Thread: iPhone 2012 ;)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-06-06, 09:25

AppleInsider: Insiders say Apple upgrading next-gen iPhone to display to 4" with 16:9 ratio.

Quote:
Apple is likely to increase the size of the display on its next iPhone to 4.08 inches, with a resolution of 1,136 x 640 pixels and a ratio of 16:9, according to one analyst with a strong track record.

KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo, known for having sources deep within Apple's supply chain, expects Apple to release a taller iPhone later this year that will switch from a 3.5-inch 4:3 display to a 4-inch 16:9 screen, according to a research note obtained by AppleInsider.

"We expect iPhone 5 to feature a 4.08-inch in-cell IPS panel screen with a display resolution of 1,136 x 640 and 500-nit brightness," Kuo wrote.

The analyst noted that the above specs would represent a valid compromise of Apple's values of single-handed operability, backwards compatibility with iPhone apps, battery life and an improved user experience derived from having a larger screen.
Some interesting points throughout (some which have already been made here, I believe).

Quote:
Lengthening the screen without making it wider would serve more than just an ergonomic purpose. Kuo believes the unchanged width would save on app redevelopment costs because legacy apps could simply be letterboxes. The 16:9 resolution would provide more viewing space while typing in portrait mode and would more naturally display films in landscape mode. The analyst also claimed that a longer iPhone would bring the speaker close to users' ears and the receiver closer to their mouths.
While not ideal (letterboxing), it does mean that, out of the gate, people shouldn't have to scramble too hard - or customers wait for updated apps - to use what they've been using? I'm sure the more on-the-ball developers (ones actually making a dent and splash in all this stuff) will work hard on tweaking their apps for a new screen. And for those who don't, it's hardly a tragedy. It'll be the same stuff you've been using/playing all these years. And depending on how they do the letterboxing, you may not even notice it much at all (black letterboxing on a black-faced phone, etc.).

I'd be happy with this. A phone that's slightly taller, but the same width (and, therefore, grip/feel in your hand as all along). Movies and videos, which I actually watch on my iPhone more and more (especially lying in bed at night or in the early mornings) will nicely fill the screen too.

It's going to be another winner, no matter what. But I appreciate the fact that Apple hasn't seen fit to go the 4.5" route, making it bigger in all dimensions and taking the phone itself with it (making it larger). I never balked at a larger screen, just a larger phone. If Apple can figure out a way to get a larger screen by simply using more of the face of the existing design, that's great. And if it has to increase in one direction, vertically seems to be the way to go.

They're never going to taper or teardrop (because it feels "off" when used landscape), and they're never going to un-center the display from the face. Take those two things to the bank, and then work whatever other ideas or "rules" around that. I think the iPhone is always going to be, and feel, symmetrical and balanced...both in terms of holding/using it, and visually (the screen centered on the face. I think those are two constant, non-negotiable things inside Apple.