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[Raistlin]

This move would surprise me a bit.

The first concern is simply how big this is. 4.6" is obviously on the really big size. If this were to be the only phone they offer, that could certainly scare off some people. This is over an inch bigger than prior iPhones. I would think if they wanted to go bigger, the jump wouldn't be that much. 4" or maybe 4.3" is they can basically go without a bezel. The key here is to not make the form-factor itself drastically bigger.

Then again they could offer 2 sizes ... but obviously that seems very un-Apple. One way around this is to simply continue with the 4S along side it. Unlike in the past, I suspect we won't see any new OS features that wouldn't work on the prior model. The 4S is still a pretty nice piece of kit that likely won't be underpowered for SW performance for some time. With that in mind, it would be easy to keep it along with only a small price break. And then for high-end users, they can just grab the iPhone 5. Long-term though, that does still present the problem of not having a smaller phone anymore. That can't keep the 4S around forever. Eventually it actually will be outdated.


The other issue comes down to resolution. If they want to continue with 'retina', a bigger screen would require higher resolution. Is Apple ready to throw another new resolution at devs? It wasn't hard in the past because they simply doubled resolution in each direction. Doing that again however does not seem feasible (or even useful) at this point. So how would this be handled? App compatibility would get messed up unless they can make a nice scaling algorithm. This issue seems like a hard one to hurdle.

I reallyreallyreally hope they stick with a small screen.

And would an OLED screen offer as bright of a screen with current tech?

OLED is plenty bright.

 

[Raistlin]

Well devs still have to update their apps every time Apple decides to change resolution, no? What's one more time? Also, I think with the high DPI (assuming a 4.6" screen at 1440*960 would give us 376 DPI(!!!)) the bilinear filtering would hardly be noticeable. Or you could run two RD display apps side by side in landscape mode

That's the one thing I'm considering (well ... not necessarily that res lol). Would a scaled image even be all that obvious on another retina display? Sure it may be slightly softer, but it's possible it would be hard to notice.

That could be a way around it.

 

[H_Prestige]

When is Apple going to switch to OLED?

 

[numble]

As for 4, I still think that any increase in resolution would be three times the original iPhone res, as Faceless Master has pointed out. It would be a smooth transition and provide enough pixel density.

Three times the resolution would not be smooth transitioning. Sure 3x the resolution of old apps 480x320 apps (to 1440x960) might work, but what about the retina apps that have been out for 2 years? You need to multiply by 1.5, which will not give you a clean transition.

Well devs still have to update their apps every time Apple decides to change resolution, no? What's one more time? Also, I think with the high DPI (assuming a 4.6" screen at 1440*960 would give us 376 DPI(!!!)) the bilinear filtering would hardly be noticeable. Or you could run two RD display apps side by side in landscape mode

The new iPad explains it. They could've chosen any other resolution, why go for 1536p? 2x scaling.

 

[Talon]

When is Apple going to switch to OLED?

When they believe the technology's where they want it to be when it comes to viewing angles, color accuracy, and reliability.

 

[True Underdog]

I'm really indifferent. I went from an iPhone 3G, to the HTC Evo 4G and now I'm on a 4S. Made the switch a couple weeks ago and I haven't really had any issues. The 4S is noticeably smaller but it isn't a problem.

 

[The Faceless Master]

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

i feel like i made the top bezel a bit too small...

 

[jet1911]

I just hope it release "soon". Can't wait tomthrow my 3GS away.

 

[The Faceless Master]

So... how are they going to change the resolution? Double it AGAIN to make it Retina2X or something? Then devs will have to support 3 different resolutions?

throw 3GS under a bus, devs only have to support 2 resolutions.

When they believe the technology's where they want it to be when it comes to viewing angles, color accuracy, and reliability.

it's already past everything else in those! the problems are brightness and pixel density.

 

[alphaNoid]

The 4.3" display on my Rezound is fucking awesome, 4.6" would work for my giant hands but I'm not so sure the average 16 year old girl is ready for that to be honest.

 

[noah111]

I don't think they'll do it. I was having a hard time biting on the 4.3" rumors, I thought they'd just go for 4". What about the iPhone 5 model leaks? Didn't those use a 4"? I forget.

Plus, they would have to introduce yet ANOTHER retina size; 1280x1920.

That would be insane, just because there would need to be 320x480, 640x960, 1024x768, 2048x1536 AND 1280x1920 resources all crammed into a single app. Ridiculous.

Not to mention this would be way too huge to eliminate the i4S with. A 4" screen, I could see that taking over the current iPhone line, especially if they were to place/position the actual screen in a way where there would be little to no bezel, meaning the actual width of the phone wouldn't be drastically increased, even if the thickness would.

I don't want to believe this.

 

[Lord Error]

When they believe the technology's where they want it to be when it comes to viewing angles, color accuracy, and reliability.

It's more of a fact that they can't source enough screens with today's production.

 

[Zeppu]

Three times the resolution would not be smooth transitioning. Sure 3x the resolution of old apps 480x320 apps (to 1440x960) might work, but what about the retina apps that have been out for 2 years? You need to multiply by 1.5, which will not give you a clean transition.


The new iPad explains it. They could've chosen any other resolution, why go for 1536p? 2x scaling.

Well then, isn't it a bit ridiculous that the OS has this intrinsic fault/limitation? Basically their next bump has to be to 1920*1280 which would provide RD for up to 7.6" and overkill for anything less than 5" (461DPI). Devs have to update each time there's a resolution change instead of allowing them to include whatever quality they need and let the OS handle it.

At the other end of the spectrum, I can totally see someone coming out with a 1080p phone soon so it's not like resolution as high as 2xiPhone 4 will be unheard of.

I still think 1.5x upscaling on such a high end display would be a big deal. It's basically like upscaling from 720p to 1080p, no?

 

[iAmMaximus]

And here we go again...

 

[twobear]

They'll make it 9" and you need two styluses to use it

[edit] As for scaling, I was thinking about this and surely upscaling is trivial on a device for which the DPI exceeds your eye's ability to resolve?

 

[giga]

Well then, isn't it a bit ridiculous that the OS has this intrinsic fault/limitation? Basically their next bump has to be to 1920*1280 which would provide RD for up to 7.6" and overkill for anything less than 5" (461DPI). Devs have to update each time there's a resolution change instead of allowing them to include whatever quality they need and let the OS handle it.

At the other end of the spectrum, I can totally see someone coming out with a 1080p phone soon so it's not like resolution as high as 2xiPhone 4 will be unheard of.

I still think 1.5x upscaling on such a high end display would be a big deal. It's basically like upscaling from 720p to 1080p, no?

They limit scaling to 2x because it makes scaling easier for developers during the transition while also retaining image quality/accuracy for existing graphics.

Have a read through this: http://bjango.com/articles/everythingisagrid/

 

[Treefingers]

Well then, isn't it a bit ridiculous that the OS has this intrinsic fault/limitation? Basically their next bump has to be to 1920*1280 which would provide RD for up to 7.6" and overkill for anything less than 5" (461DPI). Devs have to update each time there's a resolution change instead of allowing them to include whatever quality they need and let the OS handle it.

At the other end of the spectrum, I can totally see someone coming out with a 1080p phone soon so it's not like resolution as high as 2xiPhone 4 will be unheard of.

I still think 1.5x upscaling on such a high end display would be a big deal. It's basically like upscaling from 720p to 1080p, no?

It has nothing to do with the OS, it's a choice made by Apple to help developers.

Edit: Whoops beaten

 

[noah111]

i feel like i made the top bezel a bit too small...

This reminds me of the iPhone 5 rumors, with the screen being 4"-4.3".

throw 3GS under a bus, devs only have to support 2 resolutions.

How can that even happen? There are tons of iPod 4G and below models out there, not mention 3G-3GS models. They can't just remove the 320x480 support from apps. Even if they did, it wouldn't really matter.

 

[Krauser Kat]

I would maybe switch over to an iphone if it was this big. My moms galaxy nexus makes my bionic jelly. Everyone in this thread thinks everyone else is stupid. I think a lot of people would enjoy a larger iphone.

 

[kehs]

How can that even happen? There are tons of iPod 4G and below models out there, not mention 3G-3GS models. They can't just remove the 320x480 support from apps. Even if they did, it wouldn't really matter.

In exchange for their 30% cut they can devise a plan to support multiple version deployments dependent on the device asking for it. Progress leads to diversification and the need for new and innovative versatile delivery methods.

 

[Zeppu]

They limit scaling to 2x because it makes scaling easier for developers during the transition while also retaining image quality/accuracy for existing graphics.

Have a read through this: http://bjango.com/articles/everythingisagrid/

It has nothing to do with the OS, it's a choice made by Apple to help developers.

Edit: Whoops beaten

Yes, I understand how it works and why it was done and how increasing to 1.5 won't give you the crispness. What I'm trying to point out are two things.

1. At such a high DPI, I think that 1.5x scaling won't be such an eyesore
2. It's not making it easier for developers because they still have to update every time there's a res bump instead of allowing them to immediately include high resolution images which the OS then scales accordingly.

It also means that the phone has to remain with the same aspect ratio and (again, in my opinion) width is more of a concern for usability than height but varying the ratio is completely and understandably out of the question.

And please don't give me the 'current size/resolution/aspect ratio is prefect as is' argument because that's a very close minded and short sighted view. The fact that the iPhone will evolve is obvious and inevitable, and being limited to a single screen size forever is a hindrance.

 

[Raistlin]

When they believe the technology's where they want it to be when it comes to viewing angles, color accuracy, and reliability.

viewing angles certainly aren't an issue.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I have a Galaxy S2 and it's a much, much better screen. For media, browsing, and just general use, it's way more comfortable using my phone than my friends' iPhones. iOS users will be very happy with the bigger screen after the 2-3 days it takes to get used to it.

 

[mescalineeyes]

I would maybe switch over to an iphone if it was this big. My moms galaxy nexus makes my bionic jelly. Everyone in this thread thinks everyone else is stupid. I think a lot of people would enjoy a larger iphone.

I think most people would enjoy it, it just makes me nervous because of device fragmentation.

 

[Treefingers]

Yes, I understand how it works and why it was done and how increasing to 1.5 won't give you the crispness. What I'm trying to point out are two things.

1. At such a high DPI, I think that 1.5x scaling won't be such an eyesore
2. It's not making it easier for developers because they still have to update every time there's a res bump instead of allowing them to immediately include high resolution images which the OS then scales accordingly.

It also means that the phone has to remain with the same aspect ratio and (again, in my opinion) width is more of a concern for usability than height but varying the ratio is completely and understandably out of the question.

And please don't give me the 'current size/resolution/aspect ratio is prefect as is' argument because that's a very close minded and short sighted view. The fact that the iPhone will evolve is obvious and unavoidable, and being limited to a single screen size forever is a hindrance.

Regarding point 2, they don't do this because the OS scaling elements leads to ugliness. You can't just scale down an image and have it look great. How do you scale down a 1px border to half the size for example? This is why developers redo assets for multiple resolutions.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I'm actually surprised that Apple has waited this long to get onto a larger screen.

 

[Diablohead]

Thinking more about this, the 4s battery is rather terrible for what they can fit into a phone of that size, making the phone a little bit bigger would also allow a slightly bigger battery, but that's just a thought it might not work well powering a bigger screen and what ever new processor they throw in.

4" would be nice, they could keep that 960x640 res and it would still look really good.

 

[Cipherr]

i feel like i made the top bezel a bit too small...

Scust @ the scale of that aspect ratio as the screen size increases. Terrrrrrrible.

 

[JordanKZ]

3.5" is completely claustrophobic for a screen these days. But unless power consumption comes down (i.e: my 4.65" screen on my Galaxy Nexus) I really don't see Apple moving any time soon as they pride themselves on good battery lives.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I love the size of my current iPhone. I really don't want it going any higher than 4".

 

[giga]

Yes, I understand how it works and why it was done and how increasing to 1.5 won't give you the crispness. What I'm trying to point out are two things.

1. At such a high DPI, I think that 1.5x scaling won't be such an eyesore
2. It's not making it easier for developers because they still have to update every time there's a res bump instead of allowing them to immediately include high resolution images which the OS then scales accordingly.

It also means that the phone has to remain with the same aspect ratio and (again, in my opinion) width is more of a concern for usability than height but varying the ratio is completely and understandably out of the question.

And please don't give me the 'current size/resolution/aspect ratio is prefect as is' argument because that's a very close minded and short sighted view. The fact that the iPhone will evolve is obvious and unavoidable, and being limited to a single screen size forever is a hindrance.

If it's scaling a bitmap element, it will be less than optimal. You're adding pixels (and half pixels, with 1.5) where they weren't there before.

I'm not even sure I understand your second point. Developers already include high resolution images in their apps. If there's another bump in resolution, those high resolution images aren't as high anymore. Developers don't know what the next bump will be or if it will even happen.

 

[btkadams]

i'm fine with this, unless the retina display becomes pixelated.

 

[Blackhead]

They limit scaling to 2x because it makes scaling easier for developers during the transition while also retaining image quality/accuracy for existing graphics.

Have a read through this: http://bjango.com/articles/everythingisagrid/

hahaha. The original graphics look like shit in both the transitions to the retina display iPhones and iPad. At this point I'd say this concession to developers isn't worth it. They'll still end up creating new assets and apps anyway. After all they all rushed to created apps for the original iPad despite it being an entirely new resolution from the previous iOS devices.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I would like a bigger iPhone for sure the more that I think about it.

 

[giga]

hahaha. The original graphics look like shit in both the transitions to the retina display iPhones and iPad. At this point I'd say this concession to developers isn't worth it.

Have you asked any designers that? Not having to redo an interface due to 2x scaling isn't meaningless.

 

[Tobor]

Have you asked any designers that? Not having to redo an interface due to 2x scaling isn't meaningless.

Exactly.

 

[Blackhead]

Have you asked any designers that? Not having to redo an interface due to 2x scaling isn't meaningless.

I'd expect all good designers will be redesigning their interfaces that used 20pt fonts to accomodate the old low resolution. They'll still have to include both versions in the new app whether Apple doubles the resolution or uses another scale. Frankly i think iOS developers and designers have been over coddled. For almost every other OS the developers and designers just get on with their job. When Apple tells Mac developers that their changing the OS theme, they talk back a bit then get right to it.

Spoiler

When Apple tells Ma developers to jump off a cliff, they jump

 

[JudgeN]

Would love this to be true, I can't stand the small iphone screen. After using a nexus I think 4.6in is about the perfect size.

 

[AndyD]

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.

They can always carry the 4S in parallel. Two sizes. Knowing Apple though, its unlikely.

 

[Emily Chu]

Scust @ the scale of that aspect ratio as the screen size increases. Terrrrrrrible.

HOLY BALLZ thought the middle was the GNote for a minute there...

 

[Zeppu]

Listen, don't get me wrong at all. Obviously having a 2x res bump is much better than 1.5x which is why I always secretly hoped that HD would settle at 1440p instead of 1080p, so that SD at 480 would get a 3x scaling. What I'm attempting to say is that on higher DPIs it won't be that much of an eyesore.

Also, I don't think it really makes that much of a difference for devs whether what they're scaling to since they probably already have a much higher res image which they scale down and retouch, or have vector images which will scale to any size. It's not like they're getting their original small image and just zoom it on to 200%.

Edit:
As for interface layouts. Isn't positioning and that stuff all be percentage based?

 

[Emily Chu]

That would be insane, just because there would need to be 320x480, 640x960, 1024x768, 2048x1536 AND 1280x1920 resources all crammed into a single app. Ridiculous.

PC games do it all the time though....

unless there is something I'm missing here

 

[mescalineeyes]

They can always carry the 4S in parallel. Two sizes. Knowing Apple though, its unlikely.

They're still carrying the iPhone 4.

Knowing Apple? I don't think you do.

PC games do it all the time though....

unless there is something I'm missing here

Yes, you are missing User Interface Design for touch-based devices.

 

[Xcellere]

Thanks for making that. When I look at this, there's no way Apple would adopt a screen so large that would take away from it's aesthetic appeal. 4.6" doesn't allow the iPhone to still have that sexy form factor that has helped make it so popular. 4.0-4.3 keeps the form factor looking sleek without going overboard. While I'd like a 4.6" screen, I can't see them doing this.

 

[giga]

I'd expect all good designers will be redesigning their interfaces that used 20pt fonts to accomodate the old low resolution. They'll still have to include both versions in the new app whether Apple doubles the resolution or uses another scale. Frankly i think iOS developers and designers have been over coddled. For almost every other OS the developers and designers just get on with their job. When Apple tells Mac developers that their changing the OS theme, they talk back a bit then get right to.

Spoiler

When Apple tells Ma developers to jump off a cliff, they jump

So basically, it's less convenient and harder on other platforms, so suck it up? I don't get that argument. If a process can be simplified or made easier, then why not? Just because the standard sucks on other platforms, doesn't mean yours should too.

The less time trying to support different resolutions and devices, the better. That's not an efficient use of time.

 

[BakedPigeon]

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.

If you really think this reasoning will stop girls from buying it your crazy.

 

[Gamecocks625]

If Apple goes 4.6 (which they won't), they'd have to double the res again. I'd say they stick with whatever will give them at least a 300ppi screen. That's what..3.75 or 3.8? 4in at the absolute most.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

In all honesty, one of the main factors keeping me from jumping to iPhone is the small screen size. If this is true, I'd be pretty tempted to pick one up when my contract ends this year.

 

[Tobor]

Gruber says it's bullshit as well:

Lots of attention on this rumor, but no one seems to be pointing out that if it’s true, this new iPhone would need way more pixels than the current 960 × 640 iPhone display. That means every app in the App Store would need to be redesigned/resized. For this reason and others, I say it’s bullshit.

 

[FStop7]

The iPad just came out and we're already onto iPhone rumors? It's probably not even going to be out until this fall.