“Many are wondering what comes next for the company’s flagship device, as we’ll be due for a new iPhone launch in a little more than four months,” Bill Maurer writes for Seeking Alpha. “I believe the best solution for Apple is to launch three new models of the smartphone.”
“This is the perfect time for Apple to go with three new phones. Apple can launch two new larger screen phones, and we’ll call them the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus for now. Eventually, I think Apple will need a new naming system because I don’t think in a few years consumers will be out celebrating the ‘iPhone 12.’ The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus would be the same screen size as the 6 and 6 Plus, but would have upgraded specs,” Maurer writes. “Apple would then discontinue the 5S/5C, but could use those production lines to produce a 4 inch model with upgraded specs, and this would be the third model. We’ll call it the ‘7 Mini’ for this argument. Thus, we would have new models with screen sizes of 4, 4.7, and 5.5 inches. Apple might also decide to stay with the 6 and 6 Plus, discounting these models a bit.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We bet you that before iPhone 3GS was released, there were people saying they didn’t think that in a few years consumers would be out celebrating the “iPhone 6.”
We still say that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is plenty pocketable for pretty much anyone and that the only people left clamoring for a 4-inch iPhone are those who’ve never touched an iPhone 6.
Why do you keep taking this stance that no one who’s ever used a 6 would ever want something smaller?
Myself, my roommates, my brother, and a handful of others have 6’s. However if there had been, or will be, an equally powerful option in a smaller form factor we would have absolutely jumped on that.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like my 6, I’m not switching to android to escape it. I just prefer being able to firmly grasp the phone with consistent confidence and to reach all edges of the device. Instead of having some extra room to type and seeing a little more content.
i second that emotion!
Agree that it’s just plain stupid to think that no one prefers a smaller form factor.
It’s not so much that no one wants a 4” phone its that they don’t need to make one for the very reasons you laid out here. I am willing to be Apple does not go back to making a 4” phone. If anything they will just move on to making two models the same size as now with upgraded spec (the ’S’ class or whatever the naming scheme is) and then move the current iPhone 6 to $100 on contract and the 5s will be free. Eventually the 4” iPhone will be retired.
Yep. How soon people have forgotten the days when we begged for a smaller form factor. (Note, too, Jony, that *thin* is the *least important* of those three available dimensions. If it were a half-inch thick or more, that would obviously be a problem, but I see no risk of that happening.)
I understand that there are legitimate reasons why some want to go larger now. But some of us don’t /want/ that bigger phone. It is really that simple.
Until the iPhone was introduced, all efforts were being directed towards making phones smaller. Smaller was regarded as more desirable, more convenient and more exclusive.
When the iPhone provided users with a practical way to view web pages, the appeal of a larger screen was obvious and it was easy to see why larger screens became popular.
But we are no longer in the days of using an iPhone in isolation. I’m never far from my iPad, which I always prefer to use when web surfing and when you have an Apple Watch, you have less need to keep taking your iPhone out of your pocket. Therefore it makes perfect sense to now offer an iPhone that is better optimised to spend more of it’s time in your pocket.
The 4″ form factor offers an excellent compromise between convenient web surfing and small size. The only thing I would insist upon is that it must be a fully featured iPhone 7, not a stripped-down iPhone lite and of course that would mean a price tag fairly close to that of it’s larger siblings.
I think more options is good for Apple. At the time when Apple introduced the iPhone 5, I thought it was a HUGE mistake and it probably gave Samsung a bigger jump. I wanted the 4.7″ form factor in 2012. However it would have also benefit Apple to have other size options like that of the iPhone 5S.
Apple did this quick with the iPod. They went after the entire market with the iPod mini, iPod nano, iPod shuffle and iPod touch along with their mainstay the iPod. You had 5 major models and four available at any given time. Apple moved quicker with the iPod than they are with the iPhone. Apple should have 4 to 5 options, not including last year’s models. Fresh and updated models, just like the iPods were.
Please don’t reproduce any more Neco Wafers in polycarbonate. Thanks
/s
Maybe I’m nuts but I think there’s a market for an iPhone Nano, about the size of a credit card, maybe 5mm thick.
Maybe it’s too far down the bell curve of desirability.
I don’t think we’ve seen the equilibrium of size demand for phone and tablet yet.
I am, let’s just say, not young. I wear glasses. And I have NO desire for anything larger than my 5S. The size is very convenient and I have zero difficulty reading anything or viewing maps. I have a friend who has a 6plus. Has to have a small backpack with him when biking. His rationale is, “Well, I have to have the pack anyway”… only he doesn’t.
Or Apple could release the iPhone 6S, which would be an iPhone 5S case with upgraded internals more closely matching the 6/7 lines.
I join the chorus in calling for a smaller iPhone, and I’m not talking about a 4″ screen. I want a phone that is roughly two time the dimensions of an iPod nano. I want it small!
Those calling for the larger phone can have them. They are great and I see why they want them. But, like them, I want small for my phone. I don’t to surf the web with it, but I do want to make calls, text and take photos. I’m sure there is a segment of the market that uses their phone for little else. I have about 40 Apps on my iPhone 5 and I use about three on a consistent basis.
Apple, you may not capture a big chunk of the market, or make gobs of money, but you will capture a certain segment that really only wants a very small phone. I’ve said this before, two models: 1) an elegant gold/silver phone for slipping into that tiny party purse and 2) a virtually indestructible model for use on the construction/work site.
Come on, Apple, just like you did with the iPod, give us a NANO option.
I’ve had both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. With the way apple designed it, the 6 was hardly any larger volume than an iPhone 5 but had the benefit of a much larger screen. I don’t see any reason for a screen any smaller than iPhone 6 anymore. And comparing phones with similar size screens manufactured by competitors of Apple, the iPhone 6 Plus carries much less volume than I anticipated. It fits comfortably in all my pockets and I have long fingers for someone only 5’9″ and have no issues using it one-handed. Perhaps eliminating more of the bezel will reduce size in the future, but the current size is certainly nothing to complain about as all these articles would have you believe.
I will buy a 4″ iphone 6s or 7 or whatever. It only need to be the same feel and look as the premium line. Not a subsidized 6c or 7c, plastic feel.
I have small hands, I mostly thumb operate my iphone. I hate when I have to use two hand. Those larger iphones got this “thumb operated” concept out of the way.
I will never get a phone bigger than the iPone5s… I think Apple is listening and will make change to accomodate those smaller size person…
What’s the iteration of the current iMac? 17? 20? It’s just the iMac, and the day will come when iPhone will not be enumerated.
You may have been marked low but your logic is spot on the iPhone needs to get away from this numbering system within a couple years and if there are 3 models they will no longer need to sustain it indeed the confusion level could make it unsustainable.
Yeah seriously, your readers aren’t all dumb. Ive held the six for a long time, done everything on it, but its too big, i cant stand adjusting my grip so often to reach things, and I have long fingers, and its risky when you go caseless and are on the go a lot, i love the phone otherwise though, way better feel than the 5s of course, i would be perfectly happy with a 6 in the 5s size, i would never upgrade, my iPad is perfect for extended reading etc.
The current small iMac is called iMac 21.5 inch mid-2014, the newest one is the iMac Retina 27 inch late-2014. Those are not very user friendly names.
I’ve long wished Apple would call iMacs by their Model Identifier. The two mentioned above are, respectively, the iMac 14,4and the iMac 15,1. Very unambiguous. The current iPhones (6 and 6 Plus) are 7,2 and 7,1, respectively. Also unambiguous.
Remember the days when MDN’s takes talked about how stupid large-format phones were? Now they expect us to believe them about small format phones?
exactly: MDN’s Take this time was written by someone on their staff who is just a fanboi and not looking at the larger possibilities and divergence of opinion on this matter.
i also want a fully spec’ed 4″ model and would happy to pay the usual prime apple price for it.
apple: pls dont cripple it so you can sell it in India and Nigeria.
your China market experience should give you the confidence you need to make it a great phone without compromise.
4″, with 128GB storage, and A9 processor.
make it in plastic. thats totally ok, just don’t cripple the performance.
Apple should introduce another iPhone model with 5.2″ display with dual sim (both work simultaneously).
5.2″ is still pocketable and more battery life.
Dual SIM is now becoming a necessity for the TRAVELLERS.