Would A 4.6-inch iPhone Display Be Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Posted by CharlesMoore on Thursday Mar 22, 2012 Under iPhone 5 News, iPhone 5 OpinionThere was a fairly clear dominant consensus among forum responses to my “What’s Your Ideal iPhone Screen Size?” blog on Monday that while a somewhat larger display would be welcome in the iPhone 5. However a substantial proportion of respondents were adamant that it shouldn’t be too much larger than the current iPhone 4S’s 3.5-inch, panel, the concerns being physical size for comfortable holding, easy pocket or purse-ability, and the ungainly aesthetics of existing large-display Android phones.
Upper thresholds cited by several commenters were specifically “no greater than 4.0” or “no greater than 4.3.” That’s reasonably consistent with results of a new Strategy Analytics Wireless Device Lab report, “Smartphone Owners Want Thin Devices with Larger Displays,” I cited, which found that the largest proportion of surveyed smartphone owner respondents said they prefer device screens in the 4.0-inch to 4.5-inch range, as long as the device is also thin.
So I’m wondering how it will set with fans if a new rumor out of South Korea that Apple will use in the iPhone 5 a 4.6-inch panel similar in dimensions at least to the one currently used in Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S2 HD LTE handsets, expected to also equip the forthcoming Galaxy S3. South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper Basic Mobility News column reports that the iPhone 5 will debut this summer, which could possibly mean June, and that parts have already been ordered from OEM suppliers, noting that according to market research firm DisplaySearch, 3.5-inch LCD panel price is OEM priced at $17, but a of 4.6-inch panel would be around $ 20.
The article notes that Apple will go along with Samsung’s display size, and has opted to not change the “Golden Ratio” 4:3 proportions of the current iPhone 4S panel. That would make a phone with 4.6″ diagonal 4:3 aspect ratio display necessarily very wide, a concern the Maeil Business story alludes to, noting that the iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen allows a form factor that can be easily held and manipulated with one hand.
In addition, the report says Apple would take a pass on the AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diodes) technology Samsung uses in its 4.6″ screen phones, and instead go with higher-resolution LCD Retina technology.
I’m skeptical. A lot of iPhone users cherish its ergonomics friendliness and conveniently compact dimensions, and while many would welcome a bit more on-screen real estate, there would be resistance to compromising those other desirable factors to accommodate a much larger display.
Pocket-Lint’s Stuart Miles observes in a commentary today that he thinks 4-inches seems much more likely, and that a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, the same as the iPad 2, would result in a pixel density of 320ppi on a 4-inch screen, which would be close enough to satisfy Apple’s Retina display criteria. The iPhone 4S’s 3.5″ Retina display has a 960 x 640 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 326ppi. Miles calculates that getting close to 320 ppi with a 4.6″ display would require a roughly 1200 x 900 resolution, achievement of which would make the device very wide id a 4:3 aspect ratio is to be maintained.
I’m inclined to go with Miles’s deduction. It seems implausible that Apple would go with a screen as large as 4.6 inches on the next iPhone given the physical limitations of accommodating Retina-class resolution and the 4:3 aspect ratio.
Of course this is all speculative as yet, and we’ll have to see what Apple does when the announcement comes (I’m still leaning toward fall).
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March 22nd, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I believe that a 4.6″ screen may have another benifit. If a large screen like that comes out, more room would be freed up and the phone could be super thin. If its super thin, I will buy it, hell, ill buy it no matter what!
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March 22nd, 2012 at 4:08 pm
@ undfeatable-I somewhat agree but a problem would come into play if/when Apple decided to release a smaller iPad (also rumored to come in the fall). If rumors prove to be true, which they rarely do, the sizes amongst their units would be far to close in size to allow consumers to effectively decide which would work best for them. They would have a 9″ iPad, a 7″ mini and a 4.6″ iPhone…yeaa, the only thing they’re missing is a 5.3″ in-betweener like the Note. What it could do is pressure consumers to purchase all 3 products (iPad, iPad mini, iPhone5) or some combination of the 3 which obviously benefits Apple. I’m inclined to believe that they wouldn’t even worry their pretty little heads about all that. My guess is they won’t put out an iPad mini and they’ll keep the screen size between 3.7″-4″ for the iPhone 5 (or whatever it will be called).
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March 22nd, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I agree 4.6 inches is probably to big for the regular consumer. I believe 4-4.5 inches is just fine. I’m a guy so for me personally, bigger the screen the better (unless it’s an iPad of course for a phone). I looked at the Galaxy Note and I said, “Who needs a phone this big”? After going back a second time, I could get use to it. I don’t like the whole “follow Android” thing that Apple could do with the 4.6 inch screen but what can I do about it? Also, June is where I think the next iPhone will show up, I really don’t want to wait that long but I will for the sake of a good phone for the next two-years.
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March 22nd, 2012 at 6:00 pm
I agree with Yungrasta, and by extension, Steve Jobs. I think Steve always imagined the Apple ecosystem to be a desktop, notebook, tablet, and smartphone, and have all of those devices’ screen sizes well-spaced. A device’s screen size, after all, dictates its usage. Apple should be careful to blur the lines between their devices.
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March 22nd, 2012 at 10:19 pm
I too agree that we shouldn’t expect to see the next iPhone follow the “supersizeme” trail of Android machines. Next Gen will probably grow to be 3.7″ or 4″, and I’m also putting my money on not that many surprises when it comes to moving away from the current form concept. Thinner, slightly larger display, but the wow factor is going to be the engine under the hood. The iPad does all the rest. (fingers crossed for mobile iOS Office package)
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March 22nd, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Wonder if the data eating issues of the “NEW IPAD” will find there way to the next phone..
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March 23rd, 2012 at 12:05 am
Michael, while the iPad is a 4:3 ratio, the iPhone is actually a 3:2 ratio (960 = 640 x 3 / 2). In order for a 4.6 inch screen to qualify as retina resolution (or in this example 320 ppi) and a 3:2 ratio, you would be looking at something like a 1224×816 screen. The reason I point this out is because 3:2 is more narrow than 4:3 which is more accommodating to the hand. While I don’t find the idea of a 4.6 inch screen appealing, I do see how it could still be fairly ergonomic. It would increase the screen width by a little over half an inch and the height by a little under an inch, but given a new form factor and the possibility of a smaller bezel, it could still be pocket friendly and aesthetically pleasing. I think a 4″ screen with a 1080 x 720 resolution would be a nice upgrade to the current iPhone screen.
By the way…love your blog and read almost daily since June last year.
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March 23rd, 2012 at 12:27 am
Well, whatever the specs as long as improving from the previous one should be fine. Bigger screen & faster processor satisfy me a lot…
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March 23rd, 2012 at 9:32 am
Faster processor?? Is the 4s slow???
Will they need more CPU for a larger screen?
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March 26th, 2012 at 7:00 am
4″ screen would be ideal. 4.6″ would be stupid. period.
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March 27th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Everbody is eager to welcome the NEW iphone!!! June? September? October? Wait and see,,,
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