WSJ: Apple to increase iPhone screen size to 'at least' 4-inches

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Sentry said:
You're right, hundred is probably abetter number. But what benefits does this really bring to the table with an extra 176 pixels vertically? That's it? That's what they'll tout as 'revolutionary 4 inch screen'? Meanwhile, without getting any real improvements with that slight elongation, what it will do is fuck with developers anew. And for no real good reason. If it was a 3:2 4", the size increase would actually be beneficial to develop for.
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it brings a bigger screen - you know, like people were saying they wanted. Why does it matter how many pixels it has? An entire row of icons seems a reasonable amount of additional real estate.

You can either see more of a column in a web page without scrolling, or more of the page behind the keyboard, or get an extra row on the keyboard (eg for easy access to numbers) and still have more space behind it. Or view in landscape and get more text per line to read without moving your eyes so much (assuming safari keeps the font size)

Then you can watch movies larger while keeping the aspect ratio (some will still have bars but they'll be smaller than before)

And all without increasing the width of the device which people were concerned about (pants-compatibility) and only increasing the height slightly.

People are way overblowing this TBH


a lot of this is down to apple trying to satisfy a growing market. Maybe they just need two phones? A small one for those that want compact, and a larger screen one for those that feel they need 4-5" screens?


edit - Think about accessories too - if they significantly increase the width, it'll mess with a huge number of docks that are on the market. Going taller keeps compatibility with them (even if they go small connector you could have an adapter)
 
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
This nails down why I think the bigger screen isn't just for its own sake, but because it is the base for some serious software updates.

Rather than Siri last year which everyone felt was artificially kept from the iPhone 4, the bigger screen this year will support software changes that can't be done on the old phones.
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haven't lots of people been saying the iphone screen is being left behind with all the android large screen phones? Why make things complicated - the simplest and most likely solution is that Apple felt the need to have a larger screen, and the route they seem to be taking was the simplest way they could apply that. if they'd have provided a 4" 3:2 screen at the same resolution, we'd all be bitching about how it isn't retina, no matter how silly that argument would be (I guess Apple made that rod for their back so whatever). And if they made it 4" 3:2 and increased the resolution to give more usable space in both dimensions, it wouldn't be easy to get a neat multiple to help devs, it'd be much messier to update applications and be too fragmenting.

If apple are making a larger screen, its because they want to make a larger screen. Widgets don't need to be always on - they can be on the pulldown notification screen, the lock screen or on the home screens. when you're running an app you want the canvas dedicated to the app
 
Sentry said:
Meanwhile, without getting any real improvements with that slight elongation, what it will do is fuck with developers anew.
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Actually, I think most apps won't have a problem at all. When you enable the personal hotspot the vertical space actually decreases due to the extended status bar, and applications seem to deal with that just fine. Games will be different, but it's hardly difficult to extend the viewport slightly on one axis.
 
XMonkey said:
Indeed.

I'm curious that they'd already be making a new iPod Touch this far out. iPhone I could probably understand, but does the Touch really push that many units? Or maybe they just want to get the Touch out of the way so later manufacturing can focus on the iPhone?
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It's about right. iPad 3's started being built in December before the late march launch. Timing is about right for an early October launch like last year.
 
mrklaw said:
it brings a bigger screen - you know, like people were saying they wanted. Why does it matter how many pixels it has? An entire row of icons seems a reasonable amount of additional real estate.
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Except this isn't really what most people were expecting/wanted.... hell, the idea first got popular from a Verge forum poster, not any credible leak or rumor.

The actual leaks were pointing toward something else, all the way since the pre-4S reveal..
 
Zeppu said:
Lol, there's nothing I can really see happening apart from the A5X, 4G and maybe HD facetime.
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I'm going to lol so hard if they don't upgrade the front facing camera. Doesn't have to be HD, just something less shittier than the current vga.

planar1280 said:
Ive got knighted in UK, he said his current project is his best and most important work

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18171093
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There's no indication that he's talking about this iPhone, or even a future iPhone. I think he's probably talking about the Apple TV.
 
planar1280 said:
Ive got knighted in UK, he said his current project is his best and most important work

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18171093
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iPhone 5 wouldn't be his current project. Based on the fall launch the design phase is long over, things would be starting testing and being built around now. Ive's step in the process is pretty early on. Hell Jobs likely was still around when Ive designed the new iPhone.

Anything launching in 2012 (New Macbooks, iPhone 4, iPad mini, etc) is likely already been fuly designed by Ive and his team. He is probably onto things such as the 4th gen iPad (and Apple TV if that hits in 2013).
 
Put down the pitchforks, people.

LTE with livable battery life is basically the biggest thing I'm looking forward to. 16:9 - if true - will be nice for horizontal usage.
 
Talon- said:
LTE with livable battery life is basically the biggest thing I'm looking forward to. 16:9 - if true - will be nice for horizontal usage.
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The only thing it'll be nice for horizontally is video. Browsing, photography, photo viewing, book reading etc won't be any good. I wonder in what ratio the camera will take its pics...
 
Sentry said:
The only thing it'll be nice for horizontally is video. Browsing, photography, photo viewing, book reading etc won't be any good. I wonder in what ratio the camera will take its pics...
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...who is reading on this thing horizontally?

That's a sweet avatar you've got there, friendo.
 
Sentry said:
The only thing it'll be nice for horizontally is video. Browsing, photography, photo viewing, book reading etc won't be any good. I wonder in what ratio the camera will take its pics...
Click to expand...

the current iphone doesn't even take pictures at the screen's ratio, so i doubt it would change.
 
Cheebo said:
He is probably onto things such as the 4th gen iPad (and Apple TV if that hits in 2013).
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Not to derail the thread, but speaking of design, I have no fucking clue what the next iPad could do differently. Thinner? Less bezel? I don't know, it's like there's literally nothing to improve upon externally.

KingKong said:
have you seen the videos they do for every product release? It's always stuff like "this is revolutionary. it is the most amazing device yet"
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Because it usually is. :lol
 
Sentry said:
The only thing it'll be nice for horizontally is video. Browsing, photography, photo viewing, book reading etc won't be any good. I wonder in what ratio the camera will take its pics...
Click to expand...

Gaming will be better. Photo viewing will be better.

The rest of them are better to do in portrait now, and they'll be the same then.
 
I'm sure less bezel for iPads is doable now, it's just more comfortable to have a resting place for your fingers while using a tablet.
 
Sentry said:
Not to derail the thread, but speaking of design, I have no fucking clue what the next iPad could do differently. Thinner? Less bezel? I don't know, it's like there's literally nothing to improve upon externally.
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Weight has to be the biggest thing that people want improved. If they can get that thing lighter somehow it would be awwwwesome.
 
Sentry said:
Not to derail the thread, but speaking of design, I have no fucking clue what the next iPad could do differently. Thinner? Less bezel? I don't know, it's like there's literally nothing to improve upon externally.
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It needs that bezel so you have something to hold onto. I think the biggest thing is the gap between the display and the surface in comparison to the the current iPhones or One X. Other than that, battery life, weight, and specs improvements.

Considering the unibody MacBook Pro has been around for, what, 5 years, I don't think Apple has many qualms about sticking with a design that works for an extended period of time.

We are getting to a point with hardware - this applies to Android and Apple devices - where differentiation will be increasingly software driven. iOS 6 needs to impress.
 
Talon- said:
...who is reading on this thing horizontally?

That's a sweet avatar you've got there, friendo.
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Why is Safari or iBooks viewable in horizontal mode, then? A lot of people do. And thanks. :p

Talon- said:
It needs that bezel so you have something to hold onto. I think the biggest thing is the gap between the display and the surface in comparison to the the current iPhones or One X. Other than that, battery life, weight, and specs improvements.

Considering the unibody MacBook Pro has been around for, what, 5 years, I don't think Apple has many qualms about sticking with a design that works for an extended period of time.

We are getting to a point with hardware - this applies to Android and Apple devices - where differentiation will be increasingly software driven. iOS 6 needs to impress.
Click to expand...
I'm not so sure. I don't think you can really compare the MBP line to this. The iDevices strive on the design factor. It's all about the style of having a new device, people seeing it, catching on, etc. That's a huge element to the marketing and even appeal. I love the current iPad design, though, so i'm not exactly complaining. I just don't think it'll stay the exact same for another two generations. iPad 4? Probably the same. 5? I would think not.
 
There isn't much to change in iPad 4 outside of specs (a6 chipset, more ram, quad core, etc). Hardware wise I expect it will be back to iPad 2 thinness and weight, improved cameras, and a micro dock connector. Hopefully the screen will be at a higher layer ala iPhone 4 and 4s as well.

Otherwise it's all about the internals. I expect ipad 4 to be a 4s sort of upgrade.
 
Talon- said:
We are getting to a point with hardware - this applies to Android and Apple devices - where differentiation will be increasingly software driven. iOS 6 needs to impress.
Click to expand...


I've said this exact thing countless times. For the forseable future, expect all the big innovations to come mainly from ios upgraes and feature additions. I expect, much like siri, these new software additions to be the selling point for whatever corresponding i-hardware is launched with or around it.
 
The tantrums in this thread have been hilarious. It's like people have forgotten that Apple knows how to design good UI/UX and are just assuming the worst possible scenario for a 16x9 display.

Sentry said:
Not to derail the thread, but speaking of design, I have no fucking clue what the next iPad could do differently. Thinner? Less bezel? I don't know, it's like there's literally nothing to improve upon externally.
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My thought: IGZO display (which would consume much less power and allow them to go back to or even improve upon iPad 2 thinness/weight), printed on the display's glass a la the iPhone 4/4S display so the pixels seem to be right on the surface. Basically, IGZO + printing the pixels onto the glass would make the device super-thin and the display super-gorgeous. They might even be able to give it *drastically better* battery life than it's already got.

Apart from that, mainly just a quad-core A6 chip, more RAM (1.5 or 2GB?) and FaceTime HD, I think. The iPad was a fucking great product when it was originally unveiled and each revision so far has just been a refinement or a clarification of that awesome idea, with the only thing that was a real feature addition rather than an improvement on existing design being the addition of cameras and magnets in the iPad 2. And a lot of those improvements/clarifications, like the iPad 2's thinness or the iPad 3's display, have been more important than an all-new feature would be.
 
kaioshade said:
I am still trying to wrap my head around why people are having aneurysms about 16:9.
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As a developer my only concern is that it's yet another format to support. Not just from a resolution standard but in terms of having to support a new aspect ratio. To make a proper universal app now we would have to support:

3:2 @1x (and @2x, although by scaling when possible)
4:3 @1x (and @2x, ditto)
16:9 @1x

It's not that unusual if you're also doing simultaneous Android development but the idea with the iOS lineup is to have a fairly small list of target specs to hit.

If the new phone is 16:9 it will be interesting to see if 3GS support is dropped...
 
kaioshade said:
I am still trying to wrap my head around why people are having aneurysms about 16:9.
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16:9 isn't really the problem necessarily, it's the fact that after all the leaks of it just being a bigger 4" screen, this is how they'll tackle 4" instead. We'll never really see a bigger iPhone with a 4".

It just feels like something so unnecessary. It's like they want to get into the '4 inch club' and found an alternate way to do it, instead of releasing/going with the design that had been ready since pre-4S announcement. I would rather them stick with 3.5" if they're just elongating the screen a bit, adding very little benefit in comparison to what a 4"-4.3" (3:2) would. Not a huge deal or anything, just a bit disappointing.

badcrumble said:
The tantrums in this thread have been hilarious. It's like people have forgotten that Apple knows how to design good UI/UX and are just assuming the worst possible scenario for a 16x9 display.
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At the end of the day it isn't going to be disastrous by any stretch of the imagination, but the fact that we knew they were going to go with something else but stopped it (if this 16:9 is what they'll really be going with) is what makes it worse. I can't imagine most people caring if they announced this out of the blue unexpected and unpredicted by any leaks or rumors. It wouldn't be a HUGE deal, but it still wouldn't be that great.

Just seems like a bit of the easy way out of a design dilemma, that is going to bring more complications then it does benefits imo.

Crazymoogle said:
As a developer my only concern is that it's yet another format to support. Not just from a resolution standard but in terms of having to support a new aspect ratio. To make a proper universal app now we would have to support:

3:2 @1x (and @2x, although by scaling when possible)
4:3 @1x (and @2x, ditto)
16:9 @1x

It's not that unusual if you're also doing simultaneous Android development but the idea with the iOS lineup is to have a fairly small list of target specs to hit.

If the new phone is 16:9 it will be interesting to see if 3GS support is dropped...
Click to expand...
This too. And for what, an extra 176 pixels in height? It shouldn't be too hard for devs for most apps, but it's a hassle that doesn't have as much of the merit as developing for retina, say, or iPad/universal. If it was a 3:2 4"-4.3" it would be a game changer in how apps could structured, a lot more space and benefit. It would be more work, but for a better reason.

Either way though, this won't even be a conversation 6 months or a year from now.. (or should I say, after the iPhone is released)
 
I think I've finally understood what's ailing you Sentry. You're pissed off that you're only getting more space instead of also getting bigger stuff, right?
 
I'm quoting John Gruber again, because this is exactly what I've been trying to say this whole time.

WHY BOTHER?

We can argue about just how difficult supporting a new iPhone screen size would be for developers, just how much complexity it would introduce, but no matter how easy you think it may wind up being, there’s no doubt that it would add some extra work, and some extra complexity. So why do it?

I suspect the answer is, why not? The design tension in post-iPhone mobile phones is between screen size (where bigger is better) and device size (where smaller is better). You want a physical device that is small enough to fit easily in your pockets and is comfortable and easy to use while holding it in one hand. But you want a screen that’s as big as feasible, so you can see more content — more words in email messages, web pages, and e-books; bigger pictures and video.
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That's your answer, Sentry. You do it because it gives you a bigger screen in a smaller phone. That's going to be Apple's message, I'd bet money on it.

http://daringfireball.net/2012/05/bigger_display_iphone_thing_wwdc
 
Tobor said:
I'm quoting John Gruber again, because this is exactly what I've been trying to say this whole time.



That's your answer, Sentry. You do it because it gives you a bigger screen in a smaller phone. That's going to be Apple's message, I'd bet money on it.

http://daringfireball.net/2012/05/bigger_display_iphone_thing_wwdc
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The same John Gruber?

Thoughts and Observations Regarding This Week’s iPhone 4S Event, Written Almost Entirely Before Wednesday’s Sad News, But Which the Time Has Come to Publish Because Life Goes On
DaringFireball said:
Friday, 7 October 2011

WHAT MORE COULD YOU HAVE WANTED IN A HYPOTHETICAL ‘IPHONE 5’ TODAY?

A 4-INCH SCREEN? What sign has Apple ever given that it will ever change from the one-size-fits-all 3.5-inch screen? Every single iPhone and iPod Touch ever released has had the exact same size screen.

Now, maybe you would prefer a 4-inch screen. Or maybe a 4.5-inch screen. And maybe someone else would prefer a slightly smaller 3.25-inch screen. That’s not how Apple rolls, especially with iOS devices. There is no doubt that some people would prefer a bigger screen. But nor is there any doubt that many other people would not. I wouldn’t. I like to see things get smaller, not bigger. Bigger is not necessarily better. Apple decided on the optimal size for an iPhone display back in 2006. If they thought 4-inches was better, overall, as the one true size for the iPhone display, then the original iPhone would have had a 4-inch display. It’s not like 4-inch screens are harder to make, or use some sort of new technology. If anything they’re surely easier to make, as the pixels are less dense.

One big advantage of a 3.5-inch display: with average-size hands, your thumb can reach any pixel on screen more comfortably while holding the phone one-handed. Judging from my email, many proponents of bigger screens — those who are disappointed that the iPhone 4S doesn’t sport a 4-inch display — see no such trade-off. Bigger is better, period, they say, and anyone who says otherwise is in denial that Apple is falling behind its competition. But by that logic, 5-inch screens would be better than 4-inch ones, and 6-inch screens better still. That’s silly. Bigger is not necessarily better for handheld/pocket devices...
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Maybe he grew larger thumbs or he got a pant with deeper pockets... or he changes his tune according to whatever tradeoff Apple decides is good at the moment
 
Greyface said:
The same John Gruber?

Thoughts and Observations Regarding This Week’s iPhone 4S Event, Written Almost Entirely Before Wednesday’s Sad News, But Which the Time Has Come to Publish Because Life Goes On


Maybe he grew larger thumbs or he got a pant with deeper pockets... or he changes his tune according to whatever tradeoff Apple decides is good at the moment
Click to expand...

We can play gotcha with previous quotes if you want, I only posted what he wrote today because it's exactly what I've been saying all along. Let's talk about the content of today's post, please.

Besides, re-reading that old post, it's not that contradictory.
 
It sounds like one of those things that Apple is definitely planning to do, but at the same time the option to back out last second is still there.

I'm still banking on them doing it.
 
Tobor said:
We can play gotcha with previous quotes if you want, I only posted what he wrote today because it's exactly what I've been saying all along. Let's talk about the content of today's post, please.

Besides, re-reading that old post, it's not that contradictory.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like John Gruber isn't the king of playing gotchas or 'claim chowder' as he likes to call it.

3.5" screen iPhone 4S leak:
Gruber said:
Bigger is not necessarily better. Apple decided on the optimal size for an iPhone display back in 2006.
Click to expand...
4" screen iPhone 5 leak
Gruber said:
post-iPhone mobile phones is between screen size (where bigger is better)
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If you can't see how he changed his tune then *shrug* agree to disagree.
 
Greyface said:
Yeah, like John Gruber isn't the king of playing gotchas or 'claim chowder' as he likes to call it.

3.5" screen iPhone 4S leak:

4" screen iPhone 5 leak


If you can't see how he changed his tune then *shrug* agree to disagree.
Click to expand...

Who gives a shit? Can you not see how "larger screen, smaller iPhone" is compelling?

And yes, I think by some metric, volume maybe, the new iPhone will be smaller, and that's going to be their angle.
 
I don't want just another row of icons. I want something cooler and more complex. Like I can totally see some sort of persistent multitasking widget pane or something. So you can have your cute little 3D turn by turn running on the bottom 20% of the screen but still see a "normal" sized iMessage window so you can text and drive.


I'm gonna call such a lazy unimagitive fail on apple if it's just more icons and more space for devs, and no true fundamental OS alterations the couldn't be done on the old screen.
 
Tobor said:
Who gives a shit? Can you not see how "larger screen, smaller iPhone" is compelling?

And yes, I think by some metric, volume maybe, the new iPhone will be smaller, and that's going to be their angle.
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Because larger screen still has an effect on the UI whether or not the itself phone is bigger or smaller. I'd like to see him speculate on that. By throwing his original critique of larger screens into the black hole, he can't very well speak on one-handness operation and so one.
 
Jtwo said:
I don't want just another row of icons. I want something cooler and more complex. Like I can totally see some sort of persistent multitasking widget pane or something. So you can have your cute little 3D turn by turn running on the bottom 20% of the screen but still see a "normal" sized iMessage window so you can text and drive.


I'm gonna call such a lazy unimagitive fail on apple if it's just more icons and more space for devs, and no true fundamental OS alterations the couldn't be done on the old screen.
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Their OS 6 is going to factor in heavily on whether or not I upgrade my 4 to a 5...I would be extremely disappointed if it were an extra row of icons + LTE.

I need more from a full number revision, because the 4 is still an awesome phone.
 
Greyface said:
Because larger screen still has an effect on the UI whether or not the itself phone is bigger or smaller. I'd like to see him speculate on that. By throwing his original critique of larger screens into the black hole, he can't very well speak on one-handness operation and so one.
Click to expand...

Assuming they manage to fit this new screen in a similar footprint, I don't think there's an issue with one handed use. I can hold my current iPhone and reach the area where the top and bottom of this screen would be without shifting the phone.
 
Tobor said:
Who gives a shit? Can you not see how "larger screen, smaller iPhone" is compelling?

And yes, I think by some metric, volume maybe, the new iPhone will be smaller, and that's going to be their angle.
Click to expand...

I kinda give a shit. If we’re going to hold Apple to standards of good design and say that they sweat the small stuff (which they normally do), then moving from a 3.5” to 4” 16:9 screen with a reasoning of “why not” isn’t going to cut it.

they need to show us a compelling reason to do it because it will be a step backwards in one-handed ease of use and just showing a few extra lines of text or an extra row of home screen icons is of almost no benefit.
 
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