2. iPhone market share is rising on many markets. Also in Germany, for example, where Android share is traditionally extremely high. It is normal that Apple had seen a market share drop, since they started with 100%. There wasn't a finger touch screen smartphone before. However, it shows already that market share erosion has stopped and they are even bouncing back on mature markets. However, they always lead by far when comparing overall market share with premium market share.
Quick Germany Report:
The Reported Percentage Debate iOS (~17%) vs. Android (~70%) came up this weekend with friends after an outing to the Cologne Christmas Market. The entire city was packed!
Eyeballing Percentage:
Smartphone: 50-50 overall; 2:1 iPhone vs. Android with business people/adults 35-50/yo; flipped 1:2 with 16-24/yo.
Not one Note seen, however many iPads in both sizes.
Phones other than smartphones were still mostly older Nokia feature phones... which to be honest... were the variety most spotted among older demographics 45-65+
Discussion turned to: who's doing the numbers; how are those numbers being reported (sales or shipping); who's profiting from those numbers. Because I/we are calling "Bogus" on the reported statistics(!)
I think that you should apply to a school if you can't read.
It is very fair to include the numbers of those s4 and s3 mini models, since Apple itself includes the numbers of iPhones that go as low as the 4. Just because the iPhone 4 (it is still being sold in China, right?) is so badly priced, it doesn't mean that those 2 Samsung models shouldn't be included.
And who the hell do you think you are to decide witch comparisons we should make? The facts are clear:
- Samsung alone sells the same number, close, if not more of high end smartphones than Apple.
- All of them have bigger screens;
- They make more money (or the same, at least for 1 or 2 more quarters) from phones than Apple, so their business is better/equal.
- All of those high end phones from other OEMs have a bigger screen.
- Bigger screens clearly outsell the iPhone.
There's a huge market for such devices and Apple has been stupid, very stupid, very incompetent when they chose to not address it.
And guess what, they are paying a huge price for it:
- 0 growth in net profit (Actually, a small decline).
- Samsung catch up in net profit.
1) IMHO = a so-called "high-end" smartphone can only carry that label if it can be updated, and IS updated, to the latest OS on either platform within 3 months of the OS update being released. (without rooting!). That means that Galaxy S2 and below get dropped from any list of "high-end".
2) IMHO = The Note series is NOT a smart phone and is in a class currently called "phablets". Apple doesn't make a "phablet" (yet?), however it does make a phone and a tablet. See my Eyeballing Percentage above: iPads spotted all over the place, no tablets of any other kind(!). These people also had phones of one kind or another (yes, we saw a couple of mixed platforms, specifically kids and Asian tourists).
The above leads me to some interesting questions concerning the Note, that I would also like to see statistics on:
1) how many computer devices does the person using a Note own (not share...own);
2) what other, if any, high tech devices have these people using the Note invested in, in the last 12, 24 and 36 months.
3) are they still using those purchases and how much.
I'm not going to speculate and/or pull numbers out of my poop-shute, however I would take that bet that says the Note series is the only modern and mobile tech device many of it's users own and use.... by a HUGE margin.
It may surprise some here that regardless of the Ultimate Fanboy I proclaim myself to be... if I was given the choice and had a very limited income to be able afford only ONE computing device... it very well would be a Note. The specs allow it to function as a stand-alone computer, no sync necessary other than with assorted cloud services.
Would I like it? Probably if it was all I could afford. Would I rather have an iPad, iPhone and MB for tasks that are better suited for each? Ab-So-Effin-Lutely!
My wish: if we're talking about "phablets", they should be in their own category and not twist the "smart phone" category. At such time that phablets are included in statistics, I think it's fair to also include iPads, even just the iPad Mini if it makes people feel better. Fact: you can do telephony on an iPad quite well; not as easy and painless as a phone, but it does work.
Summary goes like this: once you add any qualifiers to what a "smart phone" is, the demographics that use them, the OS they are on... and not to forget, the overall profitability of the platform itself (devs, content and ownership of more than one device)... then Apple is seriously "winning***".
*** I would also like to say that people the world over that don't have the disposable income of an Apple Fan, are also "winning"... if only because they are now able to participate in our digital age of communication.
I'm only saddened that there is only one device in the "middle market" worth considering... and deeper saddened that it is from a company that is corrupt to it's core and is a convicted thief.
If you go back and read the rumor stories about the possibility of an iPad mini you will see the same sort of comments and indeed many of the same people saying this was an impossibility as the ones in this thread. But we all know that Apple decided that it was in their best interest to release an additional size to the iPad line and it has been wildly successful. The same naysayers are back again to tell us only they can divine what Apple will or should release.
The likelihood of Apple releasing an additional size to the last remaining line of products not to offer a different size next year is extremely high. They realize many iPhone customers want a larger iPhone. I certainly do as do all the people I know that own an iPhone. They also realize that one handed use is becoming far less important to many people. If you look at the top apps a large portion of them are meant to be used in landscape and not portrait mode and many like Clash of Clans, Modern War, and many more apps can only be used in landscape mode. Once you start using your smartphone in landscape mode more frequently you really appreciate the benefits of a larger screen. But even in portrait mode I find it easier to use two hands. My left hand to hold the phone and right index finger for navigating the screen. I think far too much importance has been made of one handed use. Years ago the vast majority of apps were portrait mode only but that is no longer the case.
When the iPad mini was released the naysayers either went into hiding, pretended they were never against it, or just pretended they were always in favor of it and I expect the same thing to happen when the 5" iPhone 6 is released.
If you go back and read the rumor stories about the possibility of an iPad mini you will see the same sort of comments and indeed many of the same people saying this was an impossibility as the ones in this thread. But we all know that Apple decided that it was in their best interest to release an additional size to the iPad line and it has been wildly successful. The same naysayers are back again to tell us only they can divine what Apple will or should release.
The likelihood of Apple releasing an additional size to the last remaining line of products not to offer a different size next year is extremely high. They realize many iPhone customers want a larger iPhone. I certainly do as do all the people I know that own an iPhone. They also realize that one handed use is becoming far less important to many people. If you look at the top apps a large portion of them are meant to be used in landscape and not portrait mode and many like Clash of Clans, Modern War, and many more apps can only be used in landscape mode. Once you start using your smartphone in landscape mode more frequently you really appreciate the benefits of a larger screen. But even in portrait mode I find it easier to use two hands. My left hand to hold the phone and right index finger for navigating the screen. I think far too much importance has been made of one handed use. Years ago the vast majority of apps were portrait mode only but that is no longer the case.
When the iPad mini was released the naysayers either went into hiding, pretended they were never against it, or just pretended they were always in favor of it and I expect the same thing to happen when the 5" iPhone 6 is released.
I think most people here do believe there is a demand for larger screens on the iPhone, whether it needs to go to the phalet size (5.5-6) or just slightly larger (4.5-5) is up for debate.
However, one thing we need to realize is what resolution the screen would need to be in if it is made larger, it definitely can't me the same as 5s because the ppi would be way down. If we are looking at a 2x jump like for the retina, then we have pretty big ppi jump (especially for the 4.5-5 inch) and that is why we haven't seen it yet.
If they don't go with the 2x jump, it makes compatibility automatic. iOS doesn't handle resolution like Andriod. Andriod basically just scales to the screen. This makes it very flexible to support many screen sizes. However, it does make the app less optimal because the designer doesn't know the screen that the app will be used for. Some apps just look very strange on a 6 inch screen because everything is just so big and you end up wasting a lot of room.
So I am sure Apple is experimenting with larger screen sizes and trying to find a solution that they feel is the best.
As one of a variety of offerings why not but the pundits view a phablet as a company game changer? No, never bought into that. And neither, from all appearances, has Apple.
I think most people here do believe there is a demand for larger screens on the iPhone, whether it needs to go to the phalet size (5.5-6) or just slightly larger (4.5-5) is up for debate.
However, one thing we need to realize is what resolution the screen would need to be in if it is made larger, it definitely can't me the same as 5s because the ppi would be way down. If we are looking at a 2x jump like for the retina, then we have pretty big ppi jump (especially for the 4.5-5 inch) and that is why we haven't seen it yet.
If they don't go with the 2x jump, it makes compatibility automatic. iOS doesn't handle resolution like Andriod. Andriod basically just scales to the screen. This makes it very flexible to support many screen sizes. However, it does make the app less optimal because the designer doesn't know the screen that the app will be used for. Some apps just look very strange on a 6 inch screen because everything is just so big and you end up wasting a lot of room.
So I am sure Apple is experimenting with larger screen sizes and trying to find a solution that they feel is the best.
I'm of the opinion that resolution independence comes to iOS 8. Apple surely has the experience with OSX and I suspect that power efficiency of A8 will allow it with smooth performance.
iPads and the rumored larger iPhones are a given, but Apple likes to make it easy for developers, so maybe the iPhone 6 "classic" 4 inch screen as well.
I'm of the opinion that resolution independence comes to iOS 8. Apple surely has the experience with OSX and I suspect that power efficiency of A8 will allow it with smooth performance.
iPads and the rumored larger iPhones are a given, but Apple likes to make it easy for developers, so maybe the iPhone 6 "classic" 4 inch screen as well.
Unfortunately, Mac OS X is NOT "resolution independent"... although it was talked about (rumored) I believe around the 10.5 days. I was always curious what happened to that "core" technology development.
BTW: AFAIK in order for iOS and/or OS X to go "true res indie", the core graphics engine would have to interpret "vector" SVG rather than bitmap PNG graphics. One of the truly great technologies that Apple bought with it's acquisition of NeXt was Postscript display. Again, I wonder what happened to that as well(?).
Maybe "mdriftmeyer" could shed some more light on this topic?
I'm of the opinion that resolution independence comes to iOS 8. Apple surely has the experience with OSX and I suspect that power efficiency of A8 will allow it with smooth performance.
iPads and the rumored larger iPhones are a given, but Apple likes to make it easy for developers, so maybe the iPhone 6 "classic" 4 inch screen as well.
It should go without saying that if Apple releases a larger iPhone they would continue to offer the successors to the iPhone 5s and 5c in their 4" versions. The only way the 4" would be discontinued is if the larger iPhone take a massive percentage of total iPhone sales. I think it is possible if not probable that it will be more popular than the 4" version but Apple will retain a smaller version for many more years thought it may get an incremental boost to around 4.3" at some point.
The interesting question to me is what happens the second year after a larger iPhone has been on the market. Will they release a "c" model in plastic that is last years tech or will they sell last years model as a cheaper version as they have done in the past. 4 phone options might seem like a big shift from their current 2 but once you consider they are still selling the 4s that means they really are selling 3 models at the moment not counting all the SKU's based on carriers and storage sizes or colors.
I agree that resolution is one factor that Apple will need to handle with care but they also have the issue of all the screen real estate that the chin occupies with the circular home button. Samsung addresses this by making the chin portion smaller with an oblong type button that needs far less height than the circle the iPhone uses. I don't know how Apple could reduce the size of the chin without also going oblong unless they include the home button on the display itself or move it to the right side of the phone which is unlikely.
Unfortunately, Mac OS X is NOT "resolution independent"... although it was talked about (rumored) I believe around the 10.5 days. I was always curious what happened to that "core" technology development.
BTW: AFAIK in order for iOS and/or OS X to go "true res indie", the core graphics engine would have to interpret "vector" SVG rather than bitmap PNG graphics. One of the truly great technologies that Apple bought with it's acquisition of NeXt was Postscript display. Again, I wonder what happened to that as well(?).
Maybe "mdriftmeyer" could shed some more light on this topic?
You are speaking of UI elements for the most part, correct?
I suspect that Apple will continue having the UI elements bitmapped at high resolutions, though SVG with scaled and composited bit mapped images would facilitate varying screen resolutions.formats, albeit Apple would have tight guidelines. SVG is less effective for small elements, hence Apple not going for complete resolution independence.
Well, but you cant deny that there is a HUGE market waiting for a bigger screen iPhone.
Because While the Note 3 may not be selling that well. Most other Android Phone still have 4.3 - 5" Screen Size.
Apple would need to take away the Bezel in order to create a Phone that has larger screen while still works with one hand.
The much simpler solution is to make two different sizes of iPhone. 4" for the regular one-handed crowd and something larger for those with big hands and those who don't care so much about one-handed operation. You can even use the same LCD material cut to two different dimensions. For example:
4" 640x1136
5" 800x1422
Adjust the backlighting a smidge and you've got identical display quality in both models.
Trying to make one phone that's perfect for everyone is impossible.
The much simpler solution is to make two different sizes of iPhone. 4" for the regular one-handed crowd and something larger for those with big hands and those who don't care so much about one-handed operation. You can even use the same LCD material cut to two different dimensions. For example:
4" 640x1136
5" 800x1422
Adjust the backlighting a smidge and you've got identical display quality in both models.
Trying to make one phone that's perfect for everyone is impossible.
Having seen 1080p screen resolution phones I really hope Apple just decides to go with 1920 x 1080. HTC managed to do this on their 4.7" HTV One and it is truly a gorgeous display. It might be overkill but I think it would pay off in the long run just to go ahead and make the transition to 1080p sooner than later and have a resolution that will last for several more years without needed to be adjusted yet again.
Having seen 1080p screen resolution phones I really hope Apple just decides to go with 1920 x 1080. HTC managed to do this on their 4.7" HTV One and it is truly a gorgeous display. It might be overkill but I think it would pay off in the long run just to go ahead and make the transition to 1080p sooner than later and have a resolution that will last for several more years without needed to be adjusted yet again.
Sure, let's pointlessly make the iPhone 1920x1080 and not give a shit about battery life or GPU performance as a result¡
The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.
Oh if only this were true and you stuck to your word. Oh how we have missed your sarcasm and upside down exclamation marks with a double helping of snark. The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.
At least your return allowed me to enjoy doing this one more time.
"Waa! Waa! Someone didn’t agree with me about a larger, higher-resolution iPhone! Waa!”
[QUOTE]The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.[/QUOTE]
Capable? Sure, but (as usual) you fail to consider the whole of the device. You can't see past the spec sheet for which you claim the HTC One is superior simply because it has 1) a much higher resolution, 2) a much higher PPI, and 3) is using 16:9 1080p which you still think somehow makes the videos themselves better even when the ability to observe pixels is not present or when the video has been encoded with something other than 16:9 1080p. One can read AnandTech's thorough review to see how the HTC One with it's many excellent components falls very short of being a great mobile [U]device[/U] because of their inability to see the greater picture.
"Waa! Waa! Someone didn’t agree with me about a larger, higher-resolution iPhone! Waa!”
I actually believe a larger display iPhone in inevitable… and I've commented as such many, many times over the years. I've even gone so far as to run the numbers to see how Apple might achieve this goal with the least amount of impact to developers and users, as well as being able to reuse their current expertise like they have in the past.
I came to the conclusion that the display would 4.904" if they were to use the iPad Air's display panels yet still use the same resolution of the iPhone 5S (note: model names stated were different as these were not yet out). I ended up concluding that I did not think Apple would use the iPad panels with the iPhone resolution as it would likely not fall under their Retina classification, which I then stated Apple would have to use a new resolution for this increase in display size. I also distinctly remember that gwmac pooh-poohed my math and argument on that very subject.
This was before the iPhone 5 was introduced as I recall stating that as the iPhone grows in size the 3:2 aspect ratio starts to become unwieldily as it offers considerably more display area for a given diagonal sizing over its competitors.
I think that when Apple does a larger iPhone it will need a new resolution but they will probably stick with the same aspect ratio and iPhone panels (i.e.: PPI) so they apps not yet idealized for the new display can still work pixel-for-pixel in the same when they moved to this larger iPhone display; but this isn't something Apple should take as lightly as gwmac suggests. 1920x1080 would probably work just fine when all the other parts line up, but it's not the hard fast requirement based on downloadable and streaming content the way that gwmac thinks it is.
Oh if only this were true and you stuck to your word. Oh how we have missed your sarcasm and upside down exclamation marks with a double helping of snark. The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.
At least your return allowed me to enjoy doing this one more time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
What a duplicitous asshole I am reenabling my account to announce the passing of a longtime member.
…as he says with ironically with sarcasm and snark. Note: When attempting to make point try to avoid sounding a) hypocritical or b) invoking quod licet Iovi, non licit bovi.
Capable? Sure, but (as usual) you fail to consider the whole of the device. You can't see past the spec sheet for which you claim the HTC One is superior simply because it has 1) a much higher resolution, 2) a much higher PPI, and 3) is using 16:9 1080p which you still think somehow makes the videos themselves better even when the ability to observe pixels is not present or when the video has been encoded with something other than 16:9 1080p. One can read AnandTech's thorough review to see how the HTC One with it's many excellent components falls very short of being a great mobile device because of their inability to see the greater picture.
Good luck with that¡
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I actually believe a larger display iPhone in inevitable… and I've commented as such many, many times over the years. I've even gone so far as to run the numbers to see how Apple might achieve this goal with the least amount of impact to developers and users, as well as being able to reuse their current expertise like they have in the past.
I came to the conclusion that the display would 4.904" if they were to use the iPad Air's display panels yet still use the same resolution of the iPhone 5S (note: model names stated were different as these were not yet out). I ended up concluding that I did not think Apple would use the iPad panels with the iPhone resolution as it would likely not fall under their Retina classification, which I then stated Apple would have to use a new resolution for this increase in display size. I also distinctly remember that gwmac pooh-poohed my math and argument on that very subject.
This was before the iPhone 5 was introduced as I recall stating that as the iPhone grows in size the 3:2 aspect ratio starts to become unwieldily as it offers considerably more display area for a given diagonal sizing over its competitors.
I think that when Apple does a larger iPhone it will need a new resolution but they will probably stick with the same aspect ratio and iPhone panels (i.e.: PPI) so they apps not yet idealized for the new display can still work pixel-for-pixel in the same when they moved to this larger iPhone display; but this isn't something Apple should take as lightly as gwmac suggests. 1920x1080 would probably work just fine when all the other parts line up, but it's not the hard fast requirement based on downloadable and streaming content the way that gwmac thinks it is.
Comments
The Reported Percentage Debate iOS (~17%) vs. Android (~70%) came up this weekend with friends after an outing to the Cologne Christmas Market. The entire city was packed!
Eyeballing Percentage:
Smartphone: 50-50 overall; 2:1 iPhone vs. Android with business people/adults 35-50/yo; flipped 1:2 with 16-24/yo.
Not one Note seen, however many iPads in both sizes.
Phones other than smartphones were still mostly older Nokia feature phones... which to be honest... were the variety most spotted among older demographics 45-65+
Discussion turned to: who's doing the numbers; how are those numbers being reported (sales or shipping); who's profiting from those numbers. Because I/we are calling "Bogus" on the reported statistics(!)
1) IMHO = a so-called "high-end" smartphone can only carry that label if it can be updated, and IS updated, to the latest OS on either platform within 3 months of the OS update being released. (without rooting!). That means that Galaxy S2 and below get dropped from any list of "high-end".
2) IMHO = The Note series is NOT a smart phone and is in a class currently called "phablets". Apple doesn't make a "phablet" (yet?), however it does make a phone and a tablet. See my Eyeballing Percentage above: iPads spotted all over the place, no tablets of any other kind(!). These people also had phones of one kind or another (yes, we saw a couple of mixed platforms, specifically kids and Asian tourists).
The above leads me to some interesting questions concerning the Note, that I would also like to see statistics on:
1) how many computer devices does the person using a Note own (not share...own);
2) what other, if any, high tech devices have these people using the Note invested in, in the last 12, 24 and 36 months.
3) are they still using those purchases and how much.
I'm not going to speculate and/or pull numbers out of my poop-shute, however I would take that bet that says the Note series is the only modern and mobile tech device many of it's users own and use.... by a HUGE margin.
It may surprise some here that regardless of the Ultimate Fanboy I proclaim myself to be... if I was given the choice and had a very limited income to be able afford only ONE computing device... it very well would be a Note. The specs allow it to function as a stand-alone computer, no sync necessary other than with assorted cloud services.
Would I like it? Probably if it was all I could afford. Would I rather have an iPad, iPhone and MB for tasks that are better suited for each? Ab-So-Effin-Lutely!
My wish: if we're talking about "phablets", they should be in their own category and not twist the "smart phone" category. At such time that phablets are included in statistics, I think it's fair to also include iPads, even just the iPad Mini if it makes people feel better. Fact: you can do telephony on an iPad quite well; not as easy and painless as a phone, but it does work.
Summary goes like this: once you add any qualifiers to what a "smart phone" is, the demographics that use them, the OS they are on... and not to forget, the overall profitability of the platform itself (devs, content and ownership of more than one device)... then Apple is seriously "winning***".
*** I would also like to say that people the world over that don't have the disposable income of an Apple Fan, are also "winning"... if only because they are now able to participate in our digital age of communication.
I'm only saddened that there is only one device in the "middle market" worth considering... and deeper saddened that it is from a company that is corrupt to it's core and is a convicted thief.
Also, their customer service is nothing to be admired either... :
Product warranty, Samsung style
Article's embedded YouTube video:
samsung galaxy s4 catches on fire samsung wants silence
(Wondering how AI missed this tasty bit of news..?!)
What part of 150 million iPhones did you have trouble understanding?
By far the most popular "premium" screen size is the iPhone screen size.
What part of fiscal year do you not understand? That's 150 million in a year, or an average of 37.5 million per quarter.
Why are you all replying to him? The little red flag is calling.
SHUT UP AND GO AWAY.
If you go back and read the rumor stories about the possibility of an iPad mini you will see the same sort of comments and indeed many of the same people saying this was an impossibility as the ones in this thread. But we all know that Apple decided that it was in their best interest to release an additional size to the iPad line and it has been wildly successful. The same naysayers are back again to tell us only they can divine what Apple will or should release.
The likelihood of Apple releasing an additional size to the last remaining line of products not to offer a different size next year is extremely high. They realize many iPhone customers want a larger iPhone. I certainly do as do all the people I know that own an iPhone. They also realize that one handed use is becoming far less important to many people. If you look at the top apps a large portion of them are meant to be used in landscape and not portrait mode and many like Clash of Clans, Modern War, and many more apps can only be used in landscape mode. Once you start using your smartphone in landscape mode more frequently you really appreciate the benefits of a larger screen. But even in portrait mode I find it easier to use two hands. My left hand to hold the phone and right index finger for navigating the screen. I think far too much importance has been made of one handed use. Years ago the vast majority of apps were portrait mode only but that is no longer the case.
When the iPad mini was released the naysayers either went into hiding, pretended they were never against it, or just pretended they were always in favor of it and I expect the same thing to happen when the 5" iPhone 6 is released.
I think most people here do believe there is a demand for larger screens on the iPhone, whether it needs to go to the phalet size (5.5-6) or just slightly larger (4.5-5) is up for debate.
However, one thing we need to realize is what resolution the screen would need to be in if it is made larger, it definitely can't me the same as 5s because the ppi would be way down. If we are looking at a 2x jump like for the retina, then we have pretty big ppi jump (especially for the 4.5-5 inch) and that is why we haven't seen it yet.
If they don't go with the 2x jump, it makes compatibility automatic. iOS doesn't handle resolution like Andriod. Andriod basically just scales to the screen. This makes it very flexible to support many screen sizes. However, it does make the app less optimal because the designer doesn't know the screen that the app will be used for. Some apps just look very strange on a 6 inch screen because everything is just so big and you end up wasting a lot of room.
So I am sure Apple is experimenting with larger screen sizes and trying to find a solution that they feel is the best.
As one of a variety of offerings why not but the pundits view a phablet as a company game changer? No, never bought into that. And neither, from all appearances, has Apple.
I think most people here do believe there is a demand for larger screens on the iPhone, whether it needs to go to the phalet size (5.5-6) or just slightly larger (4.5-5) is up for debate.
However, one thing we need to realize is what resolution the screen would need to be in if it is made larger, it definitely can't me the same as 5s because the ppi would be way down. If we are looking at a 2x jump like for the retina, then we have pretty big ppi jump (especially for the 4.5-5 inch) and that is why we haven't seen it yet.
If they don't go with the 2x jump, it makes compatibility automatic. iOS doesn't handle resolution like Andriod. Andriod basically just scales to the screen. This makes it very flexible to support many screen sizes. However, it does make the app less optimal because the designer doesn't know the screen that the app will be used for. Some apps just look very strange on a 6 inch screen because everything is just so big and you end up wasting a lot of room.
So I am sure Apple is experimenting with larger screen sizes and trying to find a solution that they feel is the best.
I'm of the opinion that resolution independence comes to iOS 8. Apple surely has the experience with OSX and I suspect that power efficiency of A8 will allow it with smooth performance.
iPads and the rumored larger iPhones are a given, but Apple likes to make it easy for developers, so maybe the iPhone 6 "classic" 4 inch screen as well.
They're infiltrating retail now?
Unfortunately, Mac OS X is NOT "resolution independent"... although it was talked about (rumored) I believe around the 10.5 days. I was always curious what happened to that "core" technology development.
BTW: AFAIK in order for iOS and/or OS X to go "true res indie", the core graphics engine would have to interpret "vector" SVG rather than bitmap PNG graphics. One of the truly great technologies that Apple bought with it's acquisition of NeXt was Postscript display. Again, I wonder what happened to that as well(?).
Maybe "mdriftmeyer" could shed some more light on this topic?
I'm of the opinion that resolution independence comes to iOS 8. Apple surely has the experience with OSX and I suspect that power efficiency of A8 will allow it with smooth performance.
iPads and the rumored larger iPhones are a given, but Apple likes to make it easy for developers, so maybe the iPhone 6 "classic" 4 inch screen as well.
It should go without saying that if Apple releases a larger iPhone they would continue to offer the successors to the iPhone 5s and 5c in their 4" versions. The only way the 4" would be discontinued is if the larger iPhone take a massive percentage of total iPhone sales. I think it is possible if not probable that it will be more popular than the 4" version but Apple will retain a smaller version for many more years thought it may get an incremental boost to around 4.3" at some point.
The interesting question to me is what happens the second year after a larger iPhone has been on the market. Will they release a "c" model in plastic that is last years tech or will they sell last years model as a cheaper version as they have done in the past. 4 phone options might seem like a big shift from their current 2 but once you consider they are still selling the 4s that means they really are selling 3 models at the moment not counting all the SKU's based on carriers and storage sizes or colors.
I agree that resolution is one factor that Apple will need to handle with care but they also have the issue of all the screen real estate that the chin occupies with the circular home button. Samsung addresses this by making the chin portion smaller with an oblong type button that needs far less height than the circle the iPhone uses. I don't know how Apple could reduce the size of the chin without also going oblong unless they include the home button on the display itself or move it to the right side of the phone which is unlikely.
Unfortunately, Mac OS X is NOT "resolution independent"... although it was talked about (rumored) I believe around the 10.5 days. I was always curious what happened to that "core" technology development.
BTW: AFAIK in order for iOS and/or OS X to go "true res indie", the core graphics engine would have to interpret "vector" SVG rather than bitmap PNG graphics. One of the truly great technologies that Apple bought with it's acquisition of NeXt was Postscript display. Again, I wonder what happened to that as well(?).
Maybe "mdriftmeyer" could shed some more light on this topic?
You are speaking of UI elements for the most part, correct?
I suspect that Apple will continue having the UI elements bitmapped at high resolutions, though SVG with scaled and composited bit mapped images would facilitate varying screen resolutions.formats, albeit Apple would have tight guidelines. SVG is less effective for small elements, hence Apple not going for complete resolution independence.
Well, but you cant deny that there is a HUGE market waiting for a bigger screen iPhone.
Because While the Note 3 may not be selling that well. Most other Android Phone still have 4.3 - 5" Screen Size.
Apple would need to take away the Bezel in order to create a Phone that has larger screen while still works with one hand.
The much simpler solution is to make two different sizes of iPhone. 4" for the regular one-handed crowd and something larger for those with big hands and those who don't care so much about one-handed operation. You can even use the same LCD material cut to two different dimensions. For example:
4" 640x1136
5" 800x1422
Adjust the backlighting a smidge and you've got identical display quality in both models.
Trying to make one phone that's perfect for everyone is impossible.
The much simpler solution is to make two different sizes of iPhone. 4" for the regular one-handed crowd and something larger for those with big hands and those who don't care so much about one-handed operation. You can even use the same LCD material cut to two different dimensions. For example:
4" 640x1136
5" 800x1422
Adjust the backlighting a smidge and you've got identical display quality in both models.
Trying to make one phone that's perfect for everyone is impossible.
Having seen 1080p screen resolution phones I really hope Apple just decides to go with 1920 x 1080. HTC managed to do this on their 4.7" HTV One and it is truly a gorgeous display. It might be overkill but I think it would pay off in the long run just to go ahead and make the transition to 1080p sooner than later and have a resolution that will last for several more years without needed to be adjusted yet again.
Sure, let's pointlessly make the iPhone 1920x1080 and not give a shit about battery life or GPU performance as a result¡
But but but but 5.2 inches!
Oh if only this were true and you stuck to your word. Oh how we have missed your sarcasm and upside down exclamation marks with a double helping of snark. The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.
At least your return allowed me to enjoy doing this one more time.
"Waa! Waa! Someone didn’t agree with me about a larger, higher-resolution iPhone! Waa!”
Capable? Sure, but (as usual) you fail to consider the whole of the device. You can't see past the spec sheet for which you claim the HTC One is superior simply because it has 1) a much higher resolution, 2) a much higher PPI, and 3) is using 16:9 1080p which you still think somehow makes the videos themselves better even when the ability to observe pixels is not present or when the video has been encoded with something other than 16:9 1080p. One can read AnandTech's thorough review to see how the HTC One with it's many excellent components falls very short of being a great mobile [U]device[/U] because of their inability to see the greater picture.
I actually believe a larger display iPhone in inevitable… and I've commented as such many, many times over the years. I've even gone so far as to run the numbers to see how Apple might achieve this goal with the least amount of impact to developers and users, as well as being able to reuse their current expertise like they have in the past.
I came to the conclusion that the display would 4.904" if they were to use the iPad Air's display panels yet still use the same resolution of the iPhone 5S (note: model names stated were different as these were not yet out). I ended up concluding that I did not think Apple would use the iPad panels with the iPhone resolution as it would likely not fall under their Retina classification, which I then stated Apple would have to use a new resolution for this increase in display size. I also distinctly remember that gwmac pooh-poohed my math and argument on that very subject.
This was before the iPhone 5 was introduced as I recall stating that as the iPhone grows in size the 3:2 aspect ratio starts to become unwieldily as it offers considerably more display area for a given diagonal sizing over its competitors.
I think that when Apple does a larger iPhone it will need a new resolution but they will probably stick with the same aspect ratio and iPhone panels (i.e.: PPI) so they apps not yet idealized for the new display can still work pixel-for-pixel in the same when they moved to this larger iPhone display; but this isn't something Apple should take as lightly as gwmac suggests. 1920x1080 would probably work just fine when all the other parts line up, but it's not the hard fast requirement based on downloadable and streaming content the way that gwmac thinks it is.
Oh if only this were true and you stuck to your word. Oh how we have missed your sarcasm and upside down exclamation marks with a double helping of snark. The A7 let alone an A8 would be more than capable of handling the GPU and the battery life at that resolution would be minimal at best especially considering a larger iPhone would allow for a larger battery. I am extremely confident Apple could offer a 1080p iPhone that would have as much if more a longer battery life than the current 5s.
At least your return allowed me to enjoy doing this one more time.
What a duplicitous asshole I am reenabling my account to announce the passing of a longtime member.
…as he says with ironically with sarcasm and snark. Note: When attempting to make point try to avoid sounding a) hypocritical or b) invoking quod licet Iovi, non licit bovi.
Capable? Sure, but (as usual) you fail to consider the whole of the device. You can't see past the spec sheet for which you claim the HTC One is superior simply because it has 1) a much higher resolution, 2) a much higher PPI, and 3) is using 16:9 1080p which you still think somehow makes the videos themselves better even when the ability to observe pixels is not present or when the video has been encoded with something other than 16:9 1080p. One can read AnandTech's thorough review to see how the HTC One with it's many excellent components falls very short of being a great mobile device because of their inability to see the greater picture.
Good luck with that¡
I actually believe a larger display iPhone in inevitable… and I've commented as such many, many times over the years. I've even gone so far as to run the numbers to see how Apple might achieve this goal with the least amount of impact to developers and users, as well as being able to reuse their current expertise like they have in the past.
I came to the conclusion that the display would 4.904" if they were to use the iPad Air's display panels yet still use the same resolution of the iPhone 5S (note: model names stated were different as these were not yet out). I ended up concluding that I did not think Apple would use the iPad panels with the iPhone resolution as it would likely not fall under their Retina classification, which I then stated Apple would have to use a new resolution for this increase in display size. I also distinctly remember that gwmac pooh-poohed my math and argument on that very subject.
This was before the iPhone 5 was introduced as I recall stating that as the iPhone grows in size the 3:2 aspect ratio starts to become unwieldily as it offers considerably more display area for a given diagonal sizing over its competitors.
I think that when Apple does a larger iPhone it will need a new resolution but they will probably stick with the same aspect ratio and iPhone panels (i.e.: PPI) so they apps not yet idealized for the new display can still work pixel-for-pixel in the same when they moved to this larger iPhone display; but this isn't something Apple should take as lightly as gwmac suggests. 1920x1080 would probably work just fine when all the other parts line up, but it's not the hard fast requirement based on downloadable and streaming content the way that gwmac thinks it is.
Maybe if I do this, I'll get blocked too!