Japanese Report Claims Apple Building 5-inch Retina Displays for iPhone 5 Or iPad Mini
Posted by Michael Nace on Thursday Mar 29, 2012 Under iPhone 5 RumorRumors that Apple is manufacturing 5-inch retina displays for the iPhone 5 would seem far fetched. But it could be that these displays are slated for the fabled “Mini iPad.”
Imagine for a moment that Tim Cook unveils the iPhone this year and it doesn’t have a 3.7-, 4.0-, 4.3-, or even 4.6-inch display — numbers that we’ve all heard rumored for the iPhone 5. Instead, the iPhone 5 turns out to a tablet-smartphone line-blurrer (is that a word?) with a 5-inch screen.
That’s what Stuff’s hook-laden headline would like you to believe. According to their report: “Apple is building a 5in Retina Display – which could be used for the iPhone 5 or a rumoured iPad Mini. Reports from a Japanese manufacturer suggest that the 5in Retina Displays are going into production ready for a 2013 device release.”
It’s strange to imaging where a 5-inch Retina display fits into the possible 2012 Apple product ecosphere, isn’t it? Just about the only half-reasonable argument for a 5-inch iPhone 5 is that the Samsung Galaxy Note is already out there, and Apple thinks that it’s big screen and hidden stylus pen is a bold idea that they can do much, much better. But I find that doubtful: Steve Jobs was pretty skeptical of small-screen tablets and stylii. It’s hard to imagine that Cupertino would break from his ideologies so radically. Besides, the tech community is far from having embraced the notion of a smartphone with a 5-inch screen. Heck, the debate rages on if even a 4.6-inch screen is too big.
But the 5-inch Retina display rumor is even problematic for the never-ending “Mini iPad” rumor as well.
We’ve been hearing about the Mini iPad for quite a long time now — well over a year — and no one has ever talked about it having a tiny 5-inch screen; the estimates have always been in the 7-inch range. Just as the 5-inch iPhone 5 would be massive, conversely, a 5-inch iPad would a bit too diminutive. In this way, the rumor seems too outlandish to be true. And because the original source is from a Japanese-language website, it’s hard to parse out its veracity.
I think it’s always worth chronicling the iPhone 5 and iPad rumors, even if they seem too good (or bad) to be true. Most who follow iPhone and Mini iPad rumors will agree that a 5-inch display on either of these two devices would be a strange move that would completely turn the tech community on its head. But perhaps that’s exactly what Tim Cook is looking to do this year?
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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March 29th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Man I hope this isn’t true. It’d be a real slap in the face to Steve Jobs, and quite un-Apple like.
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March 29th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Please no.
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March 29th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Having had an HTC Universal (640X480 ON A 3.7″ Screen, huge in 2005, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Universal ), and as people know my opinion on such matters (9/7″ iPhone for me, thank you very much!) there was one clear issue with these:
The size, and fitting them in your pocket. Gone are the days where you walk around with the headset at your ear, and having hands free 24/7 is the norm, and having something like on “the Office” where they’re wearing the their chests…
Anyway, the whole “Steve Jobs is rolling is his grave” hysteria kind of amusing. Hopefully, he had enough ideas to go on, but he did have some bad ideas, but later were improved upon, like the NeXT computers, which later were folded into the iMac OS. Beware of the company that needs one man to make it work. It’s a bit hard to run when that person dies.
Anyway, I may have succumbed to the “whatever it is, I’m getting it” as my iPhone 3GS is getting long in the tooth, and desperately needs to be replaced.
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March 29th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Noooooooo, please be off by .7 inches
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March 29th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
I think we will be lucky to get a 4″ screen.
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March 29th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Noway is this true at all. Obviously way too small for the iPad mini rumor, obviously way to big for the New iPhone. (I’m convinced that numbered iPhone’s are a thing of the past so there will be no more disappointment about the name like there was with the 4S). Apple would never ever ever ever never use anything with a stylus. Absolutely never. Steve Jobs himself has said that your hands and fingers are the best controlling devices there are. No stylus, ever.
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March 29th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Why not put the mobile phone right into a pair of glasses.Ear piece and screen are in place allready !!
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March 29th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Guys, my love for apple ever so increased today. I dropped my iPhone 4s and it broke the back screen. i paid for it to be replaced, but apparently there was a problem with the hook on the inside that may have bent that prevented the new glass from completely grabbing in one spot. So i brought it in like 3 months later (today). The guy replaced the grab and told me about the glass thing. Apparently not covered because he couldn’t see any damage. This is where I love Apple employee’s though. The guy was like, are you SURE there is nothing else wrong…. ANYTHING?
. Hmmm…… Battery life 
. Thank you Core2 for the great idea 
. (I believe it was you), so now I got a new 4s… for FREE! Where you at now Crapdroid.
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March 29th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
I just upgrade my 3GS to the new 4S and I am also using an iPad 2. My 2nd phone is a Nexus S.
I love the iPhone form factor because it is really pocketable and fits fine in my relatively small hand. I can use the iPhone with one hand.
The iPad is a great tools on shorter trips, where I don’t need my 17″ MacBook. It is fare more comfortable, reading and writing e-mails, notes and surfing the web. But the iPad is still quite big.
I can imagine to use a small iPad or “big iPhone” for some cases where the iPhone is too small and the iPad is too big. But such a new device should have phone capabilities!
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March 30th, 2012 at 10:08 am
i guess i speak for a silent minority on this issue. i welcome a hybrid device because if feel it is only the natural progression of this technology hence the google note. apple has a change to really improve upon a device like the note. i dont think it would be too cumbersome to create a 7 inch “PhonePad” and have it function like a iPad with a seperate phone icon(with it’s own built-in environ) so that when you get a call you can tap the phone icon and it automatically switches to the phone mode and all of it’s functionalities. just give out bluetooth handsets with the device and call it a day. just my 5 cents on the subject.
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March 30th, 2012 at 10:19 am
@the other guy
When have I been silent?
or, for that matter, a majority…
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March 30th, 2012 at 10:37 am
I think Apple makes changes fairly conservatively, so I really would be suprized for anything larger than 4″ shows up. They have to take in account for application compatibility with their 500k+ apps in the store or whatever the number is up to now.
If anything, Apple needs to keep the 4:3 3:4 aspect ratio the same for app compatibility.
Androids tend to go all over the place for screen dimensions. My original Motorola Droid had a 3.7″ screen, but was 5mm narrower when held portrait, so made it far more difficult
to type on than an iPhone.
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March 30th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Sorry,Jeff in Everett, for the oversight lol
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