Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why does Apple decide to stay with a small screen?
- Thread starter Coldsnow
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
the naked eye can't differentiate individuals pixels after 300 ppi, so your argument is irrelevant. I rather have a 4.3-4.8" screen at 306-316 ppi than a 4" screen at 326 ppi.
Thats all about bragging rights and there are other screens with less resolution that look just fine. It's the Kool Aid that makes people think the iPhones is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I love the argument: "...but, but, it's got 326 ppi and I won't buy a phone with one ppi less!" I don't usually use the "K" word, but the Kool Aid is strong in these people.
The iPad 3 has only 264 ppi, but has the best display you can imagine. And, really, you're not holding it that much further away... Still 'retina', though isn't it?
It takes ppi as bad as the iPad 2 (132) to actually be noticeable and even then, it's just text that stands out as sub-par.
Seriously, you could line all these people up and put a 326ppi iPhone in front of them along side a 288 ppi and the human eye can't tell the difference. Or maybe it's just the 'faithful' that have this Superman quality vision that no one else does. "Oh, I can tell" they say.
Why they're so stuck on this marketing term and not thinking for themselves is the question. Probably why they're also convinced they can't fit a phone in their pocket if it's an 1/8" wider.
Very few people I know with iPhones consider the screen small. When I mention that the next iPhone will have a bigger screen, they are usual surprised and ask why. Personally, I would like a 4" screen that is both longer and wider than the current iPhone (not just longer). Maaaybe up to 4.2 or 4.3, if they reduced the non-usable area. Bigger than that is an automatic deal breaker to me.
After upgrading from a phone with a 3.7" screen to one with a 4.8" screen, I would have to say that I would prefer a narrower screen. The reason is that the 4.8" screen makes it rather awkward to use one handed. For 2-handed use, its fine. With one hands, my thumb cannot reach across the screen very easily without my palm touching the near side of the screen.
This. Having a screen that's too large to use comfortably and efficiently with 1 hand is a major limiting factor in the design.
Apple is trying to cater for everybody, which includes females who naturally have smaller hands than most of us here (I'm assuming the majority here are male).
Therefore the 4" screen size and with same width makes sense.
Since I have very large hands I will admit though that the S3's size is very attractive. Maybe Apple should make 2 sizes - regular and large? Lol
food for thought....
Last edited:
The droid incredible 4g looks to have the same width and height as the new iphone screen. So this can give you a good idea.
Think of the Samsung galaxy note...
The huge display would overload your pocket and will be hard to fit in your hand
The huge display would overload your pocket and will be hard to fit in your hand
Last edited:
This. You can reach anywhere on the current screen just using your thumb. Now just imagine the taller 4 inch screen goes right to the top of the phone on the 4/4S, you can still reach the top of the phone using one hand only.
This. Having a screen that's too large to use comfortably and efficiently with 1 hand is a major limiting factor in the design.
Apple is trying to cater for everybody, which includes females who naturally have smaller hands than most of us here (I'm assuming the majority here are male).
Therefore the 4" screen size and with same width makes sense.
Since I have very large hands I will admit though that the S3's size is very attractive. Maybe Apple should make 2 sizes - regular and large? Lol
That makes sense. But some females have big hands also lol.
They have to design and Engineer the iPhone for populace, not just a few people who prefer 4.5" phones.
The differentiating factors for Macbooks based on size are significant and the uses are as well. From Desktop replacements to ultraportables.
That can't be said about the phones, they all have 1 use. Mobile Smartphones.
and this is what did henry ford in. He kept the same design for years while GM came out with lots of designs and took most of the market.
the iphone is a nice phone but the new trend is a lot people want mostly data and the ergonomics of talking on the phone are not that important. this is why i'm looking at the galaxy note 2 now. even when i talk i have headphones on a lot of time so holding the phone is not that big a deal
Actually, the ergonomics of using a phone with 1 hand is still supremely important. You can't use two hands in a huge number of scenarios, often in public transit, while driving to take or make a call, at the gym, while running or biking etc...
If you want mostly data, then you should be looking at a 7" iPad companion or similar. Especially when that comes with LTE, you can be Skyping or Facetiming away using only LTE data.
that's the thing a lot of people now only use 60 minutes or so a month. they mostly communicate via data and SMS
i take transit and its easy to use two hands. i do it with the ipad when i have it.
when driving i have a mount on my windshield for the phone. i either put it on speaker to take the call or use a headset. NYC its illegal to drive and not use a hands free phone device
and everything else its a trade off. i want something big enough to read on but i don't want a second tablet because then my phone will be rarely used. waste of money.
at this point i'll take the bigger screen and suffer the ergonomics in a few other cases.
I've used close to 15 phones in the last few years. The 4/4S is the sweet spot for me in terms of size. However, it is completely subjective to the person using the phone.
Ideally, I'd like to see them go the MBA/MBP route and offer 2-3 sizes but I doubt it'll happen.
My past phones:
iPhone original
HTC Imagio
HTC Ozone
Moto Q (second gen one)
Droid Eris
Droid Incredible
Moto Backflip
Droid 2 Global
Droid X
Thunderbolt
iPhone 4
iPhone 4S
Samsung Note
Droid Razr Maxx
Ideally, I'd like to see them go the MBA/MBP route and offer 2-3 sizes but I doubt it'll happen.
My past phones:
iPhone original
HTC Imagio
HTC Ozone
Moto Q (second gen one)
Droid Eris
Droid Incredible
Moto Backflip
Droid 2 Global
Droid X
Thunderbolt
iPhone 4
iPhone 4S
Samsung Note
Droid Razr Maxx
In that case, you're the target consumer for Galaxy Note.
There is certainly one, considering its sleeper success.
But certainly, most people still value ergonomics and usability rather than a slightly larger screen. I for example, would not watch movies on a 5" phone device, as that's still too small to watch one on. Heck, I find watching videos on my 9.7" iPad neck craning and a pain to do. I also wouldn't be getting anything more out of it as a Kindle, because text sizes are variable.
The only thing it helps with is surfing the web really, but even then, most things that are not mobile optimized still have to be pinch zoomed.
yes movies are better on the ipad. but my wife uses it and i don't want a second tablet. i've found that when i have the phone and ipad i rarely use my iphone. i don't want to buy 2 devices and use only one. what's the point of the iphone if i'm only going to talk on it. i could get a dumb phone and $30 a month talk plan
too bad apple has clear segmentation in their products to get you to buy multiple devices
and i've seen the S3. its easy to hold and fits in my pant pocket with no problem. actually it fits in the pocket as easily as my 4s
too bad apple has clear segmentation in their products to get you to buy multiple devices
and i've seen the S3. its easy to hold and fits in my pant pocket with no problem. actually it fits in the pocket as easily as my 4s
personally I won't mind iPhone getting a slightly larger display like 4'' or 4.3''
3.5'' is a little too small but when we are talking about portability, it is a good spot. I have no trouble putting it into jeans pocket. I rarely watch videos using portable devices. When I want, I will bring iPad with me, mostly during long time travelling.
Galaxy note is quite popular among women. I think one reason is that women usually carry bag on the go, so phone size doesn't really matter.
A big screen phone sits between a traditional phone(small display) and a tablet. The merit is that to satisfy both needs of communication and multimedia, one don't need to carry two devices (well, save some money as well). I suspect that if apple make iPhone like android big gun, iPad sales could be affected - some people may just pick the joint point.
3.5'' is a little too small but when we are talking about portability, it is a good spot. I have no trouble putting it into jeans pocket. I rarely watch videos using portable devices. When I want, I will bring iPad with me, mostly during long time travelling.
Galaxy note is quite popular among women. I think one reason is that women usually carry bag on the go, so phone size doesn't really matter.
A big screen phone sits between a traditional phone(small display) and a tablet. The merit is that to satisfy both needs of communication and multimedia, one don't need to carry two devices (well, save some money as well). I suspect that if apple make iPhone like android big gun, iPad sales could be affected - some people may just pick the joint point.
When I had a Galaxy S3 I couldn't really use it with one hand comfortably. Swiping down the task bar was unbearable without having to move my hands up and then moving it down again when I've swiped it.
Saying that though I loved the bigger screen for games and watching YouTube. (who watches movies on mobile screens??)
When I switched back to iPhone I couldn't stand the screen size for 2 weeks because I got so used to the bigger screen.
Saying that though I loved the bigger screen for games and watching YouTube. (who watches movies on mobile screens??)
When I switched back to iPhone I couldn't stand the screen size for 2 weeks because I got so used to the bigger screen.