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Why would Apple drop the 4" iPhone?

S

Shuri

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 23, 2011
330
0
I really don't get it. I know there are people, craving for a bigger iPhone and that's cool. I always wondered, why Apple wouldn't release two different sizes (like they do in their other lines), but honestly speaking I didn't care, because I got the size I wanted. (To clarify things: I didn't mind the transition from 3.5" to 4" because it didn't get any wider).

But now, if rumors are true, there is going to be a new iPhone which is going to be about a cm wider than all iPhones till today. (not speaking of the 5.5" one)
What worries me is, that there is no indication of a new 4" iPhone. Which is surely fine for a lot of people, but why is Apple doing the same mistake again and claiming one size is suitable for all? (which doesn't even make sense)
Again, my point till now wasn't that one size fits all, but rather that Apple hit "my" size, so why should I have cared?

Or do you think apple is going to make another internal upgrade with the iPhone 5 design?

If it's going to be like rumors predict, I guess I'm going to look at the iPhone 6S (I think I can wait another year) and then decide if I can live with the size or not. But more likely I'm going to rock my iPhone 5 till it dies or doesn't fulfill my needs anymore and look for Android/WindowsPhone alternatives which have about the size of the iPhone.

What I'd like to know; is there anyone else wanting a new 4" upgrade after the 5S? Or even better; keeping the size and cramping in a bigger screen? Or do you think it's going to come?
 
If apple drop the 4" iphone then i WONT EVER GET A NEW IPHONE!

I mean anything over 4.3 is insane why not just get the ipad mini 4g if you love Big screen and 4 inch iphone for people who want a smartphone :)

Problem solved :)
 
catean said:
To be sincere, I really want a new 3.5 inch model.
Click to expand...

This, my iPhone 4 was the perfect size in my opinion.

There is likely going to be no new 4" iphone, they will probably keep selling the 5s or maybe a C variant with a 4" screen.
 
KUguardgrl13 said:
Not me. There's a difference between adding half an inch to the top and making the phone overall wider and taller.
Click to expand...

Especially, at least theoretically, they could fit a 4" screen into a iPhone 4S. It would either need another home button or lose its symmetry, though.
I was hoping they'd get to this point some day, because in my eyes the 16:9 ratio is superior for a phone. (But this is naturally highly subjective)
 
My guess is they will update the 5C to be equivalent to the 5S, maybe a slight upgrade over it, and then see how demand is for the 4" screen in that before making a final decision about keeping or dropping that screen size. If Apple forces us to go to the larger screen size just to get a new phone I'll probably go with an iPad mini with 3G plus VOIP for phone calls as then it is at least big enough to be usable as a tablet instead of being an awkward in-between size where it is too big for a phone, but too small for a tablet. Either that or go over to android to get one of the mini phones that some manufacturers are selling.
 
I for one would love a bigger screen iphone, and wouldnt look back to the 4". But when the iphone 6 comes out with 4.7", apple would surely still sell the 5s... And from there we just wait and see if the sales picked up for the bigger screen iphone or not.

People will vote with their wallet and the product that suits them, and I think Apple would determine accordingly based on the sales data.
 
Tankmaze said:
I for one would love a bigger screen iphone, and wouldnt look back to the 4". But when the iphone 6 comes out with 4.7", apple would surely still sell the 5s... And from there we just wait and see if the sales picked up for the bigger screen iphone or not.

People will vote with their wallet and the product that suits them, and I think Apple would determine accordingly based on the sales data.
Click to expand...

People will vote with their wallets but to have a proper vote you need to have proper choice. If Apple only releases 4,7" and bigger whilst leaving 5S as the only option for 4" then those who hate the big screen (like me) would have to ask if they want to buy old technology or look elsewhere. I'm all up for options and if they keep 4" size but same internals at 4,7" etc. then that will be proper vote and I think that most people will still go for 4" as the usability is way better than 4,7" (unless you have huge hands which I don't).
I tried Nexus 5 and for me its just too big to use it with one hand.
I hope Apple has their senses and won't eliminate 4" from the newest technology. I'm still on iPhone 4 and this is going to be my time to upgrade along with iPad Air 2 (didnt' want to buy it without touchID).
So, please Apple, keep 4" for those that have small hands or just prefer the comfort of it. In fact, Apple was the first one to point out that they want their phones to be comfortable to be used with one hand so they would contradict themselves if they got rid off it.
 
Most of the customers nowadays want bigger screens, I'm not a big fan of 4.7'' + phones, this is my limit. But I think that apple would keep the 4" screen form factor on the C models. We'll see :)
 
Freida said:
I'm all up for options and if they keep 4" size but same internals at 4,7" etc. then that will be proper vote and I think that most people will still go for 4"
Click to expand...

They don't. Pretty much every Android-manufacturer has a "mini" version of their flagships, yet the 5" models outsell them to no end. And when you add the phablets to that, there really is no comparison. People are voting with their wallets, and the vote unanimously goes for the big screens.
 
zipa said:
They don't. Pretty much every Android-manufacturer has a "mini" version of their flagships, yet the 5" models outsell them to no end. And when you add the phablets to that, there really is no comparison. People are voting with their wallets, and the vote unanimously goes for the big screens.
Click to expand...

The problem is that the mini versions usually have lower end specs and people don't want to sacrifice just to get a smaller screen. I get this all the time where I work.
 
kaielement said:
The problem is that the mini versions usually have lower end specs and people don't want to sacrifice just to get a smaller screen. I get this all the time where I work.
Click to expand...

This. And I guess many people of those wanting a relatively smaller device have one: An iPhone.
 
It feels like we are back in 2000 again. Then suddenly the trend was big phones again after the very first mobile phones. It's a trend so it will pass. I'm personally hoping for a 4inch high-end model. So hopefully Apple gives more options in high-end models and won't ship us with a year old hardware. More options would be the best for everyone.
 
zipa said:
They don't. Pretty much every Android-manufacturer has a "mini" version of their flagships, yet the 5" models outsell them to no end. And when you add the phablets to that, there really is no comparison. People are voting with their wallets, and the vote unanimously goes for the big screens.
Click to expand...
I don't know about your side of the pond but in my circle people prefer smaller screens. My girlfriend was going to get free S5 from her dad as a present and she refused simply cause it is too big for her. Same goes for a lot of my friends who prefer the smaller screensize. In fact, only my sister has S3 (i think) but apart from her my friends prefer smaller form for a phone.

If Apple does 4" 4,7" & 5,5" with same specs then we will truly see the wallet voting. If they put 5S specs in 4" factor then that will be a very bad move from them as people will be forced to either get big screen they don't want or buy 1 year old technology. Either way it is not something I would like to see.
I hope they will stick with their previous mentality that a phone should be comfortable to use with one hand which 4,7" is not for most people (unless you have big hands).
We will see in about 2 months when we get the complete leaks (usually) so lets hope 4" fans won't be disappointed :)
 
Apple has too much invested in the existing 4" app ecosystem to simply abandon it for a larger size. The iPhone 6 might have a larger 4.7" screen as rumored, but I think we'll still see a 4" variant alongside it.

Shuri said:
I guess many people of those wanting a relatively smaller device have one: An iPhone.
Click to expand...
This.
 
wallaby said:
Apple has too much invested in the existing 4" app ecosystem to simply abandon it for a larger size. The iPhone 6 might have a larger 4.7" screen as rumored, but I think we'll still see a 4" variant alongside it.


This.
Click to expand...
That makes a lot of sense and I also hope that will be the case. 4" is the best size for my and my gf. :)
 
I would also prefer 3,5 inch screen or the phone with same dimensions as iPhone 4/4S, but bigger screen and no bezels. To me, iPhone 5/5S is too big already.
 
wallaby said:
Apple has too much invested in the existing 4" app ecosystem to simply abandon it for a larger size.
Click to expand...

What does this mean? Apple has nothing invested in the app ecosystem, except for the App Store, which I'm sure can be used to sell apps for phones of any size.

And if some lazy developer can't be bothered to update a popular app to support the latest hardware, I'll guarantee you that someone will swoop in with a solution and pick up the sales.
 
apollo1444 said:
people who want 3.5 phones are you guys over 40 years old?

its pretty clear younger people want big screens
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm in my 20's and I would prefer a 3.5" screen, most of the people that I know who actually want larger screens are older and want it because it is easier to see larger text with a big screen.

I would love to see Apple drop the 4" screen and go back to 3.5" and then the larger versions.
 
apollo1444 said:
people who want 3.5 phones are you guys over 40 years old?

its pretty clear younger people want big screens
Click to expand...

Young people like tweens and teens maybe. Not 20-somethings. We all prefer 3.5" to maybe 4.7" max. Phablets aren't too common on college campuses as far as I've noticed.
 
I like this iPhone 4 version too much. :)

The iPhone 4 shipped with iOS 4, which was the newest version of Apple's iOS mobile operating system. iOS 4 introduced a multitasking system, allowing apps to remain "suspended" in memory, perform certain operations in the background, and allowing users to switch between apps using an on-screen menu. It also introduced FaceTime, which allows users to perform video calls between other iPhone, iPad, and OS X users.:)

So I am not going for another version.
 
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