freenudemacusers
Member
that's what she said
WSJ: Apple to increase iPhone screen size to 'at least' 4-inches
- Thread starter Good Job Bob
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4" is probably a safe bet, as to not make the jump too extreme. Also gives users who want bigger screens reason to stay with or jump to Android devices such as the one's mentioned. My guess is Samsung banked on this being the case, hence pushing the S3's screen to 4.8".
Are Samsung developing the iPhone 5 screen? I'm assuming if they are they already know what's going in?
Are Samsung developing the iPhone 5 screen? I'm assuming if they are they already know what's going in?
It's not a huge thing, it just takes more steps to get to the information you want to see. You have to slide to unlock, and then pull down the notification bar. So it's 1 more step than having them on the homescreen, 2 more steps than having them on the lockscreen.
My phone is pass coded, so it's a bit longer than that but, yea, not the hugest deal. But home page/lock screen widgets as an option couldn't hurt. Though I doubt they'll do it in fear of being too similar to Android.
I think another issue with the proposed elongation within the exact same form factor is that it's probably not even possible. That's a lot of extra screen within the same exact body.. And to think they'd even make it thinner? Just doesn't seem possible in that form factor. If you look at how portable electronics have evolved over time, they sort of went from small but thick, to a bit thinner, then a bit wider, and i'm guessing that process will continue.
It's almost like when you leave a ball of silly putty sitting there for hours, it slowly gets flatter and wider. :lol
I mean, by the time this new phone comes out it'll have been around two years since they refreshed the design or aesthetics. I HIGHLY doubt they'll just keep the same frame and elongate the screen. I don't think they could get any thinner if they did that, as it's cramped as-is, and apart from smokey, no one wants the exact same form factor. The market is dying for something new at this point.
That's why I think they'll make the thing slightly wider and longer, but incredibly thinner. It just makes more sense in terms of what's possible for a 4"-4.3", I think..
It's almost like when you leave a ball of silly putty sitting there for hours, it slowly gets flatter and wider. :lol
I mean, by the time this new phone comes out it'll have been around two years since they refreshed the design or aesthetics. I HIGHLY doubt they'll just keep the same frame and elongate the screen. I don't think they could get any thinner if they did that, as it's cramped as-is, and apart from smokey, no one wants the exact same form factor. The market is dying for something new at this point.
That's why I think they'll make the thing slightly wider and longer, but incredibly thinner. It just makes more sense in terms of what's possible for a 4"-4.3", I think..
I could see this. I wouldn't be surprised if they make it thinner as well, which means a new mini dock connector is probably necessary, and fits with the rumors. So yeah, a little longer and a little wider, though I don't know how much longer they'll have to make it if they can make the bezel a bit more efficient.
Yeah that's another thing, I wonder when they'll finally move away from the traditional 30pin connector into that proposed/patented mini-magsafe MB style charger, or something similar.
badcrumble
Member
The weird thing about doing that is that, as much as it makes sense to eventually shrink the connector, it'd mean immediate incompatibility with all sorts of accessories, including built-in in-car connectors and so on. That's bad.
Much worse, though, as far as I'm concerned, is that one of the single best hidden features of the iPhone is the fact that you can find and borrow an iPhone charger practically anywhere.
freenudemacusers
Member
this is true.
also true. I don't see apple doing this ever, though, for better or worse (kind of worse)
Yeah, it's going to be a shitty transition for all the reasons you specify, but it does need to be done at some point.
They'll never use it, they'll adopt a brand new method. Either mini-magsafe connector or a mini traditional 30pin.
I think if they do change it, they'll have a compelling excuse besides internal space. Like a cool magnetic connector, etc.
Exactly, it'll happen sooner or later. It could start with the new iPhone, but either way when it happens it'll ripple across all the iDevices, I think.
I agree with you, but it's strange because EU law states that all phones must have this by 2013. They could also do it the way HTC did it with their older WinMo/Android Phones, where they had a special proprietary connector which would also accept MiniUSB.
I thought Apple started shipping a micro USB to 30 pin adapter to work around that?
Oh. Didn't know about that. However technically then they should be shipping microUSB chargers. I.e. their standard charger should have a piece which is detachable and reveal a normal microUSB adaptor, since the point of this was to have a single ubiquitous charger.
Cool then, I guess that works.
Or they could do it to attract those that really want widgets and are sticking with android because of them.
Moving them to the spotlight screen, to the lock screen, or to their own home screen would be a fairly simple extension of what they currently have. And then open them up to allow third party apps their own widgets through a common API, like notifications but with some custom graphics allowed
I'd love that, and anyone that didn't doesn't have to use them
Good Job Bob
Member
I'm sure they'd sell you a $10 adapter for mini-mag like connector to the current 30 pin. But yeah, has to be done at some point, and it is going to piss a lot of people off.
Good Job Bob
Member
Do the front and post it on The Verge forums and you'll be all over the blogs/tech sites within a day.
Made this quick mockup of what I think it'll end up looking like (or what I want it to look like?) if they go with the bigger form factor. Used iPad assets as I think it'll be quite similar to that. Sexy, imo.
Might do one of the front later.
freenudemacusers
Member
I don't think a curved and a substantially thinner body is necessarily good for a device this small.
I agree, that basically looks like a bigger ipod touch with the ipad finish. I really hate how the current ipod touch feels in your hand. It's like it's cutting your fingers and there's nothing to grip on to.
Does anyone know if it would be possible for a 4" to have a resolution bump to 1080x720? Or would that result in blurry pixel overlap or something?
This is what I was talking about earlier, how the increase in width could sort of accommodate for that in a way. I think that's why such a curvature/thinness could work.
Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
Made this quick mockup of what I think it'll end up looking like (or what I want it to look like?) if they go with the bigger form factor. Used iPad assets as I think it'll be quite similar to that. Sexy, imo.
Might do one of the front later.
Yes yes, do the front.
I would buy that
Funny thing is those dimensions would easily fit a 4.3" screen on the front, with almost the same amount of bezel on the sides as the current iPhone. We have to remember everyone so far is saying "at least" 4".
I'll probably do the front later, showing what that would look like with a 4.3"..
Did a front mockup;
It's interesting how well 4.3" seems to work.. It's a pixel perfect fit for 5 apps across. Probably just coincidence, but I thought that was interesting.. 5 rows vs the old 4, allowing for 20 apps per page rather than 16.
It's interesting how well 4.3" seems to work. I was also surprised so find out how it's a pixel perfect fit for five apps across. I didn't even do any spacing manipulation on that, it just fit perfectly (see 5 icons in dock). Spaced out the apps a bit iPad style so there's still just four apps across, but that spacing allows for an extra row, which makes the springboard 4x5 (vs 4x4), upping the apps per page to 20 (vs 16).
It's interesting how well 4.3" seems to work.. It's a pixel perfect fit for 5 apps across. Probably just coincidence, but I thought that was interesting.. 5 rows vs the old 4, allowing for 20 apps per page rather than 16.
It's interesting how well 4.3" seems to work. I was also surprised so find out how it's a pixel perfect fit for five apps across. I didn't even do any spacing manipulation on that, it just fit perfectly (see 5 icons in dock). Spaced out the apps a bit iPad style so there's still just four apps across, but that spacing allows for an extra row, which makes the springboard 4x5 (vs 4x4), upping the apps per page to 20 (vs 16).
It won't bee the same size as the iPod Touch, it'll be a lot wider giving you a better grip. Plus the curvature wouldn't be as deep as it is with the Touch, it'll be more like the iPad 2&3's rounded edges.
Kind of doesn't matter, I doubt they will blow up the home screen into big icons on a 4.3", or increase the PPI on a 4.3. The icon sizes and assets are the same size though, same hit point sizes etc.
a) 3.5" - 960x640 = 326ppi
b) 4" - 960x640 = 288ppi
c) 4" - 1080x720 = 324ppi
d) 4.3" - 1080x720 = 302ppi
e) 4.3" - 1200x800 = 335ppi
The screen mockup is just that.. who knows what the actual res/ppi etc will end up being, so it's hard to picture what iOS implementation it'll end up having.
I have never been a fan of the ipod touch or original iPhone designs. They were weak points in Apple's recent history. Both are almost toy-like. I would probably not even consider a device which looked and handled like that.
The 4S is much more comfortable to use. The tapered design works on larger devices like the iPad, but is not a good fit for a ~4" device.
This will happen
Completely disagree. The iPod Touch feels a lot better in hand than the current iPhone (except when taking a picture in landscape).
Probably a little bit, but you can't really compare it to the HD2/7 or SGII because those edges have walls. The corners don't need to be super-round if the edge starts off with a deep curvature. You probably wouldn't even really feel the corners sue to that curve. But yeah, since I used iPad assets for the 'shop the corners might be a bit too pronounced.
Excuse the sloppy photoshop but I wanted to kind of get an idea of how that kind of size might look in-hand;
And I assumed the screen would be 1200x800 for a 4.3";
That would be awful.Probably a little bit, but you can't really compare it to the HD2/7 or SGII because those edges have walls. The corners don't need to be super-round if the edge starts off with a deep curvature. You probably wouldn't even really feel the corners sue to that curve. But yeah, since I used iPad assets for the 'shop the corners might be a bit too pronounced.
Excuse the sloppy photoshop but I wanted to kind of get an idea of how that kind of size might look in-hand;
And I assumed the screen would be 1200x800 for a 4.3";
Huge as fuck.
It's based on the leaked iPhone 5 dimensions, but that in-hand 'shop is a bit too big (sloppy lol);
Here's a more practical one.
Ugh.It's based on the leaked iPhone 5 dimensions, but that in-hand 'shop is a bit too big (sloppy lol);
Here's a more practical one.
I really hope it isn't that big.
"That big"? I mean, it's only a few millimeters on each end in terms of width, and the height doesn't really matter in terms of grip or comfort.
Might as well say you really hope they don't make it bigger at all, because that's the smallest width increase we're going to see, probably.
Kind of surprised at reactions of how the phone is too "big." Smartphone use is supposed to replace laptop/ipad video watching, reading, and app use; keeping it to music, texting, and calling, might as well use an old symbian.
Anyways I can see the headline now:
"The first true 4" smartphone on the market. This changes everything. Yet again."
And I'm sure they have some patent on 4" phones that they will unleash in litigation wars after release (deadpan sarcasm).
Anyways I can see the headline now:
"The first true 4" smartphone on the market. This changes everything. Yet again."
And I'm sure they have some patent on 4" phones that they will unleash in litigation wars after release (deadpan sarcasm).
Treefingers
Member
Erm.. says who? I don't want nor need it to if it means sacrificing portability. There's a reason these two form factors exist, and it's because they're each best suited for different purposes.
Not that I think a 4" screen is necessarily too big. I don't really see how that size would replace an iPad/laptop for video watching or reading either.
BigJonsson
Member
iphones feel way too small after using a Galaxy Nexus for a month
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