Why a 5-inch iPhone 6 is far more important than a 13-inch iPad Pro

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

iPhone 6. 2014 has only just begun and it seems like 5-inch iPhone and 13-inch iPad Pro rumors are already getting a lot of attention and generating a lot of discussion. That both sets of rumors tend to focus around larger screen sizes is interesting, but what's really interesting is why a bigger iPhone is far more important than a bigger iPad...

Apple has been increasing the size of the iPhone screen in one way or another for years. In 2010 the iPhone 4 doubled the pixel density and gave us our first "Retina" display. In 2012 the iPhone 5 added 0.5-inches, making it widescreen.

The iPad, however, has most recently decreased in size. Sure, in 2012 Apple brought Retina to the iPad 3, but their next move wasn't to increase the physical size like they did with the iPhone, but to shrink it down into the smaller iPad mini.

Both changes — the wider iPhone 5 and smaller iPad mini — made for better mainstream products, and that's Apple's goal.

iPhone 6 and the better mainstream experience

Taking the iPhone 6 to a larger screen size, whether it's 4.3- or 5-inches or somewhere in between, would also make for a better mainstream product. The world now isn't as it was in 2007, when smartphones sucked and people had to rely on a desktops or laptops as their primary computing devices. Now we have smartphones as powerful as desktops and laptops were back then, but also far, far more accessible. There are people, both in established and in emerging markets, who need a phone, but also need it be their primary computing device. Not only don't they want to carry laptops around with them, they don't even want to carry tablets.

For these people, a bigger iPhone would be a better iPhone. Games and videos aside, it would let them do more things, more easily, than a small screen ever could. It would be more accessible to people of more ages, especially thanks to new technologies like TextKit which make dynamic font scaling a reality. It would also be more powerful for geeks who simply want to do more on their phones. As for "one handed ease of use", that's something that software can and should solve instead. iOS 7's consistent back gesture shows just exactly that.

iPhone 6 is the next Verizon-sized growth opportunity

Once upon a time people had to choose between an iPhone on AT&T or a different phone on Verizon. Many chose the iPhone, but some didn't. When the iPhone hit Verizon, however, people no longer needed to choose. They could have both.

Right now people have to choose between a 4-inch iPhone or a larger phone from another manufacturer. Many still choose the 4-inch iPhone but some don't. When the iPhone goes to a larger screen size, people will no longer need to choose. They'll be able to have both.

That increases Apple's addressable market in a premium space (and removes a key differentiator for competitors), and that's what new devices are all about.

That same argument doesn't apply to a 13-inch iPad Pro. By increasing the size of the iPad display, Apple might round out the product line, but they won't make it a better mainstream product. "Pro" by definition isn't mainstream. It'll no doubt appeal to creative and productivity niches, but not to the much bigger market for whom a smaller, lighter iPad is the better option. Eventually it could get more people off ultralight laptops like the MacBook Air faster, and onto iOS, but not by the tens or hundreds of millions. It could still be a viable market, but not a big one.

That's the difference between 5-inches and 13-inches — the iPhone 6 moves the needle for Apple far, far more than the iPad Pro.

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

85 Comments
  • If Apple does release a 5-inch iPhone, they need to upgrade iOS as well. The grid of icons worked well on 3.5-inch screen. They were pushing it a little on 4-inch. On 5-inch the home screen will need to change.
  • Why?
  • Because the bigger the screen gets, the more useful it should get at providing information. A grid of icons don't do that at all. The OS needs to adapt to the large screen real estate. Like I said, it looked OK on a small screen, on a large screen it will just look messy. Like a desktop full of icons. P.S I DID NOT mean that Apple should introduce widgets (god no!), but just evolve the OS for a larger canvas.
  • Are you using some version of Android that doesn't have a grid of icons on the home screen? I'm sitting here looking at my Moto X and a grid of icons on just like the iPhone.
  • My Moto X has widgets all over the place. My homescreen has a clock, the weather, and my calendar for the next 7 days. I also have the ability to add new calendar appoints directly from that one widet. Its just having an option to have rows of icons or no icons at all that makes Android nice. I use my 5s and Moto X depending on my needs. But I will say for the past 2 weeks my Moto X has been my daily driver. As an apple fan thats saying alot from me.
  • I understand that Android has widegts; I have a fancy clock widget on my Moto X home screen too. But IMO just having that ability doesn't mean it's a large screen UI. At it's base it's the same as iOS, a grid of apps.
  • This is nitpicking on words here. All you can have on the home screen is icons with iOS. You can't have any sort of info or functionality. Scoff if you all want but many people like being able to do and see things without going all the way down to an app.
  • Two thoughts 1) Apple sees the Home screen not as a destination to be sat on, but a gateway to move through, 2) to replace icons, there'd need to be a better gateway metaphor, 3) no one has come up with a better gateway metaphor yet (been 30+ years) Maybe icons for home, swipe left for Siri (like Google Now on Moto X), swipe right for something else...?
  • how about an app drawer like Android has. So instead of always going to the home screen to access your apps, just click on the app drawer. That way the home screen can be used for content / information you access the most. OSX, sort of works the same. You click on Launchpad to access your apps, and close it to go back to the home screen to go back to your content.
  • Not to sound rude, but did you read what Rene wrote? Apple doesn't view the homescreen as a panel for information, but as a gateway to the apps that will give you the content you want. The android home screen can become very cluttered with all those widgets. I have a nexus 5, and I have exactly one widget (calendar). And even with that, I often feel it makes the home screen cluttered or clunky. In regards to Mac OSX, I try not to keep anything on my desktop. I view the purpose of the desktop as a temporary holding place for active projects, or stuff I just haven't organized yet. The desktop is like purgatory; it is not the final destination.
  • iOS needs more than a grid of icons providing "gateway" to information by opening apps. A mix of widgets and Windows Phone style live tiles needs to be designed by Apple. Apple can still keep its grid of icons, maybe allow the ability to resize the icons, for example a weather app would be able to become a live tile with latest weather information. The user would be able to just glance at the icon without the need to open the app. Sent from the iMore App
  • This may sound really stupid, but I think the one thing I'd like for the icons are the ability to move them any where on the screen. When I jailbroke my phone, that was one of my favorite tweaks. I will agree that a larger iPhone with just another row of icons will look messy, but like Rene said Apple sees the home as a gateway. Maybe being able to place them anywhere on the screen instead of little soldiers all in a row from left to right would make a little less messy or cluttered cause they'll be spread out a little more in stead of just row after row of boxes.
  • I think the old spotlight homepage should be changed to a scrollable dashboard and be called just that. It has all the widgets you assign to it and displays instant info. Call it "Dashboard feed." In this i think notification center functionality can be cleaned up and streamlined.
  • Are you referring to having widgets on the home screen or what would you like in iOS with a larger screen? I agree that it may be a wanted feature for some. When I used an Android phone I never used widgets other than a clock on my home screen. Kept it minimal. I prefer to use the full app when I need to check something. That includes on tablets which have much larger screens. I guess the option for those that find them useful wouldn't hurt. However, I'm curious about ideas other than widgets. I hope they don't go 5 inches though. Between 4.3" and 4.7 would be great. I like the way the Moto X feels in hand but I wouldn't really want anything larger in a phone.
  • Widgets are an old, bad solution. They're pull interface — you still have to go find them to use them. I want the future — push interface. Dynamic, interactive notifications.
  • Like WP perhaps? Sent from the iMore App
  • Not like WP. Like Google Now.
  • I think what we want is a home screen. Our phones are advanced enough to show us a lot of information right on the homescreen. Android does this through widgets and shortcuts, and while that could be better, it adds enough of a personal touch that defines it as our phones and not the manufacturer's Posted via the Android iMore app
  • No they don't. The iPad is 9.7 inches and it has icons. I don't want android widgets on my iPhone. If I did I would buy an android. No one uses widgets on any computing device but android.
  • The iPad uses the same interface as the iPhone and it's doing just fine..
  • An iPad with an even larger screen doesn't add much to the table. Tablets can get pretty awkward once they are bigger than the current Air - and I lump the previous iPads in with that statement. If anything was proven to me in 2013 it was that a phone with a big screen can be incredibly usable with one hand with no juggling. The phone that proved it was the Moto X. Despite the flaws it has I find it hard to argue with the ergonomics of the device. And, like you said, software can fix any other one handed troubles. I'll just add to that by saying software does that so long as the phone is still easy to hold. If Apple can negotiate that compromise it will be a success. It isn't the size of the screen that matters - it is the size of the phone.
  • Moto X FTW!
  • I'd argue BlackBerry 10 showed that as well.
  • My BB10 exposure is limited to the Q10 but from the little I've used the Z10 I can agree in principal. The things that would have made a large screen phone impractical two years ago (less accurate keyboards and big phone bodies) are giving way to better software and better design.
  • Hey René, the iPhone 5 was released 2012 :-)
  • If only there were a website I could refer to!
  • Interesting perspective Rene!
    A larger screen would definitely put iPhone back on the radar of people that 'need' their phone screen to be 'big'.
  • interesting. last year it was all about how the 4 inch iPhone was the perfect size and how giant phone are ridiculous. what about now what happened to one-handed usability?
    either way if the iPhone does increase in size then i hope and pray more functionality is added to iOS to utilize the added real estate if not it will truly be a waste.
  • The 5-inch iPhone article linked to above is from January 2013, a year ago. My opinion now is the same as then, I just think Apple is better strategically positioned this year to execute than they were last year. (And I addresses one-handed usability in the article above :p)
  • In hind-sight, very true. They were obviously pushing to get iOS7 and 64bit A7 out. Plus, form factor changes usually happen in the non-S iterations.. so more likely to put out a larger screen this year than last year. I honestly hope they do an iPhone 6 and iPhone Pro 6 (Larger screen) and keep it at 2 product lines.. Not just up it and have no smaller screen option.
  • Likewise. That would increase, instead of just change, their addressable market.
  • I've been thinking for a while now that Apple would ditch the numbered scheme when making new iPhones and that the low, consumer end, model would simply be called iPhone Air and the more expensive, bigger screen iPhone would be called iPhone Pro. This way it flows nicely with other product lines such as the MacBook's and maybe even iPads. Plus they could avoid having an awkwardly named iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 one day. A naming scheme like this would further relate the iPhones to their computer counterparts as Apple would be right to do. Their ecosystem has remained unrivaled over the years and they pride themselves on starting one thing on a Mac and continuing it on your mobile peripheral. Having similarilly named product lines would only weave the two closer together. Not in terms of OS's as I should point out. This wouldn't lead to a final merging of OSX and iOS in any way, just bring to categories a bit closer.
  • Dropping the numbers wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. iPhone and iPhone Pro or something along those lines would be fine.. it works for Macbook Air and Macbook Pro lines.
  • yea I don't understand why they continue with the number scheme. Sooner or later, they will be forced to change it. It will get pretty ridiculous when people are going around saying they want the new iPhone 12. Better to ditch it now, rather than later. My only thought on this, is that Apple still views the smartphone as an upstart product, rather than something established like a laptop or desktop. Thus, they feel the need to remind us every year that the new phone is "radically" different than last year's model. But from where I'm sitting, smartphones became established products somewhere around the iPhone 4.
  • i completely agree iPods and iPads no longer have the numbers behind them i don't see why the iPhone has not followed suit
  • I don't think that a larger screen iPhone model should be associated with "Pro" users, and the current size relegated to entry level. A much better approach for Apple would be to treat the sizes with feature parity, as they have the iPad Air and iPad Mini (Retina), versus iPad 2 and iPad Mini (standard). You can get cutting edge or beginner's hardware in either size. In the world of mobile devices, screen size does not equate to Pro the way it does with desktops. For some very serious users, portability and minimum size is of primary importance. It's not that there aren't a few reasons I wouldn't mind a bigger screen on my iPhone. My eyes aren't what they used to be. I find myself propping my glasses on my forehead and holding my phone about 6" from my face when I need to read some particularly tiny text on a web page. But I'm more than willing to make that sacrifice in order to keep the physical dimensions of the phone at a practical size for my hands and my pockets. No, I don't have small hands. XL men's gloves here. I can hold a Galaxy S4 in one hand and reach its extremities with my thumb, but I can't do that with the phone gripped as securely as I can with my iPhone 5S, and certainly not with the same dexterity. Among other things, I'm an avid photographer. Of the 411 apps currently on my phone, about 50 of them are either cameras, image editors, or in some other way related to photography. I hold my phone in precarious positions while achieving some of my shots, positions which wouldn't be possible or safe with a larger device stretching the limits of my fingers. You might think I'm a fringe case, but we've all seen someone trying to shoot a selfie with a big phone and nearly dropping it. But I'd consider myself a Pro or power user for many other reasons. I actually carry two iPhones, one on Verizon, and one on AT&T, because my business takes me into areas where one or the other has no service. As often as not, I'm multitasking on both of them simultaneously, one in each hand. I'll be, for example, talking to a customer on one phone (with EarPods) and viewing his latest invoice, while typing in a new appointment for him on the other phone, and recording my end of the conversation with a memo app, so I can transcribe it and fill in details of the appointment later. Lots of heavy one-hand usage for me. I watch other people with their big Android phones, guys with decent sized hands, doing routine things, like adding new contacts. It reminds me of when I see a little kid riding a parent's bicycle, feet straining to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke, wobbling because balance is disrupted by the effort. Another reason I prefer the current iPhone screen size is that I can type a lot faster on a smaller keyboard. You might think this is counterintuitive, but think about it for a minute. A bigger keyboard is only advantageous if one is hunting and pecking at keys, or if it is full sized, so each finger has its own duty. With one- or two-thumb typing, shorter distances between keys can be covered faster, and with less effort. It's not the pros, whose typing is all muscle memory and fine motor skill, who need bigger keyboards. It's the novices, who are poking at visual targets on their keyboards. I'm not against Apple releasing a larger iPhone version, as long as I can still get a small one that's got all the latest features and quality. I switch to my iPad when I need big, but I know that not everyone can or wants to use that option. Big can be good, but so can small. Sent from the iMore App
  • I know they won't do it, but I'd actually like to see the 3.5" again if they do a 5". I still can't one-hand the 5 or 5s, and that was really valuable to me. I know no one else wants a smaller phone though.
  • My wife has small hands, and often wishes for a smartphone that could neatly fit in her hand (and pocket). You're not alone. I personally will be buying a larger-screen iPhone on day 1, though.
  • I currently have a 4s which I consider the size to be great. I think the current 5s size is acceptable as it is no wider, but a bigger screen again would definitely put me off buying a new iPhone. If I want more screen real estate, I'll dig out the iPad mini. If it were my decision, I'd have an even smaller iPhone than the 4s to carry with me all the time (for running and other sports, going shopping etc) and an iPad mini as a companion device for other times. Please Apple don't dump the 4" iPhone!
  • What if they had 2 sizes of iPhone the way they do for iPad? 4-inches and 5-inches, for example, like they do 7.9 and 9.7?
  • I agree. The Wall Street Journal posted an article a few days ago saying the same thing. I actually think Apple will do it.
  • That sounds like the best solution, as long as both get updated specs. Would not be a good solution if they released a 5 inch iPhone 6 and then kept the 5s as the "smaller" option.
  • I believe they'll release both. And this is why: Every year, I upgrade the iPhone for both myself and my wife. And every year, she asks me why this is necessary. She didn't care about the 4" screen, and doesn't like TouchID. However, she's dealt with it, because I sell the old ones for (usually) more than we pay for the new ones (I've been an AT&T customer for nearly 20 years, and get good upgrade deals every 12 months). Now, fast forward to September 2014. If I bring home a larger iPhone, and my wife's fingers can't reach the icons with one hand, she will absolutely freak out and demand I return it. She doesn't care about novelty or pretty screens. She wants an iPhone she can hold in one hand while juggling kids. I imagine her sentiment will be multiplied among millions of casual iPhone users. That's a segment Apple can't ignore. The bigger screen will come this year. Of that I'm sure. However, there will be 2 sizes from here on out. the current 4" iPhone for her, and the upcoming 5" iPhone Pro for me.
  • I fully agree with you Rene.
  • I agree the 13" iPad is unlikely, and would be a niche product.
    A larger screen iPhone would sell extremely well, if it's 4.7" to 5.2", approximately. I don't think a 4.3" screen is enough difference to be noteworthy, as it's only 0.3" bigger.
    I'd buy a 4.7" for sure but I'm not a fan of the overly large phablet phones. To big for me. I'll just use my iPad Air. Sent from the iMore App
  • I couldn't agree more!!
  • absolutely correct...
  • I just got a Samsung S4 from work, and the larger screen is taking more getting used to than I expected. I do like the bigger area for watching video, but so far I still prefer the size of my iPhone 5s. If the iPhone 6 does come in a larger size, I'm thinking Apple might want to keep the smaller size around at least for a while.
  • Hopefully if we get a larger iPhone they'll keep a smaller one to. I think it makes perfect sense to have two sizes just like they do with iPads and Macs. And then it will be interesting to see how many people were Android users because of size moreso than OS preference.
  • I love my 5s, but I'm starting to feel the pull for a slightly bigger screen - mostly just for a change of pace. A bigger (but not huge) iPhone 6 sounds like a great option.
  • I hope they keep the 4" size around, I really like it. Any iPhone with a larger screen I hope is not huge. The Moto X is perfect sized. If they could some how cram a bigger screen into a body barely larger than the current iPhones then that would be the ultimate.
  • Agreed. Bigger phones should not be a zero sum game.
  • I doubt a bigger iPhone will really move the needle for Apple. They already own the high end market. To move the needle, they will need to release an inexpensive iPhone. That said, both the bigger screen iPhone and the iPad Pro will be nice additions to the lineup.
  • Inexpensive phones don't move the needle any more than netbooks do. They sometimes cost more than they make. (Centro proved that years ago.) Apple owns the premium market, increasing that share seems the most sensible short-term plan.
  • They already tried that with the iPhone 5c but it didn't work out yet. I don't think an too inexpensive will be great unless they put the retina display. Apple already spoiled us with the display so it will be awkward to have a iPhone these days without one. Also I hope they don't use the plastic construction because some people dislike that about the iPhone 5c Sent from the iMore App
  • Apple did not try with the iPhone 5C in providing customers with a lower costing iPhone. People did not buy it because it was a year old phone in a plastic body. And the price difference between the 5C and 5S was not great, so people went with the 5S. Sent from the iMore App
  • I would buy the bigger iphone, eventually, but I'd buy the iPad Pro immidiately.
    I use my iPad Air as a music studio now, my PC I hardly ever use for this purpose anymore.
    A lot of current iPad users who're using their iPad creatively will jump at the chance for a bigger screen, more processing power and, maybe most importantly, more RAM. For those that feel it would be too heavy, I have used a cover with inbuilt stand ever since my first iPad 1, and I'd never understood why anyone would bother using the iPad holding it in both hands when it's so much more comfortable to rest it on the lap in a cover such as the one I use.
  • I hope apple don't bring 5 inch iPhone 6, 4.7' will be better! I need a phone not another large device, I can use my iPad mini for anything else. Sent from the iMore App
  • I upgraded from a 4S to a 5S and while I love the larger screen I never really noticed the 4S in my pocket like I do the 5S. It can be annoying at times due to it's length. I picked up a Retina Mini to replace my iPad 3 and really like this combination. A larger iPhone would be tempting of course but portability will be a big deciding factor for me as well as what my 5S can fetch on the open market.
  • When big smart phones first came out I thought they were all gimmicks. I felt it was analogous to kids liking a new toy because it's bigger and shiny. Well I was wrong because it caught on and it's here to stay. I own an iPhone 5 and I must say that Apple needs to come out with a bigger iPhone. Just like their mac line, Apple will have a lineup of different screen sizes to meet the different demands of their customers. Definitely agree with the article!
  • I agree with you René, but it's somewhat amusing that the article listed just below this one on imore is about click bait headlines.... Rather like the headline of this article.
  • If you look at the back of an iPhone 5/5s, the size of its aluminum backplate is almost exactly 4.5" diagonal. So if Apple is able to pull of a bevel-less hardware design they could conceivably squeeze a 4.5" screen within a case that's only marginally larger than the current phone. That being said, I predict we'll see a 4.7" iPhone 6 with a tiny bevel and slightly larger case. With a 50/50 chance of a second 5"+ phablet. A massively important feature of iOS 7 is its resolution independence, so Apple could properly release 2 different sized phones this year. It terms of developers having to update their apps, it wouldn't be a huge issue. The new iPhone's would certainly be 16x9, so at launch they'd just scale up to the new size and work as before, with text adapting to the (presumably) higher DPI. The devs would then just need to update their bitmapped graphics to the higher pixel resolution (I expect 720p and/or 1080p). I photoshopped a mockup of a bevel-less iPhone with a 4.5" 720p display. It's slightly taller than the current iPhone (to accommodate the home button) but just as wide.
  • I love the size of the 5. But my eyes would love something twice as large so I don't need cheaters to read a web page. While I would hate to carry a larger phone with a larger case (I love my BookBook), hopefully Apple will make it half the weight. My hope is that they keep the same size device but have the option for a holographic display that enlarges the screen up to 11 inches. The hologram would need to project around your hand as you touch the screen and be opaque enough to not have your hand movements distract you from the display...perhaps displaying your finger(s) touching the screen as a feint part of the hologram. You then are back to a single form factor but a phone that fits the needs of both the tiny handed phone user and Mr Magoo. Perhaps the iPhone 7.
  • Agreed that a bigger iPhone is needed. I'm using a Z10 and found the size to be ideal, with the iPhone's current width a little too small for typing longer emails. A device the size of the Moto X would be ideal (4.7" screen with minimal bezel) for me. Perhaps, to build on Rene's point back last year, a larger iPhone will be the flagship and the smaller iPhone will occupy the low to mid range market (ie iPhone 4s and 5c territory).
  • i wonder if the 5s/5c will remain as a lower cost option this year. if it's replaced with two "new designs like it was last year the i hope that it is 4.5/5 inches and 4 inches however i can also see them retain the 5s and introduce a new iPhone 6
  • Well put Renee. I am one of those people who would like a 5" or bigger phone as I am not a fan of carrying two devices around with me. I mainly use my tablet for reading and videos. Reading ebooks on an iPhone 5 is ok, but with the added screen real estate on a tablet, it makes it much more enjoyable. The less devices I have to carry around, the better. As far as one handed use goes, I rarely, if ever, use it one handed. If I do, the latest swipe gestures in iOS 7, take care of that problem for me. Sent from the iMore App
  • I, along with a million others, got tired of waiting for Apple to finally "get it".
    Now, don't get me wrong, our home is totally Apple ( Apple TV, iMac, MacBook Pro, Apple routers and iPads ), but my wife now owns my iPhone 5, an upgrade for her from a 4S. Screen size. Apple has no choice now but to increase it, to remain competitive.
    Even if it is just 4.7 inches, which is what my HTC One is.
    It is a HUGE difference. This will also bring back a large percentage of those who jumped ship for Android, including me. I will be following these rumors with interest.
  • I think the more interesting piece would be what Apple will do with screen res to accommodate these rumored multiple screen sizes. I will say that adding a .5" or even 1" will not really add much to the iphone experience IMO vs the compromises it makes in one handed use or mobility. We had people a year or two ago just adamant that 4" was the "sweet" spot and it'd be a revolution over the old 3.5" screens. It wasn't. (Although the color gamut was increased..that i noticed). The beauty of an iphone is that it's a computer in your pocket. Unless you're legally blind, a 4" screen is fine. I've pretty much switched to an ipad mini for games, logmein, pdfs, etc. For what I use an iphone for, I don't need or want a bigger device. What I do want is an improved 4" iphone and iOS 8. But since bigger usually = the device that gets more premium features or specs, I'll buy the top tier one.
  • 100% disagree. A "phablet" (basically a smaller iPad mini) would be both more welcome and more useful than a slightly larger iPhone. A slightly larger iPhone is still going to be useless as a primary computer (apparently the main argument of the author), unless it can run iPad apps. Making an iPad that is more portable, that works with a stylus, and that can also be a phone is far more important, and would change the game much more significantly than just a slightly bigger iPhone. It's also plain that an iPad is already almost a complete replacement for a full computer and can become a "phone" with just a few extra (mostly software) tweaks. The iPhone on the other hand, will never approach being a full computer replacement unless it gets bigger, but also changes aspect ratio and uses iPad software.
  • Am I the only one that wants to see an iPad Pro actually be a "pro" device? I want this thing to actually replace the MacBook Air. It dual boots OSX and iOS. The iPad becomes the screen when you attach a keyboard to it. And it then runs in OSX desktop mode. (Or if it's docked to a bluetooth keyboard, etc.) You can purchase it in two modes, one with the keyboard "dock" system and one without (if you're convinced you'll not need to use it in "ultra book" mode. You could also by the keyboard docking system separately in case you didn't initially buy the package but decided you wanted it.
  • YES. YES. YES! The only gripe I have about the iPhone is the screen size, so I'm really excited to see what the next iPhone would bring to the table. Hopefully, it has a bigger screen. And with the bigger screen, comes easier browsing, better experience in watching videos, reading ebooks, and playing games. I had the chance once to replace my iPod Touch 5th Gen with an iPhone 4S and I didn't take it. Why? Sure the iPhone would offer a lot of functionalities that I can't do with my iPT5 but that would also mean going back to a measly 3.5 inch display which I can't fathomed. So again, YES. YES. YES!
  • I don't want a 5-incher. That would be way too awkward to hold. Give me a 4.3-4.5 in phone that I can still use one-handed. And don't just make it taller Apple. That trick is played out.
  • 5". Nothing less. If you don't think size matters as your girl. A lot of you will get used to the larger screen the same way you got used to it with the 5S. It's all in your mind. A 5" screen would definitely change the landscape with how the apps are laid out. I agree with a previous commenter, changing the way apps are presented would be necessary but welcomed (no widgets necessary). The same people complaining about a big phone complained that 3.5 was perfect then too. It's 2014, time for a change. Just my 2 cents.
  • A larger iPhone and iPad pro will be all I need. I think this is a great move. I know to many people that are using their phones as a computer as well. Great article! Sent from the iMore App
  • I would enjoy having extra screen estate but not at the expense of my phone having a larger form factor. I believe the iPhone 5s is the perfect size for a mobile device. It fits nicely into the pockets on my jeans and coats unlike my friend's Galaxy S4 I switched back to my old 4S for a few days while I was away from Home and found my self pining for that extra half an inch when watching Videos and using Apple Maps Apple really nailed it with the size of the 5s Sent from the iMore App
  • below 4.3" Screen is enough... otherwise always we ll have to take care of it.... we c'nt keep it in Pockets.... Proper Voice (audio) typing keyboard will be better than any others (with all languages support).... and Siri should be accept all languages and it will not be asked the template manner voice recognition....
  • I love my iPhone but I'm definitely ready for an upgrade in screen real estate. I avoid texting on my current iPhone 5 at all costs because of the amount of spelling errors and subsequent and terrible auto-corrects. If Apple can keep the current 4" screen and also add a 5" and 6" iPhones without requiring specific screen resolutions for each they will decimate SamsDroid sales.
  • Argh! No. Bigger iPad now! I will nom it! Nom nom nom! But seriously, I want a 13" Macbook Air where the screen detached to become an iPad. With the keyboard attached I can run in iOS or OS X. But, I dunno... if Apple thinks there's a market for a bigger iPhone they'll make one.
  • I might be interested in a 5-inch iPhone, but only if it were the same aspect ratio as the iPad.
  • I just hope whatever size they decide to make the iphone 6, just hope the phone is not to big
  • I'll be interested if they did release a 5 inch phone. 4.7-5 inches seems IMO the sweet spot in phone sizes with 4 inches to small and 6 inches to big. If only apple had variety Posted via the Android iMore App!
  • I'd like to see an iPad Mini Phablet, perhaps with a headset dock. That would be all I'd need.
  • We disagree, one word : #comics.
  • I am hoping for a larger iPhone, my current (very long 3 yr) contract is up in March (geese!) and will be looking to upgrade from my iPhone4. Up to now, the phone works awesome, but now would prefer a larger screen....cheers
  • I have a feeling that it won't be named 'iPhone 6' ... It just sounds odd to me lol.