Because there is no 4" flagship Android phone. That is the simple reason.
It's a sound question. What makes this so important for an iPhone to have a 4" display on a flagship device but unreasonable for every other vendor to offer a 4" display on a flagship device?
Because size was the only way they had to truly stand out from the iPhone. Now they've lost that, they're screwed. That doesn't mean 4 inch iPhones are going to disappear.
nope. People just dont want 4 inch phones.
I dont understand why this is so hard to understand. Its the same reason why hardly any one buys TV's under 20 inches now days.
Are there even any "premium" 4 inch Android phones at all? Maybe Sony, but I don't see any of them making anything to even to take on the iPhone 5s. I see a market for a "premium" 4 inch class iPhone, but until Apple makes one with the same design influences and Apple Pay as the 6 and follow ons, i.e. premium, we won't have any idea of demand. Enough I suspect to make it worthwhile to fill that slot and to keep an updated "c" model in production.
Apple fought hard to win that space: I don't see them giving it up.
I think apple should should offer full specs with premium price in tow. Smaller should not mean cheaper. They should blow it out and make it insanely rad. Just small.
If 4 inch phones are so popular why isn't there a single high end Android/Windows phone at 4 inches that sells?
That's a good question.
As I posted earlier, a bank-subsidized (low to $0 cost) entry Apple Pay (NFC) iPhone makes a lot of sen$e ... the bigger picture!
It occurs to me that another, complementary, opportunity exists -- a low-cost, secure, mobile NFC POST Terminal that accepts Apple Pay ...
Something you could pass around on the collection plate at church, or use at the farmers market, restaurant table, boutique, Apple Store, flea market, roadside stand ...
This or another iDevice with software and a NFC chip/antenna would fill the bill and cost hundreds of $ less than current fixed-station NFC POST terminals.
I hope that Apple releases this 4" iPhone. That is the one that I want to own. If they do this, it would show that Tim Cook is returning to his senses. The final thing they also need to do is bring back the 17" MacBook Pro. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do video editing on a 15" laptop.
Ha! You got there first!
Agree on both points. Now that laptops have got smaller and lighter, a 17" would be more portable, and due to Apple's popularity now, I'm sure it would sell substantially more than when they last offered one.
Like a number of other users, I would be happy to see a new 4 inch phone but not happy if it was restricted to the low end. I want a compact phone with touch ID, apple pay. the best camera they can fit in it and as much memory as possible.
I use my phone for four main things - as a phone, as a wireless hotspot for my other devices, and to play music and as my go anywhere camera, anything beyond this is not much value to me. I use apps for a variety of things but generally do not surf the web, play games or watch video on the phone.
As a result I don't care about screen size or graphics performance on the phone. I have an iPad mini if I want to surf the web, play games or watch videos on the road and at home I have a choice of devices. Similarly, I have an SLR for serious photography.
I do care about the width and height of a phone so that I can fit it in various pockets but I do not care about thin. The thicker they make it within reason and the more battery they can put in the better. In many ways I like the feeling of weight in my hand that comes from the thickness and I do value battery life.
I think there are enough like me that this is a market worth serving. A significant proportion of my friends are of similar view and there are many posters online who agree with me. I do not begrudge those that want a big screen but that does not work for me.
Apples best customers are not the ones who buy one device and want it to do everything they are the ones like me that own multiple devices. People who want everything in one device are not the main source of cashflow. Apple products to not generally wear out. People like me who own multiple devices choose a combination that best suits our lifestyle and upgrade when there are compelling technological reasons to upgrade.
I currently own and use an ipod shuffle that I use solely while exercising, an iphone 5, a iPad mini, a macbook air and a mac mini.
I would have upgraded my phone in October if they had produced a 64 Gb 4 inch model but will delay the phone upgrade indefinitely until I can get a small phone that will hold my music collection.
Great post; you've voiced my sentiments better than I could.
If Apple DOES keep the current 4" form factor, it WILL be a lower end phone. And there's absolutely no problem with that. It's the most rational thing to do. In spite of some people here who can't see a foot beyond their own nose, there does not appear to be a demand for tiny, high end smartphones. There's VERY few people who would pay the same price for a smaller iPhone as a larger one.
The 5C is still a great phone. Just bought one for my sister. If they update it next fall with new internals/body and leave it at $0/month on contract, it will be a great little option. We've gotten to a point where a phone doesn't need to be high end to be a great experience and have excellent performance.
Such a moronic comment from you, as usual.
Apple sold nothing larger than a 4" iPhone for seven years—several hundred million of them—and you blurt out that there's no demand for them!
Like a number of other users, I would be happy to see a new 4 inch phone but not happy if it was restricted to the low end. I want a compact phone with touch ID, apple pay. the best camera they can fit in it and as much memory as possible.
I use my phone for four main things - as a phone, as a wireless hotspot for my other devices, and to play music and as my go anywhere camera, anything beyond this is not much value to me. I use apps for a variety of things but generally do not surf the web, play games or watch video on the phone.
As a result I don't care about screen size or graphics performance on the phone. I have an iPad mini if I want to surf the web, play games or watch videos on the road and at home I have a choice of devices. Similarly, I have an SLR for serious photography.
I do care about the width and height of a phone so that I can fit it in various pockets but I do not care about thin. The thicker they make it within reason and the more battery they can put in the better. In many ways I like the feeling of weight in my hand that comes from the thickness and I do value battery life.
I think there are enough like me that this is a market worth serving. A significant proportion of my friends are of similar view and there are many posters online who agree with me. I do not begrudge those that want a big screen but that does not work for me.
Apples best customers are not the ones who buy one device and want it to do everything they are the ones like me that own multiple devices. People who want everything in one device are not the main source of cashflow. Apple products to not generally wear out. People like me who own multiple devices choose a combination that best suits our lifestyle and upgrade when there are compelling technological reasons to upgrade.
I currently own and use an ipod shuffle that I use solely while exercising, an iphone 5, a iPad mini, a macbook air and a mac mini.
I would have upgraded my phone in October if they had produced a 64 Gb 4 inch model but will delay the phone upgrade indefinitely until I can get a small phone that will hold my music collection.
Honestly, you should try giving the 4.7" iPhone 6 a chance. You may find it suits your needs pretty well. If not...then not.
Who is currently making small, high-end smartphones? If someone did my guess is there would be healthy demand for it. I mean millions of people bought iPhones and I doubt they were all doing it in spite of the smaller display.
Maybe not all but a large percentage bought the 4" iPhone IN SPITE of the small display. I sure as hell did. There is still room for a 4" next year but even if it had all the same specs there is no way in hell that sales would come close to a larger display. The market has spoken.
The market has done nothing of the sort.
Apple don't offer a current generation 4" iPhone. If they did, then we would be able to see, although it's unlikely that Cook would reveal more than a general idea.
Happily, it looks as though we may get a proper 4" iPhone next year.
If they make it Titanium that would fulfill this hiker's dream. Not only are the 6 and 6 Plus too big, there are also too heavy.
Is that a joke?
First of all, the iPhone 6 is the lightest iPhone ever made (maybe even lightest smartphone of them all).
Secondly, making the case titanium would save very little weight and more than double the manufacturing cost. The majority of the weight comes from the internal components.
The iPhone 5 is lighter than the iPhone 6, and is the lightest iPhone ever made.
I have suggested this multiple times in the past! I wouldn't mind if this rumor turns out to be true.
I am of the belief that a small phone and a large tablet is a good solution.
I have nothing against large phones like the iPhone 6+, but there are people out there who prefer smaller phones also.
I actually wouldn't mind a super tiny, midget sized 2.5" or 3" Apple phone. I'm not going to game on any phone or watch any movies. It would primarily be a communications device, and it would be so small that you wouldn't even notice that it's in your pocket.
Yep, me too.
I'd be quite happy with a 3.5" iPhone. I prefer the thickness of my 5 to the 6; it's easier to grasp and pick up, and I don't worry about it slipping one-handed.
Almost every man I know wants smaller phones, while women and kids want bigger ones. Something about cargo pants and purses being necessary.
Please don't call it the iPhone Mini, it's the iPhone Air we need. And it could easily be more expensive since the engineering cost of smaller devices far outweighs the savings in materials (eg, a $500 47" smart TV and a $700 4.7" smart phone
Comments
If 4 inch phones are so popular why isn't there a single high end Android/Windows phone at 4 inches that sells?
That's a good question.
Very different customer bases.
Because there is no 4" flagship Android phone. That is the simple reason.
It's a sound question. What makes this so important for an iPhone to have a 4" display on a flagship device but unreasonable for every other vendor to offer a 4" display on a flagship device?
because of different customer "base".
Because size was the only way they had to truly stand out from the iPhone. Now they've lost that, they're screwed. That doesn't mean 4 inch iPhones are going to disappear.
nope. People just dont want 4 inch phones.
I dont understand why this is so hard to understand. Its the same reason why hardly any one buys TV's under 20 inches now days.
Bad analogy.
Better: Why is it that people buy TV's under 50"?
Very different customer bases.
Are there even any "premium" 4 inch Android phones at all? Maybe Sony, but I don't see any of them making anything to even to take on the iPhone 5s. I see a market for a "premium" 4 inch class iPhone, but until Apple makes one with the same design influences and Apple Pay as the 6 and follow ons, i.e. premium, we won't have any idea of demand. Enough I suspect to make it worthwhile to fill that slot and to keep an updated "c" model in production.
Apple fought hard to win that space: I don't see them giving it up.
As I posted earlier, a bank-subsidized (low to $0 cost) entry Apple Pay (NFC) iPhone makes a lot of sen$e ... the bigger picture!
It occurs to me that another, complementary, opportunity exists -- a low-cost, secure, mobile NFC POST Terminal that accepts Apple Pay ...
Something you could pass around on the collection plate at church, or use at the farmers market, restaurant table, boutique, Apple Store, flea market, roadside stand ...
This or another iDevice with software and a NFC chip/antenna would fill the bill and cost hundreds of $ less than current fixed-station NFC POST terminals.
because its a phone.
after reading your comments, I'm pretty sure you are just a troll on this this topic.
That phone in the picture is a two handed device.
Most phones made up to 2000 were two handed devices to dial.
The one handed phone is a recent thing.
Anyway you can EASILY use the 6+ with one hand for phone calls.
Ridiculous. You can't "EASILY" use the 6+ for even just holding in your hand.
Ha! You got there first!
Agree on both points. Now that laptops have got smaller and lighter, a 17" would be more portable, and due to Apple's popularity now, I'm sure it would sell substantially more than when they last offered one.
Great post; you've voiced my sentiments better than I could.
Such a moronic comment from you, as usual.
Apple sold nothing larger than a 4" iPhone for seven years—several hundred million of them—and you blurt out that there's no demand for them!
Such blindness is a sight to behold.
And here's a good answer:
No-one could compete with the iPhone.
Like a number of other users, I would be happy to see a new 4 inch phone but not happy if it was restricted to the low end. I want a compact phone with touch ID, apple pay. the best camera they can fit in it and as much memory as possible.
I use my phone for four main things - as a phone, as a wireless hotspot for my other devices, and to play music and as my go anywhere camera, anything beyond this is not much value to me. I use apps for a variety of things but generally do not surf the web, play games or watch video on the phone.
As a result I don't care about screen size or graphics performance on the phone. I have an iPad mini if I want to surf the web, play games or watch videos on the road and at home I have a choice of devices. Similarly, I have an SLR for serious photography.
I do care about the width and height of a phone so that I can fit it in various pockets but I do not care about thin. The thicker they make it within reason and the more battery they can put in the better. In many ways I like the feeling of weight in my hand that comes from the thickness and I do value battery life.
I think there are enough like me that this is a market worth serving. A significant proportion of my friends are of similar view and there are many posters online who agree with me. I do not begrudge those that want a big screen but that does not work for me.
Apples best customers are not the ones who buy one device and want it to do everything they are the ones like me that own multiple devices. People who want everything in one device are not the main source of cashflow. Apple products to not generally wear out. People like me who own multiple devices choose a combination that best suits our lifestyle and upgrade when there are compelling technological reasons to upgrade.
I currently own and use an ipod shuffle that I use solely while exercising, an iphone 5, a iPad mini, a macbook air and a mac mini.
I would have upgraded my phone in October if they had produced a 64 Gb 4 inch model but will delay the phone upgrade indefinitely until I can get a small phone that will hold my music collection.
Honestly, you should try giving the 4.7" iPhone 6 a chance. You may find it suits your needs pretty well. If not...then not.
The market has done nothing of the sort.
Apple don't offer a current generation 4" iPhone. If they did, then we would be able to see, although it's unlikely that Cook would reveal more than a general idea.
Happily, it looks as though we may get a proper 4" iPhone next year.
The iPhone 5 is lighter than the iPhone 6, and is the lightest iPhone ever made.
You know, I'm all about that base.
Yep, me too.
I'd be quite happy with a 3.5" iPhone. I prefer the thickness of my 5 to the 6; it's easier to grasp and pick up, and I don't worry about it slipping one-handed.
Lol!
Damn, you really hoovered up his comment! ????
No treble?
Please don't call it the iPhone Mini, it's the iPhone Air we need. And it could easily be more expensive since the engineering cost of smaller devices far outweighs the savings in materials (eg, a $500 47" smart TV and a $700 4.7" smart phone