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[SteveWD40]

I call bullshit, Apple are not interested in what "we" want, they have their design philosophies and that's that, they don't care what Samsung are doing (and nor should they with their market share).

I would hate to have another round of waiting for the devs to "upscale" all their apps yet again. The current screen is fine, just improve the battery and iOS and I, for one am happy.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Do whatever seems right. And release it in October.

This might be a fake rumor, but it's gonna be funny seeing all the people who defended keeping the smaller screen start to accept it.

 

[JonnyBrad]

It won't be edge to edge i would have thought. Its just not practical for use. I would rather they kept the same size but went OLED. The black levels on the 4s are pretty crappy compared to most Android phones now.

 

[Diprosalic]

A lot of girls won't like this.

i see a shitload of 14-20 year old girls with the Galaxy S2, almost more than the iphone.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

A lot of girls won't like this.

Some older people who got into the iPhone might not like it.

My Dad chose the 4s over a SII because of size.

Then again, if they design it right... he can easily change his mind.
He's hooked on smart phones now and will eventually upgrade.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

bogus rumor. 4.6" is ridiculous and is too huge to carry around comfortably.

maybe... maybe Apple will increase screen size to 4". but that's about the max I see them enlarging it, as that size won't necessarily bloat the external dimensions too much if they shrink the bezel around the screen

I have no problems with my Note, apart from when I kneel down. As long as you don't wear skinny jeans you'll be fine. It so slim, it just slides in there. And I have the flip cover which adds a few extra mm too. Cumbersome complaints are either exaggerated or unfounded in my experience, although it is obviously larger, it is designed in such a way as to mitigate it somewhat.

 

[DrFunk]

If it's true, I welcome it. 3.5" is way too fucking small.

 

[kehs]

A lot of girls won't like this.

They like the iPhone because it's small. Going the route of the giganto Android phones is probably not the best thing.

Totally, and besides how else are they going to cook dinner if both their hands filled with a phablet.

 

[Gamecocks625]

Just like the 7" iPad that's always coming.

Won't happen.

Yeah there is some crazy rumors curiously coming from Samsung's neighborhood.

7in iPad?

4.6in iPhone?

Yeah...no.

 

[Joel Was Right]

I was curious so I looked up some comparison pics here

Edge to edge it looks like the iPhone won't be THAT much wider than what it is right now

A screen that size will deter more people than it would appeal to in my opinion. It could arguably be the most divisive Apple product in recent memory.

 

[The Faceless Master]

One reason I carry my iPad on long travels is I can get 10 hours of battery life. I don't carry my 15" MacBook Pro anymore because I find it too heavy.

Why did you assume malice? Do I have to photograph myself struggling to fit my iPhone in my pocket so you can believe me? I'd love to buy a battery pack for my 4S but can't because I won't be able to fit it with me.

no, photos aren't enough. i'd prefer a video.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I was curious so I looked up some comparison pics here

Edge to edge it looks like the iPhone won't be THAT much wider than what it is right now

It's not a great comparison because they are of different aspect ratios.

 

[Buckethead]

I'm fine with the size of my iPhone 4.

Don't want it any bigger.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I'm fine with the size of my iPhone 4.

Don't want it any bigger.

That's what guys with small phones always say about their size.

 

[The Faceless Master]

What is the ppi limit for apple to call it retina?

it's a bigger phone so you hold it further away.

the only thing?

so...not better apps, better store, better 3rd party accessories, better equipment/car integration, or better battery life?

ok.

nope, pretty sure other devices have all of those things covered.

and small phones too.

So many people saying 3.7" is the perfect size and doesn't need change. I wonder if anything could possibly happen to change these people's mind. I remember, back in the day, when phones didn't 'need' multitasking or notifications.

they'll change their mind if The new iPhone has it.

Come on guys, use your noggin.

If they kept the resolution the same at that size, it'd decrease the DPI from 326 PPI to 250. They're not going to do that.

If they chose to increase the resolution, they would do it in factors of 2. That would mean 1920x1280. That's 500 PPI. That's not going to happen for a variety of hardware reasons.

The next iPhone will be 4" at max.

they could also go with 1440*960, tripling the original res.

 

[mescalineeyes]

I am just going to say that putting in a larger display would let them put in a larger battery which is a necessity if they are really going LTE so I am starting to believe the next iPhone will infact, be at least 4 inches. Which greatly pleases and worries me at the same time.

 

[big_z]

A screen that size will deter more people than it would appeal to in my opinion. It could arguably be the most divisive Apple product in recent memory.

marketing research has shown the most requested iphone improvement is a larger screen. i think people are stupid and stuck in the bigger is better mindset. personally i want something compact, thin and lite. if apple can reduce the bezel size and increase screen to 4" im fine with that but i dont want a mini tablet as a phone.

 

[The Faceless Master]

I am just going to say that putting in a larger display would let them put in a larger battery which is a necessity if they are really going LTE so I am starting to believe the next iPhone will infact, be at least 4 inches. Which greatly pleases and worries me at the same time.

another great point.

 

[XMonkey]

marketing research has shown the most requested iphone improvement is a larger screen. i think people are stupid and are stuck in the bigger is better mindset. personally i want something compact, thin and lite. if apple can reduce the bezel size and increase screen to 4" im fine with that but i dont want a mini tablet as a phone.

It's still going to be compact, thin, and light. You shouldn't even notice much of a difference in your pocket.

 

[giga]

they could also go with 1440*960, tripling the original res.

They could to keep pixels aligned to the display's grid, but neither 960x640 or 480x320 apps would look good when scaled.

 

[Joel Was Right]

marketing research has shown the most requested iphone improvement is a larger screen. i think people are stupid and stuck in the bigger is better mindset. personally i want something compact, thin and lite. if apple can reduce the bezel size and increase screen to 4" im fine with that but i dont want a mini tablet as a phone.

A larger screen doesn't necessarily mean as large as 4.6 inches though.

 

[KHarvey16]

Odd choice.

The only thing the iPhone has going for it these days is that its the smallest phone available.

Lol

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

4.6? I'm well over 7, thanks.


Shit, wrong thread.

 

[Double D]

Step in the right direction.

Once people get used to a bigger phone they'll realise a) their concerns about it being 'too big' were unfounded in every single regard, b) they'll realise how much, MUCH better it is for every type of use and c) they'll never want to go back/downsize.

Bullshit. I went from a huge screen Android phone to the 4S, and I much prefer the form factor and size of the phone. When I want a big screened touchy device, I'll use my iPad. That being said, I wouldn't mind if they upped the screen size a little bit, but 4" is about the biggest I'd want.

 

[Diablohead]

If apple have made the screen reach more edge to edge and removed some of the black trim the current devices have it won't be that much bigger, possible that this is what they are aiming to do.

 

[mescalineeyes]

If apple have made the screen reach more edge to edge and removed some of the black trim the current devices have it won't be that much bigger, possible that this is what they are aiming to do.

Not one person is aiming to do that and you shouldn't want them to.

 

[The Faceless Master]

They could to keep pixels aligned to the display's grid, but neither 960x640 or 480x320 apps would look good when scaled.

not Apple's problem, devs would have to update their assets like they did the last 2 times.

 

[Diablohead]

Not one person is aiming to do that and you shouldn't want them to.

and why not?

 

[FlashFlooder]

No way this is happening. 4" screen it will be.

 

[Zeppu]

it's a bigger phone so you hold it further away.


nope, pretty sure other devices have all of those things covered.

and small phones too.


they'll change their mind if The new iPhone has it.


they could also go with 1440*960, tripling the original res.

I agree completely with all these statements. I was discussing with a friend of mine a couple of months ago that the next iteration of iPhone res wouldn't double on the iPhone4 but rather triple on the original resolution.

I still find the fact that devs have to update their apps high ridiculous. I don't know if there's a concept of something similar to density independent pixels in iOS, but there really should be. Let the devs submit as high quality images as they like and the OS will handle the scaling independently of PPI.

I am just going to say that putting in a larger display would let them put in a larger battery which is a necessity if they are really going LTE so I am starting to believe the next iPhone will infact, be at least 4 inches. Which greatly pleases and worries me at the same time.

I also agree with this.

Also, I think the 4S will continue to be produced after the 4"+ iPhone is released as an iPhone 'Mini' for everyone who obstinately still thinks 3.7" is a perfect size for phones.

 

[leadbelly]

A lot of girls won't like this.

They like the iPhone because it's small. Going the route of the giganto Android phones is probably not the best thing.

I think 3.7" with the same form factor just edge to edge screen would've been the way to go if they wanted to make it bigger, going all the way up to 4.6" is kinda crazy.

Yeah. It's relative to screen resolution I imagine. If you're going to substantially increase screen resolution then screen size needs to be bigger also. For one, making a screen the same size with many more pixels isn't the easiest thing to do, or perhaps the cheapest thing to do, and the smaller the screen size the less benefit the resolution bump has anyway.

 

[KoruptData]

I just got a Galaxy S2 on Tmobile and I have not noticed any of my old habits being messed with. It has been an easy transition. I purely wanted a big screen to browse the Web and it has made life easier in that regard.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

4.6" screen... no, just no.

Spoiler

...please don't...

 

[Pagusas]

I was curious so I looked up some comparison pics here

Edge to edge it looks like the iPhone won't be THAT much wider than what it is right now

I dont think you can compare it like that unless they are changing the aspect ratio of the phone.

 

[sun-drop]

the iphone was always meant to be a ipod that makes calls ...rather than a phone that does music..

i think that was job's whole view point, and in a world pre iphone that was a pretty legit move, if your trying to get the world to adapt to smartphones.

but the worlds changed, in no small part due to iphone ..

and while the music centered folk out there don't give two shits about screens for web browsing and games ...i think the success of the S2 and the other flagship andriod's out there show things have moved on ... hell ... the glaxy note's success blows me away ... people just are at total ease now with accepting that they will use their phone's for tasks they typically waited till they got home to do on a pc screen. it's fine to walk around with a big screen.


still ....might not as easily fit in those skinny jeans ..


i think they will sell iphone5 in two sizes ..... yup .... current size AND a +4"er


keep in mind it sound like the timing of things means this is gonna go head to head with the S3 .....

 

[Divvy]

This rumor is totally bullshit.

That being said, remember that a recent survey did say that Vast majority of smartphone owners prefer a larger display

So the screen will most certainly get bigger, but they wouldn't instantly jump to the biggest end of that spectrum. Especially not with that aspect ratio.

 

[jon bones]

sounds like a terrible idea to me.

my buddy just got a droid max razr and while it looks great, the device is WAY too big to be practical.

what am i going to do, wear cargo pants like a god damned 4th grader?

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Steve Jobs is dead. 9' iPhone with a rotary dialler.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

4.6" = Amazing. Sold.

After using my Droid X for 2 years the iPhone 4 screen looks so small.

 

[Leona Lewis]

I think it'll be 4 inches.

It's still a substantial increase from the current 3.5 inches, and it seems to match last year's leaked case designs for the "iPhone 5" before the 4S stop-gap ended up being announced instead. I don't care how thin you make the bezel - those cases aren't going to hold the chassis that a 4.6 inch screen requires.

 

[Seraphinianus]

No OLED?

gotta save something for 5S.

 

[Zeppu]

sounds like a terrible idea to me.

my buddy just got a droid max razr and while it looks great, the device is WAY too big to be practical.

what am i going to do, wear cargo pants like a god damned 4th grader?

Fun fact: The Galaxy Nexus placed in the palm of my hands leaves about an 1-1.5 inches from the tip of my middle finger.

Fun fact 2: Hands tend to fit in pockets, therefore things which are smaller than hands also tend to fit in pockets.

 

[leadbelly]

Great idea, terrible idea, it doesn't matter. Apple fanboys will eat it up simply because it has the apple logo on the front (or back).

 

[Hari Seldon]

I want a TI-89 skin for it since it will be about the same size.

Just release soon, my iPhone 4 needs upgrading.

 

[Windu]

I guess this makes sense considering LTE and the need for bigger batteries. I would still think that is too big. I have never held a device like that in my own hands though, I guess if it's thin then it might be ok.

 

[PSGames]

Apple aren't idiots, they'll make it right.

I would rather a bigger iphone than a smaller iPad. iPhone is too small as it is.

And it'll be edge to edge screen with smaller sections on the top and bottom, not like this

This picture highlights why a 4.6 iphone will never happen. Android's navigation buttons are located at the bottom of the screen which means the screen can be as large as possible and still be used relatively well with one hand. iOS has the back button at the top Left of the screen. Unless you have elongated thumbs there's no way with a screen that large someone could use it with one hand. Even 4 inches is pushing it.

 

[Bboy AJ]

The reason Apple doubles pixel size is because the iPhone is a TOUCH device. The UI elements need to be the same size on the 3.5" screen because you touch buttons, sliders, etc. If the screen gets bigger, the UI elements don't necessarily need to increase. They need to be updated to not be ugly, but you'll still be able to touch the same button on a 3.5" or a 4" phone just fine.

Doubling pixel count isn't just for fragmentation reasons.

4.6" isn't happening for Apple.

 

[Divvy]

This picture highlights why a 4.6 iphone will never happen. Android's navigation buttons are located at the bottom of the screen which means the screen can be as large as possible and still be used relatively well with one hand. iOS has the back button at the top Left of the screen. Unless you have elongated thumbs there's no way with a screen that large someone could use it with one hand. Even 4 inches is pushing it.

But in the ICS style guide, in app navigation is done through a button on the top left as well and it isn't a problem to use.

 

[jon bones]

Fun fact: The Galaxy Nexus placed in the palm of my hands leaves about an 1-1.5 inches from the tip of my middle finger.

Fun fact 2: Hands tend to fit in pockets, therefore things which are smaller than hands also tend to fit in pockets.

i never used a galaxy nexus, so i can't comment on it. i will say that my current phone leaves the same amount of space between the tip of my middle finger (i'm a smaller dude)

i'm just saying, phones don't need to keep getting bigger. the screens on my OG droid and current iphone 4 are a great size - they enable me to make calls, check a map, shoot text messages and dick around the internet if i need to.

 

[Somnid]

I think this could hurt them in the long run if they go this route. Apple would no longer be blazing a trail but purposely jumping into the Android screen size fight.

On the other hand they seem to be running out of obvious improvements for their phone. NFC and LTE isn't going to keep 'em coming (or more specifically get people to change phones). At least not like they are used to.

I am just going to say that putting in a larger display would let them put in a larger battery which is a necessity if they are really going LTE so I am starting to believe the next iPhone will infact, be at least 4 inches. Which greatly pleases and worries me at the same time.

This is also another reason. They are hitting the limits of their form factor. Much like other Android phones making it bigger with a big screen is an easy diversion tactic to put in a bigger battery so the phone has more than a few hours of LTE time.