phenomenon only Apple can get away with.
Click to expand...
I don't buy this in the iPhone resolution case.

I doubt they plan to change every 2 years the aspect ratio or resolution (out of round multiples). They have a huge quantity of iPhone in the wild, and have no interest in breaking compatibility again and again, nor give developers too much headache too much often.

If their plan is to transition (and not have 2 different models of smartphones) to a new resolution, they have to get it right as soon as with the new iPhone coming. And I don't think we'll see much change in this area anytime soon after.
 
Comeagain? said:
But the wider screen doesn't add as much usefulness. It wouldn't be wide enough for split screens like the iPad, so you don't gain as much.
Click to expand...

Erm... a wider screen would allow a larger font size while maintaining the retina resolution. The population is aging, and looking at small letters is a strain, even if they are displayed in retina resolution. If Apple sticks to the tall format, I am not sure I would spend my money on the new iPhone - I'd probably get an iPad and use my iPhone much less. Maybe that's Apple's intention....
 
how does that not make sense? Most people text in portrait mode...that supports going longer so they can see more of the screen while the keyboard is up
 
mattopotamus said:
how does that not make sense? Most people text in portrait mode...that supports going longer so they can see more of the screen while the keyboard is up
Click to expand...
yes, a bigger screen obviously can display more content ...
but a vertical growth only is not in most cases the more efficient.

if not only the line count grow but lines are wider too, even more text can be displayed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79265446@N04/7728554990
 
therealjustin said:
All I know is that when I tilt my iPhone into landscape mode in Safari I don't usually think about the lack of screen to the sides but rather up and down. That is where the current iPhone really suffers and with the taller screen Apple completely ignores this problem.
Click to expand...
BINGO.

If all they've got to sell us is another row of icons and the ability to scroll less on a page of text already too small to read without zooming, then that is pretty sad indeed. I think this presumed 4" of their's is a weak-knee'd compromise to join the 4" club. No real usefulness on a screen 2" wide (where you spend 90% of your time.
 
mattopotamus said:
going longer only keeps a small form factor :)
Click to expand...
We'd have to ask an Apple engineer to better answer this :)

A 16:9 4" screen might imply making a taller device,
while a 3:2 4" seems to fit in a device about as wide as a 3GS (not even considering smaller left and right bezel) and tall as a 4S.
 
chleuasme said:
We'd have to ask an Apple engineer to better answer this :)

A 16:9 4" screen might imply making a taller device,
while a 3:2 4" seems to fit in a device about as wide as a 3GS (not even considering smaller left and right bezel) and tall as a 4S.
Click to expand...

very true, but i think the antenna prevents them from making the screen wider with the same form factor.
 
Making the screen taller may allow for more lines of text to be on the screen but when you are on safari the text is still too small to read so you need to zoom in and move all over the place to read an article. If the screen was wider the txt would be larger which would allow for you to not have to scroll in as much.
 
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