A closer look at larger display options for the Apple iPhone
I am not an educated financial guy, and when I see Apple release strong quarterly results and the stock market answer with a loss in value, I shake my head in disbelief. The Apple iPhone continues to sell very well, and it seems that buyers are satisfied with the 3.5-inch and 4-inch display sizes. While I enjoy using devices with large displays like the Galaxy Note II and Droid DNA, I find the 4-inch display on the iPhone 5 to be nearly perfect for a very pocketable device that has a display large enough to enjoy lots of content.
My buddy Rene Ritchie over at iMore creates some awesome content covering Apple products. I enjoyed reading his article this week, "Imagining a 5-inch iPhone," and have to say, I honestly don't think I want to see a 5-inch iPhone anytime soon. Apple's new iPad Mini is doing well, and folks at ZDNet, like James Kendrick, enjoy this smaller form tablet. It seems to me that a 5-inch iPhone gets too close to the iPad Mini for a data-centric user profile, and I love the fact that my iPhone 5 is so pocketable and useful as a phone and not a data-focused device.
In typical iMore fashion, Rene went into extreme detail when discussing pixels, sizes, and resolution options available to Apple. Apps are what define iOS, so whatever road Apple may take to a larger iPhone will have to be developer friendly. Rene presents discussions on a large iPhone with:
5 inches at 2x
5 inches at 3x
5 inches at 4x
5 inches using iPad mini display
5 inches at another pixel count
4.5 or 4.8 inches
We will see a new iPhone in 2013; Apple releases one every year and that is not news. I think it will be an iPhone 5S with a faster processor, improved camera, new OS, NFC, and wireless charging. I highly doubt the form factor will change from the iPhone 5, and think any possibility of a bigger iPhone won't happen until 2014 or later. I wouldn't put much into what Tim Cook states about the iPhone size since you really can never say never when it comes to technology companies, as evidenced by the iPad Mini that Apple said they would never release.
HTC did an amazing job with a 5 inch device on the HTC Droid DNA, and that is quite pocketable, so it is possible for a company to make a compelling large display device that still fits in your pocket. My Galaxy Note II is too big at 5.5 inches, and the rumors of one getting bigger are not appealing to me personally. Do you want to see a larger iPhone or are you satisfied with the 3.5 or 4 inch displays?