Photo: Courtesy Apple.Yes, the rumors surrounding the hotly anticipated iPhone 6 have almost always included mention of a larger screen. But, when the Dow Jones' paper of record all but confirms that four-and-a-half-inch and five-inch displays are most likely coming to Apple's signature product, we've gotta sit up and take note.
As The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday morning, of the two possible screen sizes, the four-and-a-half-inch is further along in the production chain than the five-inch and will almost certainly be on the market some time after early July. When it comes to the oft-speculated curved screen, however, we hate to break it to you, but it doesn't seem to be in the works.
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Of course, the Journal hedges its bets, with its super-secret sources cautioning that "Apple's plans weren't final and that the company could change course." Nonetheless, if the financial market's main source for solid intel green-lit this information, odds are good that your next iPhone screen will be at least a half-inch larger than your last. (Just for context, the current iPhone 5 screen measures at four inches, while the increasingly popular Samsung Galaxy tops that at five, though there's talk of an increase to five and one-quarter inches for the next model.)
And, if one-half inch seems like chump change to you, well, you're sorta right. Customers, particularly in the rapidly growing Chinese market, seem to be gravitating toward larger screens. Apparently, consumers on tight budgets are using large-screened smartphones as their primary computing devices instead of laptops or tablets. Considering that, a four-and-a-half-inch screen may not be enough to capture this lower-end market.
Apple has always contended that smaller screens offer a more ergonomic, intuitive experience (and we totally agree, BTW). It seems that, for the moment, the Cupertino crew is sticking to its guns. If true, these reports kinda raise the question, though: Is there a secret Galaxy killer up Apple's sleeve, or is Samsung a year away from topping the onetime sector leader? To be continued... (The Wall Street Journal)