iphone 5 speculation thread 413

[MrX8503]

Well, if you get the 5, you get all the benefits of the 4S and the 5, when coming from the 4.

I'm not the type of guy that updates every year, for cost reasons. I will upgrade every 2 - 2.5 years.

I also update my phone every two years. Every year is a bit costly and this way I can take advantage of 2 yr contracts. Luckily for me Apple updates their iPhone on a similar time frame.

 

[Eug]

Analyst predicts next iPhone will be under 8 mm due to in cell technology, battery, metal back. (Current iPhone is 9.3 mm.)

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ted_to_shave_04mm_off_apples_next_iphone.html

 

[ultimatebob]

Nope. I want a bigger screen, 1 GB RAM, and LTE.

I'd like to see voice over LTE as well... the difference in call quality could be astounding if done correctly.

 

[NaOH]

Man, watching the both of you going back and forth is tiring.
One thing I'm pretty sure of is Apple will keep the resolution at 960x640.
I do like Eug argument of Apple going to 3.8" to keep that that so-called retina display intact if thats so important to Apple.
To me, the argument of Apple not going to 4" or bigger because the ppi would drop below 300 is asinine.
The same analogy would be saying that people would prefer a 32" 1080p TV vs a 42" 1080p TV because the 32" has higher PPI and the picture looks better.
Well, the picture do look better on the smaller TV because the pixel density is higher but people are always gonna want the bigger TV.
So lets say if Apple present the consumer with 3 choices.
- Same 3.5" screen with 326ppi.
- 3.8" screen with 300ppi and retain the so-called retina display.
- 4" screen but now its only 286ppi.
I can tell you without hesitation that people would overwhelmingly pick the one with the biggest screen.
The average consumer out there couldn't give a rats ass what the PPI is on that phone.
A 4" iPhone would be an instant grandslam.

This is a phone, not a TV. Not everyone wants to carry around a 4" phone everyday. Bigger may get some more customers that WANT bigger screens, but it will also definitely push away people who don't want to carry around almost EVO sized phones. I've heard many people turn away from the EVO for this very reason.

 

[NaOH]

They have already had the mechanisms in to remove the home button. There's an option in Accessibilities under General in Settings that allows you to simulate a virtual home button.

Personally, I think it only makes sense that the home button should be removed because it serves no purpose other than closing apps and waking the phone, which can definitely be done with just the touchscreen.

Not to mention the home button eventually craps out, and Apple has to swap an entire phone just to replace that one button.

If Apple is keeping the 3:2 aspect ratio, then they are more likely going to keep it at the same 3.5" size as well, because scaling up the size would make some things look unnecessarily huge.

No matter how you look at it, I just don't think a screen larger than 3.5" at the same aspect ratio would make any sense.

I wouldn't be that suprised if the iPad was the first one to lose it's home button. It is completely useless now that they added the gestures. I can switch apps, open the app bar, close apps, WAY faster than I can using the home button. The home button is stupid on the iPad. I don't even need the home button to wake up the device. I have the power button AND mainly the open lid detection so I just open or close my cover and boom it's on and I gesture away. The iPhone is smaller so I don't think it would work as well using the same implementtion. But I like the idea of a modular home button or a home button with gesture motions.

 

[vi edit]

This is a phone, not a TV. Not everyone wants to carry around a 4" phone everyday. Bigger may get some more customers that WANT bigger screens, but it will also definitely push away people who don't want to carry around almost EVO sized phones. I've heard many people turn away from the EVO for this very reason.

And this is where I think Apple (and it's pigheaded loyalists) need to understand that it is actually possible to offer different sized devices. Without going into the whole resolution/keeping things to scale with exisiting device ect argument...I think Apple has to start offereing larger devices. But offering a larger device doesn't mean that it has to be the only device.

Same concept as the iPad. I shake my head at the number of Apple numbskulls that say that making a smaller iPad is a step back. It's not. They can still continue to make the original size. Choice isn't a bad thing. Apple still has absolute control over the hardware, specs, iOS, ect. But people should be given the choice of the size format that is more appropriate for them. My needs are different from yours. Yours are different than somebody else. Theirs are different than mine. Repeat ad nauseum. Just let me have the choice of two different formats and let me pick the one that is more appropriate for me.

 

[Eug]

This is a phone, not a TV. Not everyone wants to carry around a 4" phone everyday. Bigger may get some more customers that WANT bigger screens, but it will also definitely push away people who don't want to carry around almost EVO sized phones. I've heard many people turn away from the EVO for this very reason.

A 3.8" phone wouldn't turn anyone away IMO, vs. a 3.5". A 4" maybe a few, but it would gain more to compensate, and then some. A 4.3" phone probably more people would be turned off by it. IMO.

P.S. I finally saw someone with a Samsung Galaxy Note. That thing is monstrously big at 5.3", and awkward.

 

[Eug]

iPhone 5 Home Buttons Appear for Sale

Home buttons that are apparently destined for the iPhone 5 have today appeared for sale on a Chinese supplier site. The buttons, colored either black or white, appeared on the site TVC-Mall.com of Shenzhen, China under the category of iPhone 5 replacement parts, a section of the site which, until recently, had been empty.

The biggest surprise, or perhaps disappointment, for some is that the Home buttons appear to be round in shape. If the parts turn out to be genuine, then this would essentially quash any suggestion that Apple was redesigning the iPhone 5 with an oval touch capacitive Home button.

TVC Mall has, in the past, appeared to act as a source for leaks of other components for unreleased Apple products. In January, prior to the launch of the new iPad, replacement power cables, microphone flex cables, headphone jack connectors and a Bluetooth antenna for the unreleased device appeared on the site.

http://www.tvc-mall.com/product/Ipod_Iphone_Parts_Accessories/Wholesale_iPhone_5_Replacement_Parts/

These are a shaped a little differently from the iPhone 4 parts.

 

[Zaap]

And this is where I think Apple (and it's pigheaded loyalists) need to understand that it is actually possible to offer different sized devices. Without going into the whole resolution/keeping things to scale with exisiting device ect argument...I think Apple has to start offereing larger devices. But offering a larger device doesn't mean that it has to be the only device.

Same concept as the iPad. I shake my head at the number of Apple numbskulls that say that making a smaller iPad is a step back. It's not. They can still continue to make the original size. Choice isn't a bad thing. Apple still has absolute control over the hardware, specs, iOS, ect. But people should be given the choice of the size format that is more appropriate for them. My needs are different from yours. Yours are different than somebody else. Theirs are different than mine. Repeat ad nauseum. Just let me have the choice of two different formats and let me pick the one that is more appropriate for me.

The problem is, you're Thinking Different. Apple abandon that motto years ago.

 

[kaerflog]

This is a phone, not a TV. Not everyone wants to carry around a 4" phone everyday. Bigger may get some more customers that WANT bigger screens, but it will also definitely push away people who don't want to carry around almost EVO sized phones. I've heard many people turn away from the EVO for this very reason.

You're preaching to someone who hates big phones.
An EVO is 4.3" not 4".
With all the bezels on the current 3.5" iPhone, a 4" would only be a tad bigger.

 

[bearxor]

And this is where I think Apple (and it's pigheaded loyalists) need to understand that it is actually possible to offer different sized devices. Without going into the whole resolution/keeping things to scale with exisiting device ect argument...I think Apple has to start offereing larger devices. But offering a larger device doesn't mean that it has to be the only device.

Same concept as the iPad. I shake my head at the number of Apple numbskulls that say that making a smaller iPad is a step back. It's not. They can still continue to make the original size. Choice isn't a bad thing. Apple still has absolute control over the hardware, specs, iOS, ect. But people should be given the choice of the size format that is more appropriate for them. My needs are different from yours. Yours are different than somebody else. Theirs are different than mine. Repeat ad nauseum. Just let me have the choice of two different formats and let me pick the one that is more appropriate for me.

I think part of Apples success has been its streamlined production and assembly.

I think the question Apple asks when they ponder different phone sizes is: "Will this convert a significant amount of customers to our platform?"

Honestly, i think the answer is no.

 

[Mopetar]

The problem is, you're Thinking Different. Apple abandon that motto years ago.

Or they're still thinking differently, but you just don't agree with it.

That they've continued to walk their own path that other companies don't follow suggests that they have their own goals and vision. That it doesn't align with your needs or interests doesn't negate that they're doing their own thing that they believe is best for them and their users.

 

[MrX8503]

And this is where I think Apple (and it's pigheaded loyalists) need to understand that it is actually possible to offer different sized devices. Without going into the whole resolution/keeping things to scale with exisiting device ect argument...I think Apple has to start offereing larger devices. But offering a larger device doesn't mean that it has to be the only device.

Same concept as the iPad. I shake my head at the number of Apple numbskulls that say that making a smaller iPad is a step back. It's not. They can still continue to make the original size. Choice isn't a bad thing. Apple still has absolute control over the hardware, specs, iOS, ect. But people should be given the choice of the size format that is more appropriate for them. My needs are different from yours. Yours are different than somebody else. Theirs are different than mine. Repeat ad nauseum. Just let me have the choice of two different formats and let me pick the one that is more appropriate for me.

I think you and every company out there needs to understand that Apple's philosophy is quality focused rather than quantity. When there's a million different devices *cough* HTC *cough* margins are thin, its brand devalued, and operating costs are high due to creating new devices every 2 months.

If Apple were to create a new device size (7" iPad), they won't do it until they ran through every possible mock up through the ringer. I think Johny Ive said it best when he mentioned that you can't expect the avg person to know design. Its a bit narcisstic, but its true.

Apple does make devices in different sizes, such as their laptops, but I think they don't want to fall victim to releasing device after device hoping something sticks.

 

[vi edit]

think the question Apple asks when they ponder different phone sizes is: "Will this convert a significant amount of customers to our platform?"

The question isn't convert. It's keep. Very different.

 

[bearxor]

The question isn't convert. It's keep. Very different.

No, I disagree. I don't think Apple has a problem keeping customers. Bleed is to be expected, but I would suspect its a very small percentage.

 

[smartpatrol]

No, I disagree. I don't think Apple has a problem keeping customers. Bleed is to be expected, but I would suspect its a very small percentage.

Yup, Apple has by far the highest customer loyalty of any smartphone OEM.
http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone...ustomers-among-all-smartphone-vendors-report/
84% of iPhone owners will buy another iPhone for their next device, vs 60% for Android and 48% for Blackberry. There are plenty of other studies/surveys out there that have shown similar results.

 

[vi edit]

All I'm saying is that Android is quickly improving its user experience and the hardware is getting very polished. Don't sleep on Samsung. If they continue to beef up their Galaxy line and establish a true branding on it, they will continue to steal share from Apple.

What's the stock market saying? Past results do not guarantee future performance. I think we are quickly reaching a tipping point where the competition's hardware is truely better than Apple and the OS on them is not a liability.

 

[Red Storm]

I wouldn't be that suprised if the iPad was the first one to lose it's home button. It is completely useless now that they added the gestures. I can switch apps, open the app bar, close apps, WAY faster than I can using the home button. The home button is stupid on the iPad. I don't even need the home button to wake up the device. I have the power button AND mainly the open lid detection so I just open or close my cover and boom it's on and I gesture away. The iPhone is smaller so I don't think it would work as well using the same implementtion. But I like the idea of a modular home button or a home button with gesture motions.

When apps freeze (yes, even on iOS they do) that physical home button is more assuring than relying on software gestures that may also be unresponsive.

 

[bearxor]

All I'm saying is that Android is quickly improving its user experience and the hardware is getting very polished. Don't sleep on Samsung. If they continue to beef up their Galaxy line and establish a true branding on it, they will continue to steal share from Apple.

What's the stock market saying? Past results do not guarantee future performance. I think we are quickly reaching a tipping point where the competition's hardware is truely better than Apple and the OS on them is not a liability.

But I still don't believe it will take any kind of significant share away from iOS.

I also don't think that anything Apple can do (other than have a $0 on-contract device for all carriers, this year, I presume) will draw a significant portion of Android users away.

I think, at this point, Apple and Google are fighting over the remnants of BlackBerry and Symbian more than they are trying to get customers from each other.

When apps freeze (yes, even on iOS they do) that physical home button is more assuring than relying on software gestures that may also be unresponsive.

But I've never had an app freeze...

Unless you count the camera. Or the browser. Or the mail client. Or the unlock screen. Or the compass. Or the phone.

 

[Red Storm]

But I've never had an app freeze...

Unless you count the camera. Or the browser. Or the mail client. Or the unlock screen. Or the compass. Or the phone.

Or Goodreader. Or Zendesk. Or Bomgar. Or Games.

 

[vi edit]

I think you and every company out there needs to understand that Apple's philosophy is quality focused rather than quantity. When there's a million different devices *cough* HTC *cough* margins are thin, its brand devalued, and operating costs are high due to creating new devices every 2 months.

Please tell me how offering an 3.5" iPhone "s" and 4.3" or 4.5" iPhone "L" side by side, one for $199 and one for $299 is in any way diluting a brand, image, or quality control? Hell Apple still currently sells the 3GS, iPhone 4, and 4s. Resolution/app settings aside (which I think can be figured out if they wanted to work enough at it) how does that hurt Apple or consumers? Please honestly answer me that.

As far as quality goes...yeh. iPhone 4 antenna issues, screen issues on the iPad 3, battery issues on 4s, original iPads being practically unusable on iOS 5. High succeptibility to shattering on the 4/4s. Ect. Apple isn't exactly immune from quality/construction issues.

And to quiet people about my Apple opinion I've got an iPhone 4, 4s, Ipad 3, MBA, and an Apple TV in my house. I also had a first gen iPad that was practically unusable for web browsing after updating to iOS 5. I'm quite familiar and do enjoy using their products. At the time most were bought I did feel that they were the best choices available. I just really do believe that some of the stubborness of Apple and some of it's loyal consumers is going to start working against them as the competition heats up. Having a "big phone" and a "small phone" and letting the consumer decide really isn't asking for much.

We can't say how many people *really* want or don't want a bigger phone from Apple. It's never been offered. If you are already entrenched in the iOS market with purchases, backups, device integration, ect it's hard to leave. But it's more of a hostage situation than by choice in that situation and isn't really an indicator that it's the phone size that people really want. It's just that they are already heavily invested in the Apple ecosphere and it's not that worth it to leave. That's where the "loyaty" comes into play.

 

[Eug]

If the iPhone 5 comes out at 3.8" to 4", it's likely the only 3.5" model they will sell is the 4S. There most likely won't be an iPhone 5 mini.

Maybe an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 mini, but we're not there yet.

As for being held hostage, in my case, definitely not. I don't buy many paid apps at all, and have only a handful of DRM'd iTunes files. I'd have no problem at all leaving the iPhone platform... except I don't think there exists anything out there that is even in the same league for overall integration and ease of use, particularly for a Mac user such as myself.

 

[bearxor]

We can't say how many people *really* want or don't want a bigger phone from Apple. It's never been offered. If you are already entrenched in the iOS market with purchases, backups, device integration, ect it's hard to leave. But it's more of a hostage situation than by choice in that situation and isn't really an indicator that it's the phone size that people really want. It's just that they are already heavily invested in the Apple ecosphere and it's not that worth it to leave. That's where the "loyaty" comes into play.

That's the real question isn't it? I can say I'd like a little bit of a larger screen on an iPhone. Probably 4" tops. But if it doesn't happen this cycle, I'm still not likely to leave just because of that. It's not a deal breaker. I think saying that not offering a larger phone is a "hostage situation" is probably a little too extreme.

If the iPhone 5 comes out at 3.8" to 4", it's likely the only 3.5" model they will sell is the 4S. There most likely won't be an iPhone 5 mini.

The iPhone 4 will likely still be sold for free on contract after the new phone is released.

 

[MrX8503]

Please tell me how offering an 3.5" iPhone "s" and 4.3" or 4.5" iPhone "L" side by side, one for $199 and one for $299 is in any way diluting a brand, image, or quality control? Hell Apple still currently sells the 3GS, iPhone 4, and 4s. Resolution/app settings aside (which I think can be figured out if they wanted to work enough at it) how does that hurt Apple or consumers? Please honestly answer me that.

As far as quality goes...yeh. iPhone 4 antenna issues, screen issues on the iPad 3, battery issues on 4s, original iPads being practically unusable on iOS 5. High succeptibility to shattering on the 4/4s. Ect. Apple isn't exactly immune from quality/construction issues.

And to quiet people about my Apple opinion I've got an iPhone 4, 4s, Ipad 3, MBA, and an Apple TV in my house. I also had a first gen iPad that was practically unusable for web browsing after updating to iOS 5. I'm quite familiar and do enjoy using their products. At the time most were bought I did feel that they were the best choices available. I just really do believe that some of the stubborness of Apple and some of it's loyal consumers is going to start working against them as the competition heats up. Having a "big phone" and a "small phone" and letting the consumer decide really isn't asking for much.

We can't say how many people *really* want or don't want a bigger phone from Apple. It's never been offered. If you are already entrenched in the iOS market with purchases, backups, device integration, ect it's hard to leave. But it's more of a hostage situation than by choice in that situation and isn't really an indicator that it's the phone size that people really want. It's just that they are already heavily invested in the Apple ecosphere and it's not that worth it to leave. That's where the "loyaty" comes into play.

The more options you have the more diluted your brand. Apple has an iPhone for $.99, $99, and $199 and Apple thinks that's good enough. Their sales and profits seem to show that as well. I'm not going to go into a pissing match about quality, all I'm saying is that its gonna cost a competitor (HTC) considerably more to maintain a plethora of devices.

Also a smartphone for $299? I can't even believe people accept this.

Steve Jobs killed the idea of "lets do everything!" at Apple when he returned and it saved the company. I highly doubt they would want to fall back into that trend again. Other manufacturers have to create every device size/style imaginable because their profits are razor thin.

I think a lot of people want a larger screen iPhone, which is likely to happen, but I doubt Apple will release two new iPhones with different sizes. What the avg person "think" they want doesn't actually translate to a better user experience. This is why Apple does very little focus groups.

 

[vi edit]

While hostage my be a bit extreme, you understand what I mean. I've already got the accessories, docking station, apps & contacts shared between my phone & iPad, iCloud setup between my phone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. Ect. If I stay it's not because it's the phone I really want. It's because it just drops into place with everything else I have.