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

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LCfiner said:
I guess I'm in the minority because I still don't think it looks good. the combination of glossy and satin/brushed finishes on the back doesn't seem right.
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I still think it looks absolutely terribly. It's so far from the clean and good looking design Apple normally does. I really hope it's some weird prototype (starting to fear it's not) and they go full on aluminium, or just do something to make it prettier.
 
QQ, the rumored size is the same as the Acer smartphone right? I held it in my hand and it was pretty nice, except in a relaxed one hand position it was harder to reach the top left part
 
LCfiner said:
I guess I'm in the minority because I still don't think it looks good. the combination of glossy and satin/brushed finishes on the back doesn't seem right.
Click to expand...

Yet a lot of their products already carry the same kind of motifs.

Glossy screened, yet satin/matte-ish finished MacBook Pros and iMacs.

The logos on iPads carry a glossy finish on a matte surface also.

I have an older-generation Apple Cinema Display here, with an aluminium casing, and glossy white sides.

Older iPods were glossy plastic with matte click wheels. Even the new (old, lol) classic is a shiny chrome body with matte front.

Apple have often done a bunch of two-toned stuff.

Even the current iPhone is a matte steel band with glass front and back - the new design is simply an extension of the band onto part of the back, with the colour of the band matching the glass colouring (if it's even glass and not plastic).

I won't deny that it might be cleaner to have the ENTIRE back the same, but we know what the consequences of that are.
 
mrkgoo said:
Yet a lot of their products already carry the same kind of motifs.

Glossy screened, yet satin/matte-ish finished MacBook Pros and iMacs.

The logos on iPads carry a glossy finish on a matte surface also.

I have an older-generation Apple Cinema Display here, with an aluminium casing, and glossy white sides.

Older iPods were glossy plastic with matte click wheels. Even the new (old, lol) classic is a shiny chrome body with matte front.

Apple have often done a bunch of two-toned stuff.

Even the current iPhone is a matte steel band with glass front and back - the new design is simply an extension of the band onto part of the back, with the colour of the band matching the glass colouring (if it's even glass and not plastic).

I won't deny that it might be cleaner to have the ENTIRE back the same, but we know what the consequences of that are.
Click to expand...

I suppose the Devil is in the details. I don't think the execution of the matte finish with the glossy chins works. Sharing the same surface and having two wildly different finishes looks amateurish to me. The small size of the top and bottom chins looks to be in awkward proportion to the rest of the matte back.

It's not the same as when there's an obvious break like between the edge and front face of an iphone or front and back of an ipod, or screen and keyboard of a macbook pro (and even in this case, I prefer the more uniform look of the air with the matching bezel to the keyboard.)

I suppose the closest example is the iMac with the glossy screen and aluminum bezel sharing the same face. perhaps it's because the glossy portion takes up such a huge amount of real estate and the chin is not in my line of sight, that the lower chin doesn't bother me too much. although I'd prefer it if they could eliminate that chin down the line.

Here's another thing. so far, it doesn't look as if that two tone on the back face serves any function. it seems like an oddly "designery" thing for Apple to change the finish of a portion of a surface if it serves no functionality.

maybe it's bare metal because it's a charging pad surface? I dunno.
 
I still really that two tone look. It looks way cleaner with just the one colour or material instead of the segmented materials look they are going for if this is the real thing.
 
when apple releases the iphone 4 XL will John Gruber come up with a pictograph with a person with a toe thumb to justify the new larger screen space?
 
Still don't like it in that video, as said before it's not horrendous but a clear step back from the 4's design. It looks cheaper, they might as well say they went with it just to get the costs down a bit.

Proportions still look off as well to me.
 
LCfiner said:
Here's another thing. so far, it doesn't look as if that two tone on the back face serves any function. it seems like an oddly "designery" thing for Apple to change the finish of a portion of a surface if it serves no functionality.
Click to expand...

It was difficult to see in the pics but much easier in the video, but the entire side casing and back are the same matte finish. And I have said it before but my guess is the back isn't what serves the function, but the windows that do. I still think they went back to aluminum and the antennas are internal again. They can't make the back totally metal or it would block the signal if that is the case.
 
Yeah, that two tone looks much better in that video. I have to wonder if the middle section is partially for grip, although the anodized aluminum they use is rather smooth as well.

I understand moving away from glass entirely with all the broken backs. If the antenna's at the bands, the whole metal cage argument would seemingly go out the window. Granted, I don't know dick about wireless telephony.
 
Talon- said:
Yeah, that two tone looks much better in that video. I have to wonder if the middle section is partially for grip, although the anodized aluminum they use is rather smooth as well.

I understand moving away from glass entirely with all the broken backs. If the antenna's at the bands, the whole metal cage argument would seemingly go out the window. Granted, I don't know dick about wireless telephony.
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Almost everything else they sell uses a unibody process, I guess it also saves on materials.

I still prefer the glass sandwich look.
 
I love it. Look at how beautifully the middle comes alive in direct light,

a8afb649.jpg


and then fades to black as soon as it is out.

0ab0f2ed.jpg
 
numble said:
Almost everything else they sell uses a unibody process, I guess it also saves on materials.

I still prefer the glass sandwich look.
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Yeah, I'm aware - I just expected the entire shell to go Unibody per the bottom of the MBPs and so on.

I prefer the glass sandwich look as well.

The real bit I don't understand is moving the mic down to the bottom right. Minor convenience for sticking the device in your jean pocket, I suppose?

Actually, wait, I bet it would help with docking stability with the smaller dock connector. Having two points of contact instead of one narrow one.

CrankyJay said:
Is that mini usb on the bottom? It doesn't look as wide as the proprietary apple connector.
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Apple's new connectivity option. Mini (or micro) USB wouldn't work for them because the current thirty pin outputs audio, video, data, etc. concurrently.
 
Talon- said:
Yeah, I'm aware - I just expected the entire shell to go Unibody per the bottom of the MBPs and so on.

I prefer the glass sandwich look as well.

The real bit I don't understand is moving the mic down to the bottom right. Minor convenience for sticking the device in your jean pocket, I suppose?

Actually, wait, I bet it would help with docking stability with the smaller dock connector. Having two points of contact instead of one narrow one.


Apple's new connectivity option. Mini (or micro) USB wouldn't work for them because the current thirty pin outputs audio, video, data, etc. concurrently.
Click to expand...

Dang, I have like 5 of the old connector wires. Wonder if converters will be available.
 
sc0la said:
It was difficult to see in the pics but much easier in the video, but the entire side casing and back are the same matte finish. And I have said it before but my guess is the back isn't what serves the function, but the windows that do. I still think they went back to aluminum and the antennas are internal again. They can't make the back totally metal or it would block the signal if that is the case.
Click to expand...

This would make the most sense, definitely. if they're moving away from external antennas (despite the look of the band remaining the same with the notches) then the glass windows are needed for the internal ones. this also allows them to move to all aluminum for the frame which is way lighter and easier to cut than the steel used int he current iphone band.

of course, then the question is why have the notches in the band if they're not separating antenna structures? :) that was a case of the notches serving a purpose for the 4 and 4S design. if now they're just aesthetic then it's an odd thing to keep as it breaks up the clean look of the band.

I guess I'm really more curious than ever to see how they pitch this design at the unveiling later this year.
 
So the question for me is...what could they be including that would make me want to upgrade from the 4. I don't care about Siri...really the only thing I can think of would be LTE, which would require me switching from AT&T to Verizon since AT&T doesn't have LTE in my area (yet).

Will iOS6 be a crazy change you think?
 
New dock means I'm gonna be avoiding iPhone and iPad purchases for a while. Need to wait until the accessory market mature, also, I got plenty of accessories that are designed for the current dock, I don't want to repurchase everything just yet. The 4 gen iPad might be the first iPad I skip, I got a 4S tied with a 2-year plan so no new iPhone until Fall/Winter 2013 anyway.
 
CrankyJay said:
So the question for me is...what could they be including that would make me want to upgrade from the 4. I don't care about Siri...really the only thing I can think of would be LTE, which would require me switching from AT&T to Verizon since AT&T doesn't have LTE in my area (yet).

Will iOS6 be a crazy change you think?
Click to expand...

I dunno. maybe LTE. maybe, for some people, the taller screen. There'll be enough people with old Android and 3G iPhones who will upgrade. people with 4 and 4S phones probably won't feel the need for a while yet

iOS 6 will NOT be a "crazy" change. Apple doesn't do sudden, crazy changes. that would confuse an alienate all the regular folks who buy their stuff and feel comfortable with it. Their software typically changes slowly, with refinements over years.

The last time they did a crazy change was with OS X, and they were not operating from a position of strength, so it was necessary
 
iOS 6 will innovate, but it won't be a massive sea change. Opening up Siri for use by other apps. Better performance per use. Expanded gestures?

We're getting to the point where software needs to differentiate over hardware.

iPhone 4 users are coming off their contracts this year. They'll be buying the new iPhone.
 
LCfiner said:
I suppose the Devil is in the details. I don't think the execution of the matte finish with the glossy chins works. Sharing the same surface and having two wildly different finishes looks amateurish to me. The small size of the top and bottom chins looks to be in awkward proportion to the rest of the matte back.

It's not the same as when there's an obvious break like between the edge and front face of an iphone or front and back of an ipod, or screen and keyboard of a macbook pro (and even in this case, I prefer the more uniform look of the air with the matching bezel to the keyboard.)

I suppose the closest example is the iMac with the glossy screen and aluminum bezel sharing the same face. perhaps it's because the glossy portion takes up such a huge amount of real estate and the chin is not in my line of sight, that the lower chin doesn't bother me too much. although I'd prefer it if they could eliminate that chin down the line.

Here's another thing. so far, it doesn't look as if that two tone on the back face serves any function. it seems like an oddly "designery" thing for Apple to change the finish of a portion of a surface if it serves no functionality.

maybe it's bare metal because it's a charging pad surface? I dunno.
Click to expand...

I understand your point of view entirely, but i don't think that it necessarily serves a purpose. The phone may simply just look a little awkward initially, just as the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 did before it. Seriously, both those phones were a bit unsettling when we first saw it.

That said, it,s possible with the number of crazy radios required these days, it's possible that external antenna alone doesn't cut it, so they've internalised some extra aerials. Alternatively, it may also be that they need some windows for assembly of components in such a small unibody design.

The sides and back seem seamless, which would be an interesting departure to have an entirely black iPhone that, as mentioned, comes alive when tilted. And the white is a two tone with silver.i have a feeling the device is much better in person, especially when it comes to fit and finish of the materials. All will be forgotten when you experience the thinnes!
 
Talon- said:
iOS 6 will innovate, but it won't be a massive sea change. Opening up Siri for use by other apps. Better performance per use. Expanded gestures?

We're getting to the point where software needs to differentiate over hardware.

iPhone 4 users are coming off their contracts this year. They'll be buying the new iPhone.
Click to expand...

Dunno...will I?

Honestly haven't decided yet...guess I'll wait until the reveal but besides LTE there's not much more I could want out of a phone.
 
LCfiner said:
This would make the most sense, definitely. if they're moving away from external antennas (despite the look of the band remaining the same with the notches) then the glass windows are needed for the internal ones. this also allows them to move to all aluminum for the frame which is way lighter and easier to cut than the steel used int he current iphone band.

of course, then the question is why have the notches in the band if they're not separating antenna structures? :) that was a case of the notches serving a purpose for the 4 and 4S design. if now they're just aesthetic then it's an odd thing to keep as it breaks up the clean look of the band.

I guess I'm really more curious than ever to see how they pitch this design at the unveiling later this year.
Click to expand...
You and I are on the same page it seems.

The side breaks are the only thing that don't specifically fit with my theory, my best guess is that they are points that allow the casing to flex slightly and this is necessary to get the flush assembly with out the plastic lip from the 4. If the case is aluminum though the frame is not the antenna, and the anodizing alone makes me think it is aluminum.

Could also be another point to let radio signals through, but I have no clue what the size requirements to serve that purpose are.
 
LCfiner said:
I guess I'm in the minority because I still don't think it looks good. the combination of glossy and satin/brushed finishes on the back doesn't seem right.
Click to expand...

The key thing about this design for me is how the glass front will fit. If it's raised like on the iPhone 4, that's a little bit incongruent. I'm liking the bevel on the casing edge. looks classy.
 
mrkgoo said:
The key thing about this design for me is how the glass front will fit. If it's raised like on the iPhone 4, that's a little bit incongruent. I'm liking the bevel on the casing edge. looks classy.
Click to expand...

well, we already know the front is raised and has that plastic lip from those first set of leaked images that showed the lip component that slips inside the front face (it’s a separate piece on this model but it’s built in with the glass on the 4 and 4S)

the model is not as symmetrical as the 4 since it’s a raised front glass and a milled metal chamfer along the back side.
 
LCfiner said:
well, we already know the front is raised and has that plastic lip from those first set of leaked images that showed the lip component that slips inside the front face (it’s a separate piece on this model but it’s built in with the glass on the 4 and 4S)

the model is not as symmetrical as the 4 since it’s a raised front glass and a milled metal chamfer along the back side.
Click to expand...

Interesting that the screen will be raised. See that's my bigger issue. Not the two tone finish on th back but the sort of 'band' design COMBINED with the unibody. If the unibody is flush on the back, I'd probably prefer the front to as well.



Again back on the back, I think the satin finish does create a sort of symmetry with the front screen.

Anyway I think it's ok in concept but will be much better in person. I'm imaging this thin machined slab that will just be awesome. I love the feel of satin/matte metal.
 
LCfiner said:
well, we already know the front is raised and has that plastic lip from those first set of leaked images that showed the lip component that slips inside the front face (it’s a separate piece on this model but it’s built in with the glass on the 4 and 4S)

the model is not as symmetrical as the 4 since it’s a raised front glass and a milled metal chamfer along the back side.
Click to expand...

Ah I hadn't noticed the plastic frame pics the first time around (just went back and saw them on 9to5mac).

Color me disappointed in that. The back gave me hope for flush mounting or at least a flush plastic frame like the ipad. :(
 
Technically, the new ipad ended up thicker, heavier, and with worse performance.

To charge the same price for regression, well its tantamount to a price hike.
 
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