The iPhone has always had a 3.5-inch display, that hasn’t changed and for the most part, hasn’t been an issue; in fact part of the iPhone’s appeal to many a consumer is its ability to offer such a powerful smartphone experience in such a compact package. But it appears now that Apple may finally make the jump to 4-inches (or thereabouts) with the new iPhone 5.
‘Bigger is better’ doesn’t apply to every device, but the current trend in flagship phones is nearing at breaking point. Samsung being the most notable culprit blur the lines between their new flagship’s (the Samsung Galaxy S3) 4.8-inch display and the mammoth 5.3-inch screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note.
It’s rumoured a 3.999-inch (seriously, not 4-inches) display on two iPhone models are currently in the depths of Apple’s test chambers being put through their paces, it’s all but a certainty the final version will offer a larger display. 9to5mac is reporting that Apple are currently testing builds of iOS 6 geared for the new screen size which makes use of the extra space with a new resolution (expected to be 1136×640) and aspect ratio.
The new iPhone display will measure the same width (in portrait) but a greater length, pushing the aspect ratio closer to 16:9. This would mean no nasty letter-boxing during video playback and the extra screen real-estate can be used to display more content in native apps.
To demonstrate the potential of a larger-screened iPhone, design blog Overdrive has created some mockups (as above) showcasing how various classic iPhone apps and features could look on the larger display. Note the designs utilise the current iPhone 4S dimensions for the body, meaning users wouldn’t have to worry about carrying a larger device, physically.
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