“Whenever we do a poll about what new features people would like to see most in a new iPhone, the No. 1 vote getter always seems to be ‘bigger screen’ followed by ‘better battery life,'” David Carnoy writes for CNET.
“The question, of course, is, just how big should the iPhone’s screen be, or more broadly speaking, what’s the optimal screen size for a smartphone?” Carnoy writes. “Well, while Motorola’s new Moto X may not measure up to the Samsung Galaxy S4, and the HTC One in terms of raw performance and screen resolution, after playing around with it for a few days, I think its 4.7-inch screen size is pretty ideal in the context of the overall design of the phone.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The perfect iPhone screen size is different for different people. That’s why multi-billion dollar Apple should have a family of iPhones offering a carefully considered range of, say, three screen sizes (4-, 4.5, and 5-inch, perhaps) along with some elegant way for developers to easily address all three screen sizes on the market by now, but, inexplicably, don’t. Hopefully, they will sooner than later.
Related articles:
Moto X: ‘If this is the best product that Google can come up with, it has failed’ – August 6, 2013
Google’s Moto X pricing mistake – August 2, 2013
Piper: New Moto X won’t draw consumers from Apple’s iPhone – August 2, 2013
Google’s ‘Moto X’ enters crowded smartphone market – August 1, 2013
J.D. Power: Apple ranks highest in smartphone customer satisfaction for 9th consecutive time – March 21, 2013
J.D. Power: Apple iPad ranks highest in tablet customer satisfaction – September 13, 2012
Yankee Group: iPhone ownership in the U.S. will top Android by 2015 – April 26, 2013
Yankee Group: Apple continues to eat Samsung’s lunch; customer loyalty will drive iPhone ownership past Android’s peak – April 26, 2013
Apple’s iPhone user gains again out-pace Android in the U.S. – April 5, 2013
Why Apple’s new iPhone can’t lose; as with all iPhones, next-gen likely to become best-selling smartphone of all time – April 4, 2013
Apple increases lead over Samsung, gains on Google’s Android in U.S. smartphone market share – April 4, 2013
Yankee Group: Apple to gain additional U.S. smartphone share over Samsung in 2013 – March 20, 2013
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iOS 7 kills battery life. And takes away useful functions. I canon longer access my music app from multitasking, the weather is now a string of text instead of something I can quickly glance at, when selecting an artist from my music, the albums are all crammed into one long list instead of being separated by album. That’s a pain in the ass when you have 10 or 20 albums for the same artist. I hate iOS 7, and I’m a huge apple fan. You also can’t navigate out of an album track list in your music while you’re using GPS or talking on the phone.
I know we are talking about screen size here, but I just wanted to rant.
iOS 7 is a pile whale dung. It’s a huge pile of doo doo shat by the biggest entity on the planet sitting on the bottom of the ocean waiting for you to step on it.
So go buy the Android phone you so obviously covet, then piss off away from here, and spare us your continued bleating.
(Rolls eyes).
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dr. Johnson, Nut.
No.
Um, it’s called a “beta” for a reason. Are you reporting these issues back to Apple or just b*$&hing about it here?
Maybe if it wasn’t down for a month I could have.
And most of those aren’t bugs anyway.
Beta 5 just fixed the one bug I mentioned, but the rest are working as designed and are quite a step down.
As others have suggested, you should either make your displeasure known to Apple, go back to using iOS 6 or buy yourself an Android/Blackberry/Nokia device. Problem solved. Your welcome.
*you’re*
Where’s that edit button MDN?
GUT.
Blame WordPress’ default comment plugin, not MDN.
How the hell does a story re ideal screen sizes turn into one re IOS 7. It hasn’t even been released yet. Stick to the topic. Then your stupidity, as well as BLN’s usual “dung at the bottom the ocean” comments, will only look hall as ridiculously stupid as his.
Have you said anything negative about Apple? If so, you may be receiving a special “Beta.” copy to evaluate code frustration.
It sounds as if you’re one of those people that should not have the iOS 7 beta installed on your phone.
Every new build has improved battery life. It is beta you now! As for the looks and ease of use you get used to it and alot of things are easier to do.
Your post is in direct violation of your Non-Disclosure Agreement you reaffirmed when you installed the beta. Since that indicates you don’t honor your word, there’s no reason for any of us to take you at your word.
well said, thanks.
@ Jim. I’ll take him @ his word. Clearly the fellow apparently experience performance issues with IOS 7, to the point where he had to blow his top. Screw the NDA which for some reason kinda reminds me of the NSA.
The MDN Take seems reasonable to me. A lot of us on this forum have been saying the same thing for quite a while. Even just two iPhone display sizes might be enough to satisfy the vast majority of consumers who are interested in an iPhone (you have to discount Apple haters from the start). I suggest the current 4″ and a 4.7″ (close enough to 4.5″ and 5″ to cover both areas).
Of course, there is no way iPhone 6 (or whatever number) will have bigger size than 4″.
There will be different, separate model like iPhone MAXI, which can be 5″.
Personally, I prefer the current screen size. The humongous Android screens I see look ridiculous and unwieldy.
The iPhone might be able to get a tad larger, but certainly not as insanely large as the Androids.
A lot of people on forums everywhere have been saying that apple needs to make a minitower, too. 😉
Simply, there’s no elegant way to deal with those disparate sizes hence Android fragmentation. People who are interested in a big phone will get one of the several available. People who are interested in an iPhone get an iPhone.
Where can I place my order, please?
Wow MDN has really hit the bullseye that sadly for whatever reason Apple has for far too long failed to address be it through design, cost or arrogance. There is never one right solution and I though Apple had recognised that through the iPod. Apparently not though belatedly it will have to which will be more costly in the long run and not just in terms of investment.
“…be it through design, cost or arrogance.”
Maybe Tim was being honest. Maybe the trade-offs would harm the brand more than the availability.
Doesn’t it seem “we want our cake and eat it too” to claim that #1: Bigger Screen and #2 Better Battery Life?
That makes sense until you take into account other platforms with larger screens than the current iPhone that have the same or even better battery life than the iPhone 5. It appears everyone can have their cake and eat it too except for us fans. I’m beginning to feel like a mindless fan who sticks with a brand even when there is no longer a legitimate reason to do so.
Sure, but according to web analytics we use our iPhones more than Android users use theirs, so their battery life isn’t put to the test.
4.8″ would, in my opinion, be the ideal size. But I won’t quibble over an inch so long as they don’t make it long on one side and short on the other, like a coney dog.
Or more like your corny dong.
I think the biggest two points about larger screen sizes is cost (remember, iPhones are Retina Displays) and battery life. Apple has always been very concerned about battery life, while Android handset makers really don’t care.
I could see the iPhone Plastic (inexpensive iPhone) maintaining the original screen size while the iPhone Luxury (5S, more likely 6), grows a bit. Perhaps even an iPhone 5-sized middle ground as well.
Keep making it bigger and it will eventually be the fabled AppleTV.
What Apple should do is offer a range of iPhone products giving the customer the choice to make. For example, there is no ideal battery life number. Some people might prefer a larger screen size and reduced battery life. Others might prefer the reverse. Android doesn’t care about battery life but it still manages to sell a boatload of phones. So, there is a sizeable market of people that care less about it. Apple needs to get away from the: “one size fits all, we know best mentality”.
Give me a candy bar-sized iPhone5 40mm in width, it can be a similar height. Most importantly, I want a narrower screen, not one that’s larger.
current iPhone 5 is ~57mm in width. give me an iPhone5C mini. make it out of plastic, i don’t care.
Interesting perspective. Don’t see them going backward in size, but it does make me wonder how many folks would want a smaller iPhone.
5S will be a wastes upgrade as was 4S. Bigger screen is paramount to the iPhone’s future. Why? Because no one uses Itasca a phone!!! Hello?!!!
No, it wouldn’t be.. AND, you don’t get to vote anyway ??? ONLY lie.
Please don’t make the screen too big, if I can’t use the phone with one hand and fit it in my pocket I don’t want it. I have always considered the Galaxy S4 a girls phone because you need a purse to carry it. I want to be able to put it in my front pocket and sit down and not break the phone.
The point MDN made, and one I’ve been advocating for years on here, is for Apple to offer multiple iPhones with different screen sizes. Having one phone at 4.7 inches is just as bad as having only one phone at 4 inches, IMO. So there’s no need to beg Apple not to increase the size beyond your comfort when, in this context, you would still have the 4 inch model.
Carrying it in my front pocket is one of the main reasons i prefer the smaller size. Before buying the iPhone I had a Nokia 3210 candy bar phone. For the most part I thought its dimensions were right on the money. I didn’t like the little screen or keys, and it was a little too thick, but the width and height were perfect. Take those dimensions and add on the iPhone’s screen, make the phone the same thickness as the iPhone, and let me do all my texting in landscape mode and I’ll be a happy camper. I don’t want to carry around an iPad mini in my front pocket. I want an iPhone 5C mini instead. 🙂
MDN I agree with your above comment, if Apple can do it right then I see no reason not to offer 2 or 3 different sized iphones. I only speak for myself but I’m getting older and my eyes are not as good as they use to be and my hands a little more clumsy, so a bigger iphone for me personally would be nice, somewhere between 4.5 to 5″. Any thing bigger than 5 inches for a phone I think is too big, but I will be happy with whatever they put on the market. I tried Android and it only pushed me back to iOS.
“if Apple can do it right”
If they could, they’d be doing it. I’m assuming they feel they can’t do it. If they thought for five minutes that it would make them MORE money, you’d better bet they’d be all over it.
David used his penis to calculate the perfect size for the perfect iPhone.
Apparently it is two David penises, 4.7 inches or 11.5 cementers.
MDN take is spot on. We continue to lose patience with Cook and Co. Management’s refusal to roll out more iPhone models leaves an open door for the competition to steal sales in a big way — what is that called again? Oh yeah, market share. Every POS phone sold that doesn’t have an Apple logo on it = lost revenue for the good guys. It doesn’t matter if Samsung, Microsoft, Blackberry, Google, and others don’t profit from all the handsets they sell — they are taking away potential Apple profits and, yes, providing more reasons for developers to devote more time to other online app markets instead of iOS. Cook is doing a shitty job strategically.
Not really, I know several people that have come from Android phones to the iPhone. All Apple has to do is make a consistent quality product and they’llake the profits they need.
Apple is still running on Steve’s fumes. We haven’t really begun to see the fruits of Tim’s leadership. For all we know it was Steve who insisted upon having one phone and Tim sees things differently. But, obviously, it would take some time to change strategy and develop new products after he took over.
We will soon have the low cost option with the iPhone 5C, and there are indications that Apple has been exploring larger phone screen sizes which could culminate in an iPhone Plus by next year. So give it some time, at least another year or two, before we render the verdict on Tim’s ability to lead Apple in a new direction.
No.
Do people buy the knock-off iPhones because they have a larger screen, or because they are cheaper? Do people buy a large screen phone because they use it instead of a computer or tablet? Apple’s iPhone targets the high end consumer who is more likely to spend money at iTunes, buy an iPad and perhaps a Mac. For this level of consumer, a large screen is not a necessity and is probably a nuisance. The market sector who buy large screen android phones spend little on apps, don’t respond to ads and don’t buy tablets, music or computers. Do Apple see the iPhone as an iPod type product where market dominance is possible and even desirable, or as a Mac type product where a lower market share but high-spend customers are the target market? Or does Apple think they can have both? Time will tell, but Apple is smart and capable so we should assume that they choose their market carefully. I note that Samsung has recently released a phone with a smaller screen which suggests that large screens are not the be-all and end-all…
“Do people buy the knock-off iPhones because they have a larger screen, or because they are cheaper?”
I think they buy them because they’re cheaper. And Android phones are ridiculously large. They look idiotic.
Apple just needs to keep making the iPhone better – and larger isn’t better.
The ideal size of an iPhone is slowly evolving to the average length of a penis.
If a sports car is an extension of a man’s penis, then what is an iPhone? A replacement?
Maybe if we all pretend that CNET doesn’t exist, it’ll go away.
I carry my iPhone 5 in my shirt pocket. Weight, screen size, build quality all work for me. Bigger, heavier phones seem very retro to me.
Look at the history of cellphones since the 1980’s and you will note that the original ‘brick’ phones were massive and couldn’t even fit in a standard briefcase. Later cellphones such as the Motorola DynaTAC were pretty big, but could at least go into a large pocket. Subsequent phones were made smaller and smaller. One of the smallest being the Nokia 7280 ‘Lipstick phone’ in 2004. Clearly small size was a desirable aspect, although the 7280 might have taken miniaturisation too far.
Then when smartphones came along, sizes started getting bigger, largely governed by the display size. There has since been something of a fashion for larger screens from some manufacturers, but how do you square this with the previous desire for smaller phones ? The first 30 years of cellphone design demonstrated that smaller is desirable.
The answer is that there has to be a balance between size and screen area. Like all things involving balance, people will disagree about where the optimum is, but I think that whatever happens, the size typified by the iPhone will always be a very popular choice as it’s a great balance between the size of our hands and what we can reasonably see on a screen.
Nah…
Perfect is what ever Apple choses.
Mac Daily News
Is wrong, and confused… Apple also already offers a family if phones… And in your take you are asking Apple to fragment its phone offerings and every day you are mocking Android for the same… Dies not compute. Either you fragment or you don’t…