Supply chain rumor contradicts claims of new 4-inch iPhone in 2015

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  • Reply 21 of 50
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,585moderator
    kenaustus wrote: »
    To address a rather profitable market Apple needs to offer 3 sizes, returning to the 5S size, but with 6 technology. Why should customers like my wife give up the benefits of the 6, like ApplePay?

    If they had made the 6 a bit smaller like 4.3-4.4" and the 6 Plus 5", they'd have been able to cover the one-handed and phablet market with just two models. They can't really go back now but they'll want to hit a lower priced entry point so I can see the 5C or 5S design being updated to iPhone 6 internals while the 6 and 6 Plus move to the S versions with A9 and PowerVR 7.

    I'd like to see the 5S design used over the plastic 5C, it's the nicest iPhone design they've had and renamed the 6C. Then it will be 6S and 6S Plus. The 6C could then continue to be the entry model, maybe update to 6CS with the 6S and 6S Plus moving to 7 and 7 Plus. The next would be 7C, 8, 8 Plus and so on.

    This would maintain 4", 4.7" and 5.5". It does mean the 4" would always be a generation behind but that's not the end of the world.
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  • Reply 22 of 50
    I'd actually like to see Apple reintroduce a 3.5" phone in their lineup. I played around with a 6 Plus, and it's just. Too. Frickin'. Huge. I really like my 5s, but there are certainly times when it's a struggle to get my thumb to reach the upper left corner. 3.5" is the only size that absolutely works for one-handed operation, and Apple had that right from the beginning... I think they've traded one of their core values for the court of public opinion.

    Considering how broad their product line is (hell, look at the iPad mini 3; it's just a slightly warmed over mini 2), I could definitely see the logic of a 4.7/5.5" phone at the top end, and 3.5/4" at the lower end, which would essentially be repackaged versions of last year's technology.
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  • Reply 23 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mick Roberts View Post



    The 4" size is still the most popular phone size (pretty much solely because of the iPhone) right? Seems like they'd be crazy to give up on that segment.

    It's most popular because it's been available for 3 generations (5, 5s and 5c). There's no reason that Apple would go back and make a 4" device and sell at lower margin. How are they going to price the new 4" device in 2015 when 4.7" iPhone 6 will be at $99 and 5S is at $0 subsidized? The only way that Apple would do to 4" devices is to rebadge the 5S with new design, but that will reduce their margin even more. Apple is not that dumb. Bottom line, 4" is dead.

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  • Reply 24 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Inkling View Post



    I hope Apple continues with a 4-inch model. I like the form factor of my iPhone 5. It's also true that some people, particular teen girls and many women with smaller hands, don't really like a larger form factor.

    Women with small hands already had problems with even 4" screen for reachability. Your argument is not valid. 

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  • Reply 25 of 50
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    It's most popular because it's been available for 3 generations (5, 5s and 5c). There's no reason that Apple would go back and make a 4" device and sell at lower margin. How are they going to price the new 4" device in 2015 when 4.7" iPhone 6 will be at $99 and 5S is at $0 subsidized? The only way that Apple would do to 4" devices is to rebadge the 5S with new design, but that will reduce their margin even more. Apple is not that dumb. Bottom line, 4" is dead.

    What I think the OP meant was that regardless of there being bigger sizes offered by other manufacturers people still went with the smaller iPhone. Are people buying them because they're bigger, or because they're iPhones?
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  • Reply 26 of 50
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    Women with small hands already had problems with even 4" screen for reachability. Your argument is not valid. 

    Yet everywhere I go I see women with huge phones.
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  • Reply 27 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kenaustus View Post



    There are a lot of people who want to get the most current technology, but don't want a phone that is too large to be comfortable in their hand. My wife is one of those. She would have a 6 today except it is too large for her hand.



    To address a rather profitable market Apple needs to offer 3 sizes, returning to the 5S size, but with 6 technology. Why should customers like my wife give up the benefits of the 6, like ApplePay?

    Your wife needs to get used to a larger 4.7" phone. She'll adapt to the size soon enough. Apple wouldn't care about your wife but their profit margin. Making new design of 4" iPhone with lower margin is not so Apple's business strategy.

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  • Reply 28 of 50
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    Yet everywhere I go I see women with huge phones.

    Yep. Women have driven phablets because they can toss it in their purse.
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  • Reply 29 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    What I think the OP meant was that regardless of there being bigger sizes offered by other manufacturers people still went with the smaller iPhone. Are people buying them because they're bigger, or because they're iPhones?

    I would say 50/50. I know a lot of people buying iPhone because it's a new iPhone and use their device for basic features like calls, texts and web/email browsing. For me, I bought the 6 because of the screen (primarily) Touch ID, Apple Pay, better carmera and such... If Apple still stayed with 4", I would've kept my iPhone 5 until it dies.

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  • Reply 30 of 50
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    I would say 50/50. I know a lot of people buying iPhone because it's a new iPhone and use their device for basic features like calls, texts and web/email browsing. For me, I bought the 6 because of the screen (primarily) Touch ID, Apple Pay, better carmera and such... If Apple still stayed with 4", I would've kept my iPhone 5 until it dies.

    50/50 is just a guess. Do you think there would have been a exodus of people had Apple not made a bigger phone? Do you think Apple painted themselves into a corner with the design of the 5/5s, and the only design change they could make was to go bigger?
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  • Reply 31 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    50/50 is just a guess. Do you think there would have been a exodus of people had Apple not made a bigger phone? Do you think Apple painted themselves into a corner with the design of the 5/5s, and the only design change they could make was to go bigger?

    The demand for larger phone has been since iPhone 5, but still 5S with virtually the same as 5 still outsold every other phone and its own previous generations. I just based on the sale from 5/5S vs 4.7" iPhone 6 (from IDC survey...again still guesstimate). And yes, Apple would've sold huge amount of iPhone and probably broke previous records if they still maintain the same screen size. Apple is good at adding new feature to the phone that makes people want that feature so bad to upgrade the phone.

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  • Reply 32 of 50
    Apple may wait for the 7 to do a redesigned 4", as is their wont.

    In which case, I’ll be keeping my 5 for four years.
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  • Reply 33 of 50
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    The demand for larger phone has been since iPhone 5, but still 5S with virtually the same as 5 still outsold every other phone and its own previous generations. I just based on the sale from 5/5S vs 4.7" iPhone 6 (from IDC survey...again still guesstimate). And yes, Apple would've sold huge amount of iPhone and probably broke previous records if they still maintain the same screen size. Apple is good at adding new feature to the phone that makes people want that feature so bad to upgrade the phone.

    How do we know there was a demand? Sales numbers indicate that the opposite was true.
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  • Reply 34 of 50
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     

    Obviously, the supply chain knows all.  /s




    Ridiculous. Virtually every part Apple would need for a 4" iPhone 6C is already being manufactured for either the 5C, 5S, or 6 & 6 Plus -- assuming they mirror the 6 series design. Why on Earth would Apple be ordering brand new parts now for a phone that won't go into production until mid-2015? I realize the parts have to be manufactured, but what exactly is there they would need that isn't already being manufactured? A slightly re-configured logic board? A smaller battery? In this case, I'd say the supply chain knows nothing. 

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  • Reply 35 of 50
    SpamSandwichspamsandwich Posts: 33,407member
    mac_128 wrote: »

    Ridiculous. Virtually every part Apple would need for a 4" iPhone 6C is already being manufactured for either the 5C, 5S, or 6 & 6 Plus -- assuming they mirror the 6 series design. Why on Earth would Apple be ordering brand new parts now for a phone that won<span style="line-height:1.4em;">'t go into production until mid-2015? I realize the parts have to be manufactured, but what exactly is there they would need that isn't already being </span>
    manufactured<span style="line-height:1.4em;">? A slightly re-configured </span>
    logic board? A smaller battery? In this case, I'd say the supply chain knows nothing. 

    Word to the wise: "/s" = "sarcasm"
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  • Reply 36 of 50

    Spoke with one of the Apple retail associate about the 4" models and how many then sell compare to the other two sizes and he said that the 4" may account for 5%-10% of total iPhone sales for the fourth quarter!  So it is still in demand.  People who buy the 4" are mostly older people according to him.  Nobody over 40 years old even looks at the 4" size when picking out the iPhone model they want!

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  • Reply 37 of 50
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Zapf Brannigan View Post



    I'd actually like to see Apple reintroduce a 3.5" phone in their lineup. I played around with a 6 Plus, and it's just. Too. Frickin'. Huge. I really like my 5s, but there are certainly times when it's a struggle to get my thumb to reach the upper left corner. 3.5" is the only size that absolutely works for one-handed operation, and Apple had that right from the beginning... I think they've traded one of their core values for the court of public opinion.



    Considering how broad their product line is (hell, look at the iPad mini 3; it's just a slightly warmed over mini 2), I could definitely see the logic of a 4.7/5.5" phone at the top end, and 3.5/4" at the lower end, which would essentially be repackaged versions of last year's technology.



    I would love a 3.5" phone too!  The iPhone 3gs was the perfect size and shape, the 4 and 5 are too squared off, and the 5 is too big.  But the 3gs is too slow, otherwise I'd still be using it.  It's far more comfortable in my hand than newer iPhones.

     

    Oh, and plastic is the perfect material for a phone, it's much more resilient than metal when you drop it.  I have no idea why Apple thinks we should have metal phones that we then have to put plastic cases around.

     

    But I do disagree with it being a low end phone.  Make it just as powerful as the bigger screen phones, and thicker so it can have just as much or more battery life.  I don't need a phone to be thinner than an iPhone 3, I'd even be good with thicker if I could have a removable battery.

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  • Reply 38 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkVader View Post

     



    I would love a 3.5" phone too!  The iPhone 3gs was the perfect size and shape, the 4 and 5 are too squared off, and the 5 is too big.  But the 3gs is too slow, otherwise I'd still be using it.  It's far more comfortable in my hand than newer iPhones.

     

    Oh, and plastic is the perfect material for a phone, it's much more resilient than metal when you drop it.  I have no idea why Apple thinks we should have metal phones that we then have to put plastic cases around.

     

    But I do disagree with it being a low end phone.  Make it just as powerful as the bigger screen phones, and thicker so it can have just as much or more battery life.  I don't need a phone to be thinner than an iPhone 3, I'd even be good with thicker if I could have a removable battery.


    Bold section: two words: Mophie Juicepack. 

     

    Grab yourself a 5S and a Juicepack. Double the battery with no more squared off edges, AND it doubles the size of the iPhone. Problem (for you) solved. Oh, and it'll be plastic in your hands, just like you like it. :rolleyes: 

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  • Reply 39 of 50
    The Apple I fell in love with told the world what they wanted, and didn't let the world tell them what to make. Was it good business to make a larger phone?... of course. But why did they make 2 phones that were both bigger? I know, record sales and consumer demand bla bla bla. They kept the iPod classic around for a long time, why not the 4" that I love. This year was easy, my 5s is still a good phone, but I don't know what I will do next year. I feel like an old geezer bitching about this, but the 6 just doesn't feel right when I wrap my pudgy fingers around it.
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  • Reply 40 of 50
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,057member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac_128 View Post

     



    Ridiculous. Virtually every part Apple would need for a 4" iPhone 6C is already being manufactured for either the 5C, 5S, or 6 & 6 Plus -- assuming they mirror the 6 series design. Why on Earth would Apple be ordering brand new parts now for a phone that won't go into production until mid-2015? I realize the parts have to be manufactured, but what exactly is there they would need that isn't already being manufactured? A slightly re-configured logic board? A smaller battery? In this case, I'd say the supply chain knows nothing. 


    If you think 6 and 6+ components will fit into 4" chassis without redesign/remanufacturing, you're out of your mind. Apple will have to redesign/modify the logic board, not from the scratch, but from iPhone 6 to make sure it fits and aligns correctly in 4" chassis. So, the new logic board will require new manufacturing and also new chassis...Therefore, it's brand new phone.

    If 4" 6C is the 5S re-packaging, it's a dumb business move. Why the hell would Apple want to spend R&D resources to rebadge the 2 years-old phone (5S) in form of 6C and sell it as an entry level with lower margin instead of just selling the damn 5S for the same price? Remember 5C was 5 repackaging as a mid-tier, not entry level phone. 

    If 6C will ever be made, it should be iPhone 6 or 6+ rebadge or both. It makes more sense when the new model of 6S and 6+S come, the current 6 and 6+ can be discontinued and repackaged into 6C and 6+C. That way Apple can differentiate the physical looks of the new "S" models from the mid-tier models in their line up.

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