How is apple going to market a large phone that is late to the party? Large screen isn't enough. Will there be a killer app or killer usage we just aren't aware of? Here we are with a 4.7 inch screen!!! WTF? What an embarrassment. If this is just another iteration maybe they'll announce it online like other hardware updates to save face. This isn't a diss of apple. Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market a large phone that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
The same could have been asked for other products and they seem to have done moderately(¡) well.
How is apple going to market a portable music player that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market a phone that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market a tablet that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market '4G' LTE that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
Consider for a second that the iPhone 5's display was a half and increase longer than the iPhone 4S. That's a 14% increase in the diagonal length but a 21% increase in display area. Despite that increase the device was much lighter, and had a significantly lower volume than the previous iPhones (which were actually getting heavier up until that point.
Now imagine Apple wanting to have a larger display on an iPhone but, again, not having the device feel too large or two heavy. A few methods that would help with reasonable one-handed operation would be to make it thinner, curve the sides and bring the display close to the edge.
Of course, some of these techniques or components might not have been available a couple years ago and others may simply may not have been feasible in order to get a decent amount of battery life. Right now, the large smartphones that have a decent battery life also are quite large and heavy. It's not a guarantee, but usually there a tradeoffs.
The trick isn't focusing on one feature, the trick is balancing out all the features to offer the best possible device.
I don't really care about the physical size so long as the magnification of the screen contents is improved; if you're over 40 and need reading glasses, text and icons on the iPhones right now are just too small to read.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
That gets said quite a lot but there's a video comparing the 4.7" HTC One and iPhone 5 here:
Myth busted. That's not to say they need to stick to 4" though. If 4.7" feels ok on the iPhone in physical form, that's what matters. The video shows that 4.7" is too large to use single-handedly:
"even people with large sized hands are going to have trouble moving around the screen without taking out a second hand to steady the phone"
I have never used any of my iPhones one handed - why would I want to? If I'd wanted to use my thumbs to control a phone I'd have got a BlackBerry.
I have an iPhone 5 and the magnification of screen elements (text, icons etc) is unchanged from my 3G. A friend moved from a 3GS which she had had trouble reading sms texts on and got a Samsung Galaxy S4 instead and I very begrudgingly had to agree the screen was easier to read than my iPhone. Not only that, but in the hand it feels fine. The OS though is a nightmare and she does miss the simplicity of iOS, but she also says there are a few new features and apps not available on iPhones yet.
I'm sticking with my iP5 until something better comes along - and that would be something with a screen which didn't require me to swap my normal glasses for more powerful reading glasses just to check on some info on the phone.
It does seem like chasing ever higher pixel density is an ego trip not dissimilar to seeing who has the biggest, fastest, longest... and as you pack more pixels onto each screen, the size of each object usually reduces - and that's going the wrong direction in my view. Apple seem to have forgotten the purpose of the things they are now making.
I have never used any of my iPhones one handed - why would I want to? If I'd wanted to use my thumbs to control a phone I'd have got a BlackBerry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That's just ridiculous.
I agree - using a phone one handed is just ridiculous. Also, using thumbs as the primary means of data input is also against all the tenets of ergonmomics - thumbs are the least dexterous of all our digits, and the least suitable for pinpoint accuracy or length of reach.
I agree - using a phone one handed is just ridiculous. Also, using thumbs as the primary means of data input is also against all the tenets of ergonmomics - thumbs are the least dexterous of all our digits, and the least suitable for pinpoint accuracy or length of reach.
Oh yeah, thumbs are incapable of holding down the Home Button to dictate to Siri or swiping across a screen¡
If you find a way to hold it with your thumb so you can type with other four digits on a single hand you let us know.
I have never used any of my iPhones one handed - why would I want to?
You do use it one-handed when you make a call (the primary function of a phone). The question to ask is why would Apple want to sell a phone that is harder to use for the primary function of the device? All standard telephones have been designed for one-handed use:
A friend moved from a 3GS which she had had trouble reading sms texts on and got a Samsung Galaxy S4 instead and I very begrudgingly had to agree the screen was easier to read than my iPhone.
I'm sticking with my iP5 until something better comes along - and that would be something with a screen which didn't require me to swap my normal glasses for more powerful reading glasses just to check on some info on the phone.
Who is this person?? Where do they get their information??
It's the same rumor bouncing around the echo chamber of the Internet, appearing to come from different unrelated sources when in fact, it's just the same story repeated over and over.
And once again, they can't mention Ming-chi Kuo without talking about how wowed they are by his track record LOL. Anyone actually got the hard numbers?
It's called having a choice. Keep the 4" for all I care. I just want a LARGER SCREEN. Right now, Apple doesn't give me a choice as they think the 4" is best for me. Apple is wrong.
I think it would be great for Apple to release a 4.7 inch phone. It will be great for the iPhone to finally match the year old HTC ONE (M7). Hopefully they will improve the speakers like the HTC ONE (M8). I think my preferred phone would be the One with IOS on it (but a different camera)
I agree - using a phone one handed is just ridiculous. Also, using thumbs as the primary means of data input is also against all the tenets of ergonmomics - thumbs are the least dexterous of all our digits, and the least suitable for pinpoint accuracy or length of reach.
Apple doesn’t cater to the polydactyly community, so no, every single other person on Earth uses their thumb for this sort of thing.
Apple doesn’t cater to the polydactyly community, so no, every single other person on Earth uses their thumb for this sort of thing.
Hmm, you've met an awful lot of people... interviewed/observed them all, and know this for certain! I'll have to tell all my friends to stop holding the phone in one hand and using the fingers of their other hand to use their phones then or all your stats will be wrong...
You do use it one-handed when you make a call (the primary function of a phone). The question to ask is why would Apple want to sell a phone that is harder to use for the primary function of the device? All standard telephones have been designed for one-handed use:
Well, YOU may use a phone one handed, but all telephones since Graham Bell invented them needed one hand for the earset and one for the dialer. Same with a touch screen phone: you need one hand to hold the platform steady, and another to dial the number. If you cannot do this then I am sorry for you, it must be very difficult pointing with your thumbs when you want someone to look at the same thing you are!
…all telephones since Graham Bell invented them needed one hand for the ear set and one for the dialer.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You’re joking, right? THE EXACT OPPOSITE is true.
Same with a touch screen phone: you need one hand to hold the platform steady, and another to dial the number. If you cannot do this then I am sorry for you…
No, what YOU seem physically incapable of doing is using a single hand with your phone. I’m not sorry for you.
Well, YOU may use a phone one handed, but all telephones since Graham Bell invented them needed one hand for the earset and one for the dialer. Same with a touch screen phone: you need one hand to hold the platform steady, and another to dial the number. If you cannot do this then I am sorry for you, it must be very difficult pointing with your thumbs when you want someone to look at the same thing you are!
I type and text with two hands- but I use my thumbs. How can you think using your other fingers would be faster than using your thumbs?
I'm one of the fastest texters I've ever seen. And I've never seen anyone use other fingers quickly.
Does anyone know someone that uses their pointer finger for the Home Button (and Touch ID)? These people are the slowest users. My aunt does this and she typically moves her hand in some arch that goes about a foot above the device when she wants to touch another part of it. It's ridiculous.
with a touch screen phone: you need one hand to hold the platform steady, and another to dial the number. If you cannot do this then I am sorry for you
That doesn't make sense; of course if you can operate a device with one hand, you can with two but it's not necessary to use two for all touch screen phones. If one-handed use wasn't needed, Samsung wouldn't bother putting a one-handed mode in the software. Android fans wouldn't make videos trying to come up with workarounds to make it easier to deal with:
[VIDEO]
Samsung also wouldn't try to patent one-handed operation on the S5:
I won't read the patent details but I will say this: Obvious! Prior art! Apple's had one-handed operation for years. Samsung's trying to patent the use of a hand! Why don't they innovate more instead of trying to use such basic and obvious things for litigation?
One handed use isn't essential at all times but there are times when it's very useful such as someone carrying shopping in one hand or holding a partner's or child's hand. Not being able to comfortably operate the device creates a problem. If Apple can design a 4.7" screen into a phone and not have this be a problem, that's fine but I think 4.7" is far too much and sticking with the 16:9 aspect will make it very tall. Here's 4" next to 4.7"
On the left, the volume buttons sit comfortably near the thumb, on 4.7" they are out of reach. The fingers would also be at their tips, not like shown, I had to stretch the guy's hand over.
Maybe with a few design adjustments, they can still allow people to reach the important parts of the UI with one hand but in that image, the top row of icons looks out of reach and imagine trying to get to the power button, you'd have to shuffle the whole phone down the hand and then back.
Comments
A larger phone. What will they think of next. If they weren't so arrogant they would already be making them.
I guess this is the way Cook can claim his promises for the last 18 months were true.
How is apple going to market a large phone that is late to the party? Large screen isn't enough. Will there be a killer app or killer usage we just aren't aware of? Here we are with a 4.7 inch screen!!! WTF? What an embarrassment. If this is just another iteration maybe they'll announce it online like other hardware updates to save face. This isn't a diss of apple. Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
The same could have been asked for other products and they seem to have done moderately(¡) well.
How is apple going to market a phone that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market a tablet that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
How is apple going to market '4G' LTE that is late to the party? […] Just curious how to spin a very late arrival.
Consider for a second that the iPhone 5's display was a half and increase longer than the iPhone 4S. That's a 14% increase in the diagonal length but a 21% increase in display area. Despite that increase the device was much lighter, and had a significantly lower volume than the previous iPhones (which were actually getting heavier up until that point.
Now imagine Apple wanting to have a larger display on an iPhone but, again, not having the device feel too large or two heavy. A few methods that would help with reasonable one-handed operation would be to make it thinner, curve the sides and bring the display close to the edge.
Of course, some of these techniques or components might not have been available a couple years ago and others may simply may not have been feasible in order to get a decent amount of battery life. Right now, the large smartphones that have a decent battery life also are quite large and heavy. It's not a guarantee, but usually there a tradeoffs.
The trick isn't focusing on one feature, the trick is balancing out all the features to offer the best possible device.
I don't really care about the physical size so long as the magnification of the screen contents is improved; if you're over 40 and need reading glasses, text and icons on the iPhones right now are just too small to read.
Quote:
That gets said quite a lot but there's a video comparing the 4.7" HTC One and iPhone 5 here:
Myth busted. That's not to say they need to stick to 4" though. If 4.7" feels ok on the iPhone in physical form, that's what matters. The video shows that 4.7" is too large to use single-handedly:
"even people with large sized hands are going to have trouble moving around the screen without taking out a second hand to steady the phone"
That's just ridiculous.
I have never used any of my iPhones one handed - why would I want to? If I'd wanted to use my thumbs to control a phone I'd have got a BlackBerry.
Quote:
That's just ridiculous.
I agree - using a phone one handed is just ridiculous. Also, using thumbs as the primary means of data input is also against all the tenets of ergonmomics - thumbs are the least dexterous of all our digits, and the least suitable for pinpoint accuracy or length of reach.
Oh yeah, thumbs are incapable of holding down the Home Button to dictate to Siri or swiping across a screen¡
If you find a way to hold it with your thumb so you can type with other four digits on a single hand you let us know.
You do use it one-handed when you make a call (the primary function of a phone). The question to ask is why would Apple want to sell a phone that is harder to use for the primary function of the device? All standard telephones have been designed for one-handed use:
[VIDEO]
[VIDEO]
"Rumor.."
Who is this person?? Where do they get their information??
It's the same rumor bouncing around the echo chamber of the Internet, appearing to come from different unrelated sources when in fact, it's just the same story repeated over and over.
And once again, they can't mention Ming-chi Kuo without talking about how wowed they are by his track record LOL. Anyone actually got the hard numbers?
It's called having a choice. Keep the 4" for all I care. I just want a LARGER SCREEN. Right now, Apple doesn't give me a choice as they think the 4" is best for me. Apple is wrong.
I think it would be great for Apple to release a 4.7 inch phone. It will be great for the iPhone to finally match the year old HTC ONE (M7). Hopefully they will improve the speakers like the HTC ONE (M8). I think my preferred phone would be the One with IOS on it (but a different camera)
I agree - using a phone one handed is just ridiculous. Also, using thumbs as the primary means of data input is also against all the tenets of ergonmomics - thumbs are the least dexterous of all our digits, and the least suitable for pinpoint accuracy or length of reach.
Apple doesn’t cater to the polydactyly community, so no, every single other person on Earth uses their thumb for this sort of thing.
What has two thumbs and likes using his iPhone with one hand.
“THIS GU–” *clatter* “Great, you made me drop my phone.”
Apple doesn’t cater to the polydactyly community, so no, every single other person on Earth uses their thumb for this sort of thing.
Hmm, you've met an awful lot of people... interviewed/observed them all, and know this for certain! I'll have to tell all my friends to stop holding the phone in one hand and using the fingers of their other hand to use their phones then or all your stats will be wrong...
You do use it one-handed when you make a call (the primary function of a phone). The question to ask is why would Apple want to sell a phone that is harder to use for the primary function of the device? All standard telephones have been designed for one-handed use:
Well, YOU may use a phone one handed, but all telephones since Graham Bell invented them needed one hand for the earset and one for the dialer. Same with a touch screen phone: you need one hand to hold the platform steady, and another to dial the number. If you cannot do this then I am sorry for you, it must be very difficult pointing with your thumbs when you want someone to look at the same thing you are!
…all telephones since Graham Bell invented them needed one hand for the ear set and one for the dialer.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You’re joking, right? THE EXACT OPPOSITE is true.
No, what YOU seem physically incapable of doing is using a single hand with your phone. I’m not sorry for you.
I'm one of the fastest texters I've ever seen. And I've never seen anyone use other fingers quickly.
Didn't you know, opposable thumbs are out, opposed to thumbs are in?
That doesn't make sense; of course if you can operate a device with one hand, you can with two but it's not necessary to use two for all touch screen phones. If one-handed use wasn't needed, Samsung wouldn't bother putting a one-handed mode in the software. Android fans wouldn't make videos trying to come up with workarounds to make it easier to deal with:
[VIDEO]
Samsung also wouldn't try to patent one-handed operation on the S5:
http://www.ibtimes.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-release-date-coming-custom-one-hand-operation-patent-surfaces-samsung-develops
I won't read the patent details but I will say this: Obvious! Prior art! Apple's had one-handed operation for years. Samsung's trying to patent the use of a hand! Why don't they innovate more instead of trying to use such basic and obvious things for litigation?
One handed use isn't essential at all times but there are times when it's very useful such as someone carrying shopping in one hand or holding a partner's or child's hand. Not being able to comfortably operate the device creates a problem. If Apple can design a 4.7" screen into a phone and not have this be a problem, that's fine but I think 4.7" is far too much and sticking with the 16:9 aspect will make it very tall. Here's 4" next to 4.7"
On the left, the volume buttons sit comfortably near the thumb, on 4.7" they are out of reach. The fingers would also be at their tips, not like shown, I had to stretch the guy's hand over.
Maybe with a few design adjustments, they can still allow people to reach the important parts of the UI with one hand but in that image, the top row of icons looks out of reach and imagine trying to get to the power button, you'd have to shuffle the whole phone down the hand and then back.