If Apple ever release larger screen size, I bet it will be 4.8" screen, still 326 ppi, 1363x768.
That means yet another resolution developers have to support. I would think they would do what they did with the iPad mini and simply use the iPhone's old PPI (i.e.: display panels) but still use 1024x768. That would mean using the 264 PPI of the iPad 4 and keeping the 1136x640 resolution which ends up being a 4.9404" display. However, i find that size to be questionable in terms of being called Retina as it means the minimum viewing distance for the Retina effect is 13.02".
For many people, poorer, younger and developing markets, the large screen smartphone is their sole computing device in the developing world, it may be a families sole computing devise. Screen size matters as much as price in these segments.
I would limit a larger screen iPhone or cheaper iPhone to India and china. 4.7 to 5 inches seems about right. The US iPhone should not be greater than 4.3 inches and should not have a lower priced option available other than off the run models.
Not "really" two "sizes" so much as a "regular" and a "stretch" model (like limos).
It's going to take increased width as well as height to keep me in the fold. At the moment I'm leaning to an iPad and Android phone. And I can lash them together well enough with a product like SugarSync or DropBox for my file-sharing needs - and those products actually give me some access to file management.
And given the affordability of mobile apps, I also like the notion of experimenting with two ecosystems and UI design languages at this stage of tech evolution.
PS: I think the "stretch model" was a tactical mistake as it is - as it won't scale well if expanded in both directions, making something very top-heavy in a "pocketable." Hoping tactical won't become strategic as form factors evolve, but not hopeful. For non-gamers, wide screen consumption content is the only true advantage I see for the stretch form factor, and I believe most still prefer long-form content on larger screens, at least iPad mini size..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
I also would think 2 sizes having the exact same pixels is the best way to go. Would eliminate massive amount of headache for developers, and honestly most users who want a bigger screen just want a bigger screen, and bigger elements. Content like photos, videos, etc will also be bigger, but the view will be exactly the same. Some will mock, bitch and moan, but these aren't the majority, and the pros of taking this route far exceed the cons.
?
Quote:
Originally Posted by makingdots
If Apple ever release larger screen size, I bet it will be 4.8" screen, still 326 ppi, 1363x768.
Current 4.0" and 3.5" screen apps would be automatically zoom to 1.2x (120%) still crisp at 272ppi, that’s higher than retina 9.7" iPad (264 ppi).
Of course, devs can take advantage of the resolution increase if they optimized their apps.
Also, homescreen icons would still be 4×5 not 5×5, it will just be spacier like what they did on the iPad.
I can live just fine with 272 ppi if that's how the economics vs design considerations work out. Bigger keyboard targets are essential to me, a tiny bit of fuzz on 'em is not. But if not outrageously priced 326 in 4.8" sounds nice as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That means yet another resolution developers have to support. I would think they would do what they did with the iPad mini and simply use the iPhone's old PPI (i.e.: display panels) but still use 1024x768. That would mean using the 264 PPI of the iPad 4 and keeping the 1136x640 resolution which ends up being a 4.9404" display. However, i find that size to be questionable in terms of being called Retina as it means the minimum viewing distance for the Retina effect is 13.02".
Since the great majority of mobile app money's to be made in iOS apps, and will be even more so once Apple has a LINE of "current" model phones covering all the demand segments, I say developers can put on their Big Boy Pants and deal with another res to write for. Sheesh.
Of course the iPhone will launch will a lower price model and two different sizes:
The new iPhone (4" 32, 64 or 128 GB SSD) $199, $299, $399 with contract
iPhone 5 (4" 16 GB SSD) $99 with contract
iPhone 4S (3.5" 16 GB SSD) Free with contract
Do the people making these predictions believe that Apple will also make software changes to begin catering to the anti-Apple demographic?
Overwriting the OS
Removable storage
Replacable batteries
Overwriting the OS? Do you mean revamping it?
There is a school of thought (I think Gruber mentioned it, although he didn't initiate the idea) that, regardless of how clean the iOS UX is, the *market* may tire of it. Time will tell.
I also would think 2 sizes having the exact same pixels is the best way to go. Would elminate massive amount of headache for developers, and honestly most users who want a bigger screen just want a bigger screen, and bigger elements. Content like photos, videos, etc will also be bigger, but the view will be exactly the same. Some will mock, bitch and moan, but these arent the majority, and the pros of taking this route far exceed the cons.
I agree.
It may be the only way Apple will go. Their history suggests that they are loath to introducing another screen resolution after bring out the new 1136 x 640 less than a year ago. It has already been well established that they can introduce a larger screen (4.72", if memory serves?) at 1136 x 640 using the same LCD panel for the iPad (264 ppi, which is not bad at all). That's also the Apple way.
Furthermore, I believe the whole one-hand/two-hand, small-hand/large-hand argument about screen size is a red herring. What is possibly a more relevant issue is, as mentioned above, element size. There are situations where certain UI elements are a bit small on the current screen (even for small hands) - text fields and keyboards come to mind. A larger screen would improve the user experience in those cases. It wouldn't surprise me if that's how Apple would pitch it too, as they are not likely to bring out a larger phone just for the sake of joining the bandwagon.
Now I need a shower, having agreed with Slurpy
Edit: 4.93", not 4.72"
Edit: There is still the question when/if Apple will bring out a 1080p phone. Some will snark that it is not needed. But needs are subjective.
Since the great majority of mobile app money's to be made in iOS apps, and will be even more so once Apple has a LINE of "current" model phones covering all the demand segments, I say developers can put on their Big Boy Pants and deal with another res to write for. Sheesh.
Apple makes it easy for developers if they are just increasing the resolution but keeping the same aspect ratio. It could compile the app just fine, save for any bitmapped items like images and icons.
But think of about it from Apple's perspective. It doesn't matter if they can point the finger at developers being lazy if the user experience falls short because of a resolution change it all falls on Apple and it could hurt them in the short and long run. I still have plenty of apps that are designed for the 3.5" display but it's no that big a deal since it's still goes from side edge to edge.
I think it would be worse if there was a 114 pixel at the top and bottom, and a 64 pixel border on the left and right sides. Perhaps a mock up would convince me to see it differently but I'd use Phone apps on the iPad in both 1x and 2x and none of them looked good. Of course, that's a considerably more extreme example but it makes me question if it's enough to ruin the user experience.
Perhaps a smaller side to side border would work by using a 326 PPI display that is less than 4.8", like 4.5". I think it's a safe bet that Apple has made many working models so they can test the usability of various sizes and shapes specifically in regards to the user experience.
This rumor is all over the place and seems to just go back and recycle several old rumors into one. Not even the slightest bit of proof is given only pure conjecture. As much as I desperately want a larger iPhone of around 4.8" even I have to admit this particular guy is just throwing everything at the wall and hopes something sticks. Whatever Apple releases I am sure he will take credit for being partially correct.
If Apple decided to make a larger and also a seperate cheaper iPhone would it even make sense to release all 3 models at the same time every year? That is after all one of the biggest complaints you hear that there is only one new iPhone a year and sales drop off the last two quarters before the release of a new model . Why not stagger the releases a bit. If a new large display iPhone were to be released I doubt they would keep 5S in the name since this would be such a radical departure from the 5.
Me too. I like the iPhone 5, but could easily do with a less taller one, which will fit into many jerseys easier, especially with the earphone plugged in. Though I really love that it plugs in at the bottom now.
I think it's a safe bet that Apple has made many working models so they can test the usability of various sizes and shapes specifically in regards to the user experience.
For the iPad they created some 20 models.
*** I hope this is not plagarism, but feel like pasting in a part from the bio, seems appropriate: The design studio where Jony Ive reigns, on the ground floor of Two Infinite Loop on the Apple campus, is shielded by tinted windows and a heavy clad, locked door. Just inside is a glass-booth reception desk where two assistants guard access. Even high-level Apple employees are not allowed in without special permission. Most of my interviews with Jony Ive for this book were held elsewhere, but one day in 2010 he arranged for me to spend an afternoon touring the studio and talking about how he and Jobs collaborate there.
To the left of the entrance is a bullpen of desks with young designers; to the right is the cavernous main room with six long steel tables for displaying and playing with works in progress. Beyond the main room is a computer-aided design studio, filled with workstations, that leads to a room with molding machines to turn what’s on the screens into foam models. Beyond that is a robot-controlled spray-painting chamber to make the models look real. The look is sparse and industrial, with metallic gray décor. Leaves from the trees outside cast moving patterns of light and shadows on the tinted windows. Techno and jazz play in the background.
Almost every day when Jobs was healthy and in the office, he would have lunch with Ive and then wander by the studio in the afternoon. As he entered, he could survey the tables and see the products in the pipeline, sense how they fit into Apple’s strategy, and inspect with his fingertips the evolving design of each. Usually it was just the two of them alone, while the other designers glanced up from their work but kept a respectful distance. If Jobs had a specific issue, he might call over the head of mechanical design or another of Ive’s deputies. If something excited him or sparked some thoughts about corporate strategy, he might ask the chief operating officer Tim Cook or the marketing head Phil Schiller to come over and join them. Ive described the usual process:
This great room is the one place in the company where you can look around and see everything we have in the works. When Steve comes in, he will sit at one of these tables. If we’re working on a new iPhone, for example, he might grab a stool and start playing with different models and feeling them in his hands, remarking on which ones he likes best. Then he will graze by the other tables, just him and me, to see where all the other products are heading. He can get a sense of the sweep of the whole company, the iPhone and iPad, the iMac and laptop and everything we’re considering. That helps him see where the company is spending its energy and how things connect. And he can ask, “Does doing this make sense, because over here is where we are growing a lot?” or questions like that. He gets to see things in relationship to each other, which is pretty hard to do in a big company. Looking at the models on these tables, he can see the future for the next three years.
Much of the design process is a conversation, a back-and-forth as we walk around the tables and play with the models. He doesn’t like to read complex drawings. He wants to see and feel a model. He’s right. I get surprised when we make a model and then realize it’s rubbish, even though based on the CAD [computer-aided design] renderings it looked great.
He loves coming in here because it’s calm and gentle. It’s a paradise if you’re a visual person. There are no formal design reviews, so there are no huge decision points. Instead, we can make the decisions fluid. Since we iterate every day and never have dumb-ass presentations, we don’t run into major disagreements.
If a new large display iPhone were to be released I doubt they would keep 5S in the name since this would be such a radical departure from the 5.
I think they'll name it something like S, M, L, should they create 3 sizes. And it won't be printed on the back, as anyone can see which model it is, from its size. On the release schedule I think they'll announce and sell it it all at once. They do that with the iPod line, if I'm not mistaken.
I like the iPhone 5, but could easily do with a less taller one
Making an iPhone with the 4" screen but with the whole phone shrunk to nearly the screen size would be perfect. I could live with a slim home button or other whiz-bang new fangled home button alternative to get there.
Typically an S generation iPhone does not change the physical shape of the phone. If Apple follows that pattern and releases an iPhone 5S there won't be any form factor changes until iPhone 6.
Apple is an atypical and unpredictable company. They will make changes based on the market changes.
For a company to survive, they need to adapt to the market, not their dogma.
And Apple's not dogmatic. Like killing off popular products, like iPod versions and the iBooks.
And who says they will follow the "S" for every other year?
I do believe a 4" iPhone 5S and 5" iPhone 5S+ is coming. Apple doesn't need to do it but it does make sense. The latter will start at $300 w/ contract for 8GB.
Why would the iPhone 4 be kept around another year? It would be forced to get iOS 8, which couldn't possibly have any features worth updating to on the 4.
Why would the iPhone 4 be kept around another year? It would be forced to get iOS 8, which couldn't possibly have any features worth updating to on the 4.
For the all "important" low cost/prepaid market. I get what you are saying, maybe Apple will jigger it up and call it the 5S-
For many people, poorer, younger and developing markets, the large screen smartphone is their sole computing device in the developing world, it may be a families sole computing devise. Screen size matters as much as price in these segments.
...
I'm not sure there is any reason to make a cheaper phone as I haven't heard the use case yet, but it might happen.
On the other hand, if the iPad mini had a phone element (and even if it never does), it would still be a cheaper, better "home computer" in the sense you are describing here, than a large phone.
Just because the phones are getting older from a design perspective, doesn't mean they are continually getting cheaper. At some point they may even become more expensive as the components become completely outdated. Just look at the cost of DDR2 for an example. Hardly anyone uses it now so the price has actually gone up from its historic lows.
Comments
If Apple ever release larger screen size, I bet it will be 4.8" screen, still 326 ppi, 1363x768.
Current 4.0" and 3.5" screen apps would be automatically zoom to 1.2x (120%) still crisp at 272ppi, that’s higher than retina 9.7" iPad (264 ppi).
Of course, devs can take advantage of the resolution increase if they optimized their apps.
Also, homescreen icons would still be 4×5 not 5×5, it will just be spacier like what they did on the iPad.
That means yet another resolution developers have to support. I would think they would do what they did with the iPad mini and simply use the iPhone's old PPI (i.e.: display panels) but still use 1024x768. That would mean using the 264 PPI of the iPad 4 and keeping the 1136x640 resolution which ends up being a 4.9404" display. However, i find that size to be questionable in terms of being called Retina as it means the minimum viewing distance for the Retina effect is 13.02".
I would limit a larger screen iPhone or cheaper iPhone to India and china. 4.7 to 5 inches seems about right. The US iPhone should not be greater than 4.3 inches and should not have a lower priced option available other than off the run models.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleZilla
There are two sizes right now.
Not "really" two "sizes" so much as a "regular" and a "stretch" model (like limos).
It's going to take increased width as well as height to keep me in the fold. At the moment I'm leaning to an iPad and Android phone. And I can lash them together well enough with a product like SugarSync or DropBox for my file-sharing needs - and those products actually give me some access to file management.
And given the affordability of mobile apps, I also like the notion of experimenting with two ecosystems and UI design languages at this stage of tech evolution.
PS: I think the "stretch model" was a tactical mistake as it is - as it won't scale well if expanded in both directions, making something very top-heavy in a "pocketable." Hoping tactical won't become strategic as form factors evolve, but not hopeful. For non-gamers, wide screen consumption content is the only true advantage I see for the stretch form factor, and I believe most still prefer long-form content on larger screens, at least iPad mini size..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
I also would think 2 sizes having the exact same pixels is the best way to go. Would eliminate massive amount of headache for developers, and honestly most users who want a bigger screen just want a bigger screen, and bigger elements. Content like photos, videos, etc will also be bigger, but the view will be exactly the same. Some will mock, bitch and moan, but these aren't the majority, and the pros of taking this route far exceed the cons.
?
Quote:
Originally Posted by makingdots
If Apple ever release larger screen size, I bet it will be 4.8" screen, still 326 ppi, 1363x768.
Current 4.0" and 3.5" screen apps would be automatically zoom to 1.2x (120%) still crisp at 272ppi, that’s higher than retina 9.7" iPad (264 ppi).
Of course, devs can take advantage of the resolution increase if they optimized their apps.
Also, homescreen icons would still be 4×5 not 5×5, it will just be spacier like what they did on the iPad.
I can live just fine with 272 ppi if that's how the economics vs design considerations work out. Bigger keyboard targets are essential to me, a tiny bit of fuzz on 'em is not. But if not outrageously priced 326 in 4.8" sounds nice as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That means yet another resolution developers have to support. I would think they would do what they did with the iPad mini and simply use the iPhone's old PPI (i.e.: display panels) but still use 1024x768. That would mean using the 264 PPI of the iPad 4 and keeping the 1136x640 resolution which ends up being a 4.9404" display. However, i find that size to be questionable in terms of being called Retina as it means the minimum viewing distance for the Retina effect is 13.02".
Since the great majority of mobile app money's to be made in iOS apps, and will be even more so once Apple has a LINE of "current" model phones covering all the demand segments, I say developers can put on their Big Boy Pants and deal with another res to write for. Sheesh.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacBook Pro
Of course the iPhone will launch will a lower price model and two different sizes:
The new iPhone (4" 32, 64 or 128 GB SSD) $199, $299, $399 with contract
iPhone 5 (4" 16 GB SSD) $99 with contract
iPhone 4S (3.5" 16 GB SSD) Free with contract
Do the people making these predictions believe that Apple will also make software changes to begin catering to the anti-Apple demographic?
Overwriting the OS
Removable storage
Replacable batteries
Overwriting the OS? Do you mean revamping it?
There is a school of thought (I think Gruber mentioned it, although he didn't initiate the idea) that, regardless of how clean the iOS UX is, the *market* may tire of it. Time will tell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
I also would think 2 sizes having the exact same pixels is the best way to go. Would elminate massive amount of headache for developers, and honestly most users who want a bigger screen just want a bigger screen, and bigger elements. Content like photos, videos, etc will also be bigger, but the view will be exactly the same. Some will mock, bitch and moan, but these arent the majority, and the pros of taking this route far exceed the cons.
I agree.
It may be the only way Apple will go. Their history suggests that they are loath to introducing another screen resolution after bring out the new 1136 x 640 less than a year ago. It has already been well established that they can introduce a larger screen (4.72", if memory serves?) at 1136 x 640 using the same LCD panel for the iPad (264 ppi, which is not bad at all). That's also the Apple way.
Furthermore, I believe the whole one-hand/two-hand, small-hand/large-hand argument about screen size is a red herring. What is possibly a more relevant issue is, as mentioned above, element size. There are situations where certain UI elements are a bit small on the current screen (even for small hands) - text fields and keyboards come to mind. A larger screen would improve the user experience in those cases. It wouldn't surprise me if that's how Apple would pitch it too, as they are not likely to bring out a larger phone just for the sake of joining the bandwagon.
Now I need a shower, having agreed with Slurpy
Edit: 4.93", not 4.72"
Edit: There is still the question when/if Apple will bring out a 1080p phone. Some will snark that it is not needed. But needs are subjective.
Apple makes it easy for developers if they are just increasing the resolution but keeping the same aspect ratio. It could compile the app just fine, save for any bitmapped items like images and icons.
But think of about it from Apple's perspective. It doesn't matter if they can point the finger at developers being lazy if the user experience falls short because of a resolution change it all falls on Apple and it could hurt them in the short and long run. I still have plenty of apps that are designed for the 3.5" display but it's no that big a deal since it's still goes from side edge to edge.
I think it would be worse if there was a 114 pixel at the top and bottom, and a 64 pixel border on the left and right sides. Perhaps a mock up would convince me to see it differently but I'd use Phone apps on the iPad in both 1x and 2x and none of them looked good. Of course, that's a considerably more extreme example but it makes me question if it's enough to ruin the user experience.
Perhaps a smaller side to side border would work by using a 326 PPI display that is less than 4.8", like 4.5". I think it's a safe bet that Apple has made many working models so they can test the usability of various sizes and shapes specifically in regards to the user experience.
This rumor is all over the place and seems to just go back and recycle several old rumors into one. Not even the slightest bit of proof is given only pure conjecture. As much as I desperately want a larger iPhone of around 4.8" even I have to admit this particular guy is just throwing everything at the wall and hopes something sticks. Whatever Apple releases I am sure he will take credit for being partially correct.
If Apple decided to make a larger and also a seperate cheaper iPhone would it even make sense to release all 3 models at the same time every year? That is after all one of the biggest complaints you hear that there is only one new iPhone a year and sales drop off the last two quarters before the release of a new model . Why not stagger the releases a bit. If a new large display iPhone were to be released I doubt they would keep 5S in the name since this would be such a radical departure from the 5.
Me too. I like the iPhone 5, but could easily do with a less taller one, which will fit into many jerseys easier, especially with the earphone plugged in. Though I really love that it plugs in at the bottom now.
For the iPad they created some 20 models.
*** I hope this is not plagarism, but feel like pasting in a part from the bio, seems appropriate:
The design studio where Jony Ive reigns, on the ground floor of Two Infinite Loop on the Apple campus, is shielded by tinted windows and a heavy clad, locked door. Just inside is a glass-booth reception desk where two assistants guard access. Even high-level Apple employees are not allowed in without special permission. Most of my interviews with Jony Ive for this book were held elsewhere, but one day in 2010 he arranged for me to spend an afternoon touring the studio and talking about how he and Jobs collaborate there.
To the left of the entrance is a bullpen of desks with young designers; to the right is the cavernous main room with six long steel tables for displaying and playing with works in progress. Beyond the main room is a computer-aided design studio, filled with workstations, that leads to a room with molding machines to turn what’s on the screens into foam models. Beyond that is a robot-controlled spray-painting chamber to make the models look real. The look is sparse and industrial, with metallic gray décor. Leaves from the trees outside cast moving patterns of light and shadows on the tinted windows. Techno and jazz play in the background.
Almost every day when Jobs was healthy and in the office, he would have lunch with Ive and then wander by the studio in the afternoon. As he entered, he could survey the tables and see the products in the pipeline, sense how they fit into Apple’s strategy, and inspect with his fingertips the evolving design of each. Usually it was just the two of them alone, while the other designers glanced up from their work but kept a respectful distance. If Jobs had a specific issue, he might call over the head of mechanical design or another of Ive’s deputies. If something excited him or sparked some thoughts about corporate strategy, he might ask the chief operating officer Tim Cook or the marketing head Phil Schiller to come over and join them. Ive described the usual process:
This great room is the one place in the company where you can look around and see everything we have in the works. When Steve comes in, he will sit at one of these tables. If we’re working on a new iPhone, for example, he might grab a stool and start playing with different models and feeling them in his hands, remarking on which ones he likes best. Then he will graze by the other tables, just him and me, to see where all the other products are heading. He can get a sense of the sweep of the whole company, the iPhone and iPad, the iMac and laptop and everything we’re considering. That helps him see where the company is spending its energy and how things connect. And he can ask, “Does doing this make sense, because over here is where we are growing a lot?” or questions like that. He gets to see things in relationship to each other, which is pretty hard to do in a big company. Looking at the models on these tables, he can see the future for the next three years.
Much of the design process is a conversation, a back-and-forth as we walk around the tables and play with the models. He doesn’t like to read complex drawings. He wants to see and feel a model. He’s right. I get surprised when we make a model and then realize it’s rubbish, even though based on the CAD [computer-aided design] renderings it looked great.
He loves coming in here because it’s calm and gentle. It’s a paradise if you’re a visual person. There are no formal design reviews, so there are no huge decision points. Instead, we can make the decisions fluid. Since we iterate every day and never have dumb-ass presentations, we don’t run into major disagreements.
I think they'll name it something like S, M, L, should they create 3 sizes. And it won't be printed on the back, as anyone can see which model it is, from its size. On the release schedule I think they'll announce and sell it it all at once. They do that with the iPod line, if I'm not mistaken.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
I like the iPhone 5, but could easily do with a less taller one
Making an iPhone with the 4" screen but with the whole phone shrunk to nearly the screen size would be perfect. I could live with a slim home button or other whiz-bang new fangled home button alternative to get there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd_in_sb
Typically an S generation iPhone does not change the physical shape of the phone. If Apple follows that pattern and releases an iPhone 5S there won't be any form factor changes until iPhone 6.
Apple is an atypical and unpredictable company. They will make changes based on the market changes.
For a company to survive, they need to adapt to the market, not their dogma.
And Apple's not dogmatic. Like killing off popular products, like iPod versions and the iBooks.
And who says they will follow the "S" for every other year?
P
The "new" $350 iPhone will be the 4.
Originally Posted by jungmark
The "new" $350 iPhone will be the 4.
Why would the iPhone 4 be kept around another year? It would be forced to get iOS 8, which couldn't possibly have any features worth updating to on the 4.
For the all "important" low cost/prepaid market. I get what you are saying, maybe Apple will jigger it up and call it the 5S-
The extra "small screen" for the TV makes a lot of sense as a controller, but the rest of this seems like pure BS to me.
It's almost as if the guy has taken his own personal fantasy and fitted the rumours to match instead of the other way around.
Originally Posted by jungmark
For the all "important" low cost/prepaid market.
Why not the 4S, is what I'm really asking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by applesupertramp
For many people, poorer, younger and developing markets, the large screen smartphone is their sole computing device in the developing world, it may be a families sole computing devise. Screen size matters as much as price in these segments.
...
I'm not sure there is any reason to make a cheaper phone as I haven't heard the use case yet, but it might happen.
On the other hand, if the iPad mini had a phone element (and even if it never does), it would still be a cheaper, better "home computer" in the sense you are describing here, than a large phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by jungmark
For the all "important" low cost/prepaid market.
Why not the 4S, is what I'm really asking.
Just because the phones are getting older from a design perspective, doesn't mean they are continually getting cheaper. At some point they may even become more expensive as the components become completely outdated. Just look at the cost of DDR2 for an example. Hardly anyone uses it now so the price has actually gone up from its historic lows.