If you haven?t been updated on the latest tech rumours, Apple plans for their iconic iOS device includes making the iPhone 5 larger and the iPad smaller. Lets take a look at what this mean for us mere mortals that rely on the higher powers at Cuppertino to deliver our beloved iOS devices to us. Of course, these are all rumours and nothing is ever confirmed till its launch.
iPhone 5 to come in a larger screen
From the Wall Street Journal:
HONG KONG?The new iPhone that Apple Inc. is expected to unveil this year is likely to have a larger display than its current models have, with the company ordering bigger screens from its Asian suppliers, people familiar with the matter said.
The new screens measure at least 4 inches diagonally, the people said, compared with 3.5 inches on Apple’s latest model, the iPhone 4S. Production is set to begin next month, the people said. Analysts have predicted that the next iPhone will come out in the fall.
Apple declined to comment.
The Wall Street Journal?s iPhone news are usually quite spot-on. So I am expecting a larger screen for the next iteration of the iPhone. This bodes well people who have a trouble with the on-screen keyboard as a larger screen will also mean a ?slightly? larger keyboard. Also, the overall experience of having a larger screen to read, play games, view photos, maps, etc. will improve with a larger screen.
Other Phone?s like the Samsung Galaxy Note had lead the way with larger screens and Apple moving in the same direction is a welcomed trend in the smartphone industry.
A significant implication is battery life ? a larger screen will impact the phone by:
(1) Taking up more space and thus leaving less space for the battery
(2) Require more energy to power it, thus affecting the iPhone?s battery life
How the engineering geniuses at Apple will address this will be important.
iPad to come in a Smaller Screen
Apple Inc.’s component suppliers in Asia are preparing for mass production in September of a tablet computer with a smaller screen than the iPad, people familiar with the situation said, suggesting a launch for the device is near.
Two of the people said that the tablet’s screen will likely be smaller than eight inches. The iPad’s screen measures 9.7 inches, unchanged since the first model was released in 2010.
Source: Wall Street Journal, ?Apple Preps for Smaller Tablet? July 5, 2012.
Contrary to the iPhone getting a larger screen, the iPad will be joining the ranks of its competitor ? Galaxy Tab ? in producing a tablet with a reduced screen.
Last year, Apple?s market share in the tablet market was a commanding 62%. The big guns are out to take Apple down with the likes of Samsung (Tab), Google (the $200 Nexus 7), Microsoft (Surface), and Amazon launching their own tablets.
A majority of these tablets are smaller than the iPad and Apple modifying the iPad down would make it compete effectively at their level.
My Thoughts
While the increase in the iPhone?s screen is a natural evolution in the iPhone iteration, the iPads screen reduction is a strategy to cement Apple?s dominant position in the tablet market by offering a cheaper, smaller tablet with the same offerings as the larger iPad.
While I am not one of those that were asking Apple for a smaller screen on the iPad, I do appreciate a larger screen on the iPhone as it would make reading easier. Again an additional 0.5? diagonally may not seem much, but like the retina display, I expect that I won?t be able to live without it after using it.
A segment that I think would appreciate a smaller iPad would be the ladies as it would fit well into their handbags.
All in, these rumoured changes to Apple?s flagship devices will be great for consumers as they compete closer to their market competitors and offers us a wider range of products to choose from.
