Apple 'unlikely' to launch new 4-inch iPhone model this year, insider says

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 95
    The 6 is just too big. When you have to double tap/ the home button to bring the icon's down from because the screen is too big for one handed use is silly. Its under the Accessibility category and rightfully so which I see as a flaw. The 5 and 5S are the perfect size. While the 6 and 6s are selling gangbusters to the masses, to get the android samsung big screen attention, they need not forget the 5S screen sizes that were still very popular and a lot of people have accustomed to.

    I will hold onto my 5S to the bitter end.
  • Reply 42 of 95
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,843moderator
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by alcstarheel View Post



    I really really want a new 4" model but I guess I'm in the minority. I like the 6 but it's still more cumbersome than the 5 series was. Maybe if they make the 6s sides less slippery it'll be better to wield. I'm one of those that doesn't use a case. Haven't since the 3G.



    I never used a case, but bought the dark blue leather case at the same time I got my Silver 6.  It looks great, and removes all concern about the phone slipping from my grip.  And it's very slim and form-fitting, so doesn't appreciably add to the bulk of the phone.  A couple months in and I look at it and think, it doesn't look that much bigger than my old 5, until I see it next to a 5 as in the picture in this article.  It just seems like the perfect size phone now, and I was one of those reluctant upgrades based upon the sizes of the 6 and 6+.  Not anymore.  I'd never go back.  

  • Reply 43 of 95
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by erybovic View Post



    The 6 is just too big. When you have to double tap/ the home button to bring the icon's down from because the screen is too big for one handed use is silly. Its under the Accessibility category and rightfully so which I see as a flaw. The 5 and 5S are the perfect size. While the 6 and 6s are selling gangbusters to the masses, to get the android samsung big screen attention, they need not forget the 5S screen sizes that were still very popular and a lot of people have accustomed to.



    I will hold onto my 5S to the bitter end.

    You know what: Apple won't care. Their purpose is selling as many phone with highest margin as possible. 

  • Reply 44 of 95
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by erybovic View Post



    The 6 is just too big. When you have to double tap/ the home button to bring the icon's down from because the screen is too big for one handed use is silly. Its under the Accessibility category and rightfully so which I see as a flaw. The 5 and 5S are the perfect size. While the 6 and 6s are selling gangbusters to the masses, to get the android samsung big screen attention, they need not forget the 5S screen sizes that were still very popular and a lot of people have accustomed to.



    I will hold onto my 5S to the bitter end.

    Good luck with that. You'll conform soon enough.

  • Reply 45 of 95
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 2,000member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    Not going to happen.  The market has spoken and they love the 4.7 inch phone.  4 inch is way too small for the majority of the world.

     


     

    According to the analyst quoted in the article, the 5S sales remain strong.  That is also the market speaking.  In favor of a 4" one being available.

  • Reply 46 of 95
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by erybovic View Post



    The 6 is just too big. When you have to double tap/ the home button to bring the icon's down from because the screen is too big for one handed use is silly. Its under the Accessibility category and rightfully so which I see as a flaw. The 5 and 5S are the perfect size. While the 6 and 6s are selling gangbusters to the masses, to get the android samsung big screen attention, they need not forget the 5S screen sizes that were still very popular and a lot of people have accustomed to.



    I will hold onto my 5S to the bitter end.



    I like my 5s, but sometimes a bigger screen would be nice. In my opinion, the vast majority of web sites are not designed with accessibility in mind.

  • Reply 47 of 95
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Captain J View Post





    For the vast majority of things one uses their iPhone for a tiny watch screen is useless. Unless you want to speak everything out loud via dictation, often not a good option in many situations, you reduce a very expensive iPhone and watch combo to much less functionality that exists now



    I was just walking back to work carrying my lunch in one hand, and was checking my 5S with the other. Forget how tiny a watch screen would be, or the need to use Siri, it would be really difficult to navigate without both hands free. I suppose a clever use of Siri and your nose might get you around that, but why? There's a place for one-handed phone use, and the 5S is the last practical option for that at the moment.

  • Reply 48 of 95
    brucemcbrucemc Posts: 1,541member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

    I'm 50/50 on that. Based on history, Apple may just be okay to have 6S and 6 look exactly the same. Making plastic 6 may just cost extra on chassis design (antenna, compatible with curved glass edge...) vs just sell the 6 without tweaking manufacturing process. Remember, costs of BOM between polycarbon and aluminum are not that different.

    who knows, Apple may just make 6S and 6S+ with kick ass specs to sell or minor tweak to external design to distinguish with older model such as: matching color of antenna, thinner antenna bands or gold ring of Touch ID...


    It does cost of course to make the new design & tooling changes for a polycarbonate case for the iPhone 6 (10's of millions at a minimum, maybe 100's of millions even when just a case change given all the manufacturing tool & process changes).  But having that clear delineation of the $99 model vs. the new metal models will mean millions more devices sold for $100 more.  And those costs to make the change are in the "R&D line" of the income statement, while the improvements show up in the unit margins, which is a very closely watched figure.

     

    Only Apple has the real data on that of course, but what we saw reported indicated it was instrumental in the up-sell to the 5s.  Then there is the potential for cost savings (from manufacturing process, vs. raw material) of each "6c" as well.  

     

    No idea if Apple plans on doing that, but seems logical.

  • Reply 49 of 95
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by chadbag View Post

     

     

    According to the analyst quoted in the article, the 5S sales remain strong.  That is also the market speaking.  In favor of a 4" one being available.


    You meant according to "Ming Chi Kuo"? lol

  • Reply 50 of 95
    There is a pattern that Apple has been moving towards across it's product lines:

    Mac Mini - iMac (aka Air) - MacPro
    MacBook (aka Mini) - MacBook Air - MacBook Pro
    iPad Mini - iPadAir - iPad Pro (rumored to be coming within a year)
    iPhone Mini (pre-iPhone6 size) - iPhone (aka Air) - iPhone Plus (aka Pro)
    iPod Shuffle (aka Mini) - iPod Nano (aka Air) - iPod Touch (aka Pro)
    Apple Watch Sport (aka Mini) - Apple Watch (aka Air) - Apple Watch Edition (aka Pro)
  • Reply 51 of 95
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brucemc View Post

     

    It does cost of course to make the new design & tooling changes for a polycarbonate case for the iPhone 6 (10's of millions at a minimum, maybe 100's of millions even when just a case change given all the manufacturing tool & process changes).  But having that clear delineation of the $99 model vs. the new metal models will mean millions more devices sold for $100 more.  And those costs to make the change are in the "R&D line" of the income statement, while the improvements show up in the unit margins, which is a very closely watched figure.

     

    Only Apple has the real data on that of course, but what we saw reported indicated it was instrumental in the up-sell to the 5s.  Then there is the potential for cost savings (from manufacturing process, vs. raw material) of each "6c" as well.  

     

    No idea if Apple plans on doing that, but seems logical.


    iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S reminded you anything? They're idential and indistinguishable...Period. 4S sold to the roof and didn't get cannibalized by 4. We didn't see it then and we don't see it now. 

    Let's put it this way: iPhone 6S with A9 chip, 2GB of RAM, kickass camera, ForceTouch screen, gold ring Touch ID and 50% faster. Trust me, the sh.t will sell like hotcake...

  • Reply 52 of 95
    command_fcommand_f Posts: 422member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by erybovic View Post



    I will hold onto my 5S to the bitter end.

    I too like the smaller form-factor and have a 5s that I intended to upgrade this year. However... I don't expect to need NFC for another year (no Apple Pay in Europe) so it depends on any other new features in 2015's iPhones. Otherwise, the 5s brought in the big changes that matter to me (64-bit, fingerprint recognition) so ought to last another year quite well.

     

    To me, the smaller size is a significant (I nearly said 'big') feature in its own right and one that the iPhone 6 (Plus) doesn't have.

  • Reply 53 of 95
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Trubador View Post



    There is a pattern that Apple has been moving towards across it's product lines:



    Mac Mini - iMac (aka Air) - MacPro

    MacBook (aka Mini) - MacBook Air - MacBook Pro

    iPad Mini - iPadAir - iPad Pro (rumored to be coming within a year)

    iPhone Mini (pre-iPhone6 size) - iPhone (aka Air) - iPhone Plus (aka Pro) <------------------------BullSh.t

    iPod Shuffle (aka Mini) - iPod Nano (aka Air) - iPod Touch (aka Pro) <--------------------MoreSh.t

    Apple Watch Sport (aka Mini) - Apple Watch (aka Air) - Apple Watch Edition (aka Pro)<--------------TremendousSh.t

    Fixed that for you.

  • Reply 54 of 95
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    I suspect Kuo is blowing hot air. Apple Pay has been very successful for Apple, I would imagine that they would want to get as much hardware as possible to the point of supporting Apple pay. That might mean a minor upgrade to the device but it would be an update none the less.
  • Reply 55 of 95
    crimguycrimguy Posts: 124member

    HIs analysis seems a bit weird.  I agree 5c will go EOL, but I see a moderately updated 5s to include NFC for ApplePay to be almost guaranteed.  Wouldn't be surprised if we see it at WWDC.  It's an easy addition to an existing design, they want everyone to use ApplePay, and there's still apparently a market for a 4" phone.  Based on all of those factors I'd imagine they want to take non-ApplePay phones out of circulation as soon as possible.

  • Reply 56 of 95
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crimguy View Post

     

    HIs analysis seems a bit weird.  I agree 5c will go EOL, but I see a moderately updated 5s to include NFC for ApplePay to be almost guaranteed.  Wouldn't be surprised if we see it at WWDC.  It's an easy addition to an existing design, they want everyone to use ApplePay, and there's still apparently a market for a 4" phone.  Based on all of those factors I'd imagine they want to take non-ApplePay phones out of circulation as soon as possible.


    You guys just don't get it. It's not moderate update. It's entire resources allocated to do the update: redesign the board to accommodate NFC chip, implement the NFC antenna, R&D cost and manufacturing change. Apple don't and won't do that just for the sake of Apple Pay which barely available anywhere in the world but US. Also, Apple won't care about new 5S customers (mostly teenagers or grandparents) because those are unlikely to care about Apple Pay. 

    I will bet any price that there's no update on the phasing out 5S. It doesn't make any financial sense but just a wishful thinking of small number of people who couldn't get over 4" devices.

  • Reply 57 of 95
    ggfggf Posts: 42member
    If this is true I will hold on to my 5 for yet another year and it will be four years old before I upgrade.
    Apple will have lost one whole upgrade cycle out of me (I previously upgraded every 2 years on contract) I suspect there are a lot more like me. Unless Apple offers a compelling 4 inch phone (min 64gb plus NTC) I will stay with the 5 till it dies on me.
  • Reply 58 of 95
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    sog35 wrote: »
    Sold like hotcakes? They only sold about 30 million iPhone 4S in the Dec quarter.

    Was that not a record back then?
  • Reply 59 of 95
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    I bought a 6 partially because I thought the international roll-out of Apple Pay would have happened by now. Compatible NFC terminals are ubiquitous in Australia - in fact US credit cards already work here. I'd really like to know what stage the negotiations are at with Australian Banks and where the hold-up is.
  • Reply 60 of 95
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member

    If someone went back to my earliest comments on here regarding the iPhone, it was that it was too big (in my opinion) at 3.5 inches. I wanted a smaller phone like the LG Dare I owned at the time.

     

    I managed to move on to the "larger" iPhone and now own an iPhone 5S. However I really prefer the smaller sized phones. I absolutely am a one handed iPhone user and wish to remain that way. An updated 4 inch iPhone with ApplePay and whatever is next in camera optics would be great for me and I'd slap down my money for it. My wife has the iPhone 6 and I could easily have one as well. I just don't like the size.

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