“A purported image of an iPhone 5 part has appeared on a Chinese reseller of Apple parts’ website,” Mark Gurman reports for 9 to 5 Mac.
“Specifically, this part may be the digitizer panel for the fifth generation iPhone’s touch screen,” Gurman reports. “The part’s design appears to be similar to that of the one found on the current iPhone 4, and past iPhone models, but the screen cutout of the panel appears to be much larger.”
Gurman reports, “No measurements for this cutout have been posted, but the cutout could be for a four-inch display, and this matches up with reports from Apple’s production lines in Asia.”
Read more in the full article, which has a photo of the part, here.
My ATT contract isn’t up until June. Until then I am impervious to all rumors and gee-whiz predictions.
Could be prototype
I can only hope they add the 4″ display. It is the only thing I like better about the EVO and the Epic. Biggest thing I do hope they add for the iPhone 5 is Sprint as a carrier, everything else would be a bonus!
Looks like a Fake.
Regardless…seems smartphones are trending to the larger screens. Would not be surprised to see a 4″ iPhone come Summer.
Want!
I will put a 4″ touchscreen and a small bezel on the casket if someone can help me locate Steve.
What if they got rid of the button? This would allow a a larger screen with no increase in overall size.
Adding a little to the length (long dimension) would not add significant amount of real estate (read pixels) but give an appearance of being a lot larger.
It sounds like getting rid of the button is something Apple is looking into, especially with what they are doing with the new touch gestures in the iOS 4.3 release. That would definitely allow for a larger screen.
Getting rid of the home button on the iPhone will only mean an ergonomic nightmare. And on the iPad, it would f*ck up many apps.
My opinion is, the max Apple can do is keep the button and use the gestures for convenience when the current app does not have another use for them
YES!!! I would upgrade just for the 4″ display
this was already discussed at macrumors. FAKE
It’s about time they made the damn screen bigger.
Hell let’s take it up to 4.5 inches.
It’s about freaking time! This is one area Apple was seriously lacking.
If it’s fake and Apple doesn’t get with the demand for larger screens then it’s their loss.
IF this is genuine, then I believe that it would stay at 960×640 resolution, as Apple can still afford to sacrifice a little pixel density. Although it’d be interesting to know what the density it would be at, as Apple would still want to market the retina display, which Apple says is around 300 pixels per inch
No way! iPhone already feels a little large in my pocket. If anything, I look forward for a trimmed, same screen size version
I thought the HOME button was supposed to be on the endangered list?
The iPad is so bloody useful I wish it could just also be my phone. With Bluetooth it really doesn’t matter if you have it in your bag or pocket. Maybe a ballpoint pen-type controller/mic/speaker… One device is all I’m saying.
@ed… I didn’t see where it was ruled a fake on MacRumors.
I believe most of the commentors dismissed it as a fake. I for one can’t say, but I do hope that it isn’t. High end smart phones are trending towards the larger screen sizes, but I don’t think Apple is going to let that dictate what they do. They could easily release iPhone 5 with the same 3.5″ screen and see their sales completely uneffected.
Really? Why buy the iPhone 5? A better display? Faster processor? What can make iPhone 4 better? They better add this screen, or I and a lot of people will pass….
– faster processor
– voice input / control
– even better camera
– 4G
There are a lot of things that could be improved on iP4 other than a bigger screen. I think a bigger screen as only option would actually be a big downside. Yeah a few tech-dorks are lusting for 4″ or 4.5″ phones but for most folks 3.5″ is just right or even on the large side. Now, offering three different sizes… Smaller, same, and bigger – might be a good move. I do think one issue that Apple is already facing with iPhone is that folks expect their phone to be a unique fashion accessory… When everyone has the exact same iPhone a certain set will start to look to Android just to differentiate themselves. So, might be time to offer different iPhone flavors soon and different sizes could be a big way to do that.
It is already borderline too big. It is a phone, that is supposed to comfortably fit into pocket/purse/hand. As it is, it looks borderline ridiculous when held up to the ear (holding a brick), and outside of tech/geek circles, it is borderline embarrassment. In fact, the only reason it is NOT is because it is the coolest brand in the world, Apple, so it makes up for the clunky dorkiness.
Additional screen size cannot improve functionality. Not by adding 1-2cm (1/2 – 1inch) to the screen diagonal. All you get it slightly bigger icons/pixels and NOTHING more. Those who can’t read the text today won’t be able to read it much better on a slightly larger screen, and for those who can, this is just a clumsier, clunkier device.
About the only reason I’d see Apple to make larger screen is if it were to adjust it to true 16:9 (i.e. make it a bit longer), so that we no longer see letterbox black bars when watching widescreen content. However, that would mean introducing yet another screen resolution to the iOS which would end up making that fragmentation argument against Android a bit weaker.
they better make it bigger. Using a 4.2in screen next to the iPhone 3.5 makes a world of difference. Text is bigger and everything is bigger. Every other smart phone is bigger screen.
The iPhone does not feel like a brick it’s no heavier then any regular phone. Unless you get one of those really cheap flips.
There should be no reason not to offer a 4pm screen and then the phone could be thinner and maybe a bigger battery
WTF is it with the Red Chinese? They leak every damned thing they can get their hands on. I assume anyone touching Apple hardware and software over there has signed the same NDA anyone over here has signed. What exactly do they get out of leaking this stuff? Is there some sort of cultural prestige for telling other people’s secrets? Are they all so used to cheating on their fscked up ‘communist’ system that this is normal for them?
By now I would think Apple would be slapping their hands with barbed wire rulers.
BTW: Assuming this illegally leaked part is for real:
NOTICE the Home Button hole in the bezel. So much for that yet-another-lame-rumor. I think the rumor mongers are 0 for 6 so far this year. Bogus rumors is the spirit-of-the-age.
😛
I want a new design! The ‘iPhone’ has had the same front for the last 4 years… time for a change!
MY FRIEND HAD SHOWED ME A WEBPAGE THAT WAS DISPLAYING THE IPHONE 5. THIS WAS BACK IN DECEMBER. AND IT SHOWED THE IPHONE AS BEING COMPLETELY CLEAR! NO VISIBLE WIRES OR CHIPS SEEN THRU THE PHONE. THE TWO 1/2 INCH BLACK SECTIONS WHERE THE HOME KEY IS AND WHERE THE SPEAKER FOR THE EAR IS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WASNT COMPLETELY CLEAR. IT SAID IT WAS MADE WITH SOME TEMPERED GLASS THAT SUPPOSEDLY WOULDNT SHATTER. IT LOOKED REALLY COOL, BUT I JUST GOOGLE THE IPHONE 5 AND IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE THAT…:( I WOULD OF DEF BOUGHT IT IF IT WAS CLEAR LIKE IN THE ADD I SEEN. SAME SIZE OR NOT IT STILL LOOKED COOL ASS HELL.
I think JR forgot to put batteries in his hearing aids.