posted by
janrinok
on Wednesday April 02 2014, @05:50AM
from the if-Apple-can-claim-rounded-corners,-can-Samsung-claim-that-size dept.
from the if-Apple-can-claim-rounded-corners,-can-Samsung-claim-that-size dept.
Apparently, size does matter as Apple takes a cue from the Samsung playbook. Reuters is reporting that Apple's next iphone, slated for Q4 of 2014, will have a much bigger display than current devices. A whole 1.5" (38mm) bigger. This will bring the iPhone close to the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Note which stands around 5.7" (144mm). It seems Apple will test the waters with an initial 4.7" (119mm) sized device first with the larger version to appear much later. The question is, do all users think bigger is better?
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Apple Takes Cue From Samsung - a Bigger iPhone
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(Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Wednesday April 02 2014, @05:57AM
I seem to remember when Steve Jobs said that they will never go bigger, and all the apple-fanboys laughed at the Samsung people for the "tablet-sized" phone.
In the completely stupid court battles the two of them seem to be fighting, I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung turned round and sued Apple for the size coping. That's how silly it's getting.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Preston on Wednesday April 02 2014, @07:03AM
That's why I've learned to just sit back, wait, and let Apple decide for me. If I'm meant to have a bigger iPhone, they will either make an offer of a premium option or mandate it through planned obsolescence. Until then, I'll be happy with my 5S.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Hairyfeet on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:24AM
Good Lord! At least you are honest in the fact that you have admittedly turned off your thinking organ and put Apple in the driver seat...honestly never thought I'd actually see somebody so honest. Bravo good sir, bravo for your brave honesty.
But I personally can't EVER see me allowing some corp to dictate what is best for ME, that's MY job. MSFT says a fucked up phrankenstein phablet OS is the way to go? Piss off MSFT, I'll use and sell Win 7 while looking at Android desktops as an exit strategy if I need it. Phone company wants to keep jacking prices and slipping in fees? Screw them, I go prepaid. And as far as phones go, they push these big ass candybar phones? Screw them, I went with a nice small LG slider that I could easily ROM.
If you want Apple to rule your iLife? That is your choice and I wish you nothing but luck and remember, if you drop calls?....You're holding it wrong...sorry couldn't resist. But seriously there is a whole world out there, phones and tablets of every shape and size, why not try a few and find out what size is best for YOU instead of having a single corp tell you what you can and can't have?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Grishnakh on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:13AM
I can't wait to see this one; this may very well prove the Apple fans to be completely idiotic sycophants. I read post after post of Apple fans saying the iPhone 5 was "just the right size", didn't need to be any bigger, etc., in comparison to the larger-screen phones out there. Now if the next iPhone has a bigger screen and they buy it in droves, it'll prove they're just a bunch of hypocrites willing to buy whatever Apple shovels to them.
(Score: 0) by contrapunctus on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:39AM
If I get the next iPhone, it doesn't mean I am someone you're describing.
I don't care about the size of the screen, when I'm ready to upgrade (will try to hold on to this phone as long as possible), if the screen size is bigger so be it, if not, whatever. I hate android and I hate windows and I've bought too many apps on iOS to casually switch platforms.
(Score: 2) by Foobar Bazbot on Wednesday April 02 2014, @12:25PM
What, the previous trash-talk (by Jobs and Cook [techcrunch.com]) about 7" tablets, followed by the 7.9" (the .9 makes all the difference!) iPad Mini, didn't make it clear? Or how they claimed [archive.org] that 100ppi is the "optimum resolution", and higher pixel density "causes eyestrain and headaches", then turned around and started selling "retina" macbooks and now (non-Apple-branded) 32" 4k (140ppi) screens)?
Apple has always dismissed as useless every market segment that they compete with but aren't directly engaged in, then conveniently forgotten their criticism once they decide to enter that segment. If first enthusiastically repeating the criticism, then eagerly forgetting it and accepting the Apple version, qualifies one as an "idiotic sycophant", then Apple fans have long been proven so.
Really, I'd suggest that anyone who can reasonably be described as a "fan" of a for-profit company with a marketing department (the whole point of marketing is to induce customers to buy products they otherwise wouldn't) already earned the "idiotic sycophant" label, no matter how nice, useful, or innovative that company's products might be. Apple just makes it a little more obvious than most companies can without losing their fans.
userscript: Expand/Collapse buttons on every comment [userscripts.org]
(Score: 1) by Grishnakh on Wednesday April 02 2014, @12:50PM
What, the previous trash-talk (by Jobs and Cook) about 7" tablets, followed by the 7.9" (the .9 makes all the difference!) iPad Mini, didn't make it clear? Or how they claimed that 100ppi is the "optimum resolution", and higher pixel density "causes eyestrain and headaches", then turned around and started selling "retina" macbooks and now (non-Apple-branded) 32" 4k (140ppi) screens)?
Great points, I must have missed those.
Really, I'd suggest that anyone who can reasonably be described as a "fan" of a for-profit company with a marketing department already earned the "idiotic sycophant" label
I'm not so sure about this one. I think it's entirely possible to be a happy customer of a company and be biased towards its products (mainly because you've had good experiences with them), without being an idiotic sycophant. A "fan" doesn't have to be a "rabid fan". (Actually, the word "fan" is short for "fanatic", but offhand I can't think of a simple term for someone who likes something without being "fanatical" about it.) There is a difference: a normal fan likes company A's products but can admit when company B does it better, or when company A has shortcomings. The normal fan can also change his mind after company A's products either fall in quality or are passed up by the competition. For instance, suppose it's 2005 and someone really likes Toyota cars for whatever reason: they're high quality, they like the Prius, etc etc. They advocate Toyotas (and esp. Priuses, their favorite model) whenever someone asks what car they should buy, or when someone's GM is having problems they tell them they should get a Toyota. Fast-forward to 2014; this same person, after reading about the unintended acceleration fiascos with Toyota, and especially its firmware [edn.com] defects [embeddedgurus.com], no longer advocates Toyotas, and instead recommends people to avoid them. An idiotic sycophant wouldn't do that; he'd continue to back Toyota and make up excuses for them.
(Score: 1) by quacking duck on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:27PM
It may very well prove nothing of the sort. There are fans who are idiotic sycophants, and Apple's are louder than many, but don't paint all of "the Apple fans" users with the same brush.
There is considerable demand among the iPhone camp for a larger screen. Even the Fox News of the Apple world, macdailynews.com, has been demanding a larger iPhone for over a year, and over half of the 3300 readers responding to their poll say their ideal iPhone screen size is 4.5" or higher. Huge sales of a larger iPhone will be from both those who'll buy a new Apple device every year no matter what, and those who've actually been holding off for a larger iPhone.
(Score: 1) by Alfred on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:15AM
Oh the memories of apple fanboys. I supported a bunch of macs in the 10.4 Tiger days, before macs were so mainstream :-) Artsy types trying to make logical conclusions about any computer was rather funny. Any kool-aid I had back then has worn off but I am a hackintosh user now.
I don't like where apple has gone but having a screen you don't need two hands for is a win.
(Score: 1) by BasilBrush on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:08AM
It's by no means clear exactly what it is you are being smug about. You're still using OS X. But you're using a cheaper and inferior PC to run it on. Nothing wrong with wanting to have a cheap set-up to run OSX on, but it's not clear why you think those people that can afford a real Mac are somehow inferior to you.
And in any case why is that on topic for an iPhone rumour?
(Score: 1) by Alfred on Wednesday April 02 2014, @05:19PM
I wasn't drunk, I swear. Wasn't trying to be smug but I see that my comment was not clear at all. I can clarify:
The Apple disciples are always quick to repeat and evangelize whatever comes out of Holy Cupertino. For all the crap the disciples repeat I happen to actually agree that the small screen of the iPhone is nice since you can get to everything with the thumb of the hand that is holding the phone. Not requiring a second hand can be nice. (This is strained by the recent larger screen iPhone5+ though.) This is Apple gospel I happen to agree with.
I could go and buy a new Mac but it wouldn't fit my use profile. One major factor is that I have some legacy stuff and I can't go newer than 10.6.8 yet. If the new gear could be loaded with Snow Leopard I would have bought new instead. Those who can buy new macs, ok great, research your purchase first and I'll help you upgrade the RAM to save a few bucks. For general use any random Mac or PC will work for most any person (e.g. http://xkcd.com/934/ [xkcd.com]).
There is some smug in my first post. Sorry. I was reminiscing on conversations from back in the day, the 10.4 days when I had to support them. At the time I would say things like "You won't notice a difference between 2.00 and 2.16 GHZ." Others represented the theme of "If I had a new machine with new software I would generate better content." Different perspectives, to each their own. Of course I thought I was more correct.
I laughed whenever Apple turns on their previous propaganda. I laughed back then and I will chuckle when they do it again. I got to laugh at it before Apple was so cool/mainstream.
Did that clear it up?
(Score: 1) by WillAdams on Wednesday April 02 2014, @12:04PM
The really funny part was being a NeXT-user back when Macs were still running OS versions 9 --- they'd complain bitterly of my using embedded fonts in .eps files &c. and claim that the Mac OS was all that they needed....
(Score: 1) by BasilBrush on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:04AM
I seem to remember when Steve Jobs said that they will never go bigger, and all the apple-fanboys laughed at the Samsung people for the "tablet-sized" phone.
You need to wait until something actually happens before saying I told you so. A rumour isn't the same as Apple actually doing that thing. Most rumours are false.
(Score: 1) by danomac on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:15AM
(Score: 2, Insightful) by NullPtr on Wednesday April 02 2014, @06:03AM
"The question is, do all users think bigger is better?"
That's a stupid question, and you already know the answer.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Wednesday April 02 2014, @06:48AM
The right answer is that it's nice to have choice.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Daiv on Wednesday April 02 2014, @07:06AM
Parent is spot on. The choices don't have to be binary. The overwhelming majority of phone manufacturers don't offer just one size (large). They also have smaller options as well. Choice is fantastic. There doesn't have to be ONE winner.
(Score: 2) by githaron on Wednesday April 02 2014, @12:06PM
Since when does Apple offer any choices beside old or new?
(Score: 1) by quacking duck on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:08PM
Since they released the iPhone 5c, which was just the 5 in slightly cheaper shell and in colours.
So now they offered you a choice that was both old AND new at the same time :)
(Score: 1) by Daiv on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:39PM
In the iMac line and the iPad line, also recently the iPhone 5C and 5S were two different choices that wasn't just old or new. My comment wasn't aimed in support or insult of any particular company, unlike yours seemed to be.
I would applaud Apple if instead of the whole 5S/5C line, they did a 6 and 6 mini. 4 inch screen and a 5.5 inch screen. Let people support them with their dollars and see how it turns out. Ultimately, I don't care. It's not worth getting worked up over such meaningless first-world problems.
(Score: 2) by mojo chan on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:53PM
That's a change for Apple though. Before there was One True Size for everything, phones and tablets. Since Jobs died they released a smaller iPad, and now it looks like they will release a bigger phone too. So I suppose the real story is that Apple is moving away from Jobs' vision.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:20AM
Making a public pledge to no longer contribute to slashdot
(Score: 2, Informative) by BasilBrush on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:12AM
Maybe because men keep their phone in their pockets, and women tend to have rather bigger handbags/purses to keep them in.
(Score: 1) by quacking duck on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:12PM
Brother's wife got a Galaxy S4 because it was bigger and she didn't like Apple.
She ended up not liking it because, ironically, it was too big for her petite hands and it didn't fit well in her handbags/purses and she had to get larger ones.
(Actually getting new handbags/purses may have been pluses, but she did gripe about it at first so who knows...)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by zafiro17 on Wednesday April 02 2014, @08:04AM
I've got a Samsung Note 3 and I love it. I even love the stylus, but I was a big Palm Pilot user back in the day, so it feels natural to me. Whenever I'm around iphone users, they come around enviously to check out what I'm using. Their 5s phones look puny by comparison.
On the other hand, it's not a comfortable phone to stick in jeans pockets, and I do feel a little ridiculous lifting it to my ear to take a phone call.
But it's worth it, because I hardly ever make phone calls, and as a pocket computer it's pretty spectacular.
Soylent, Pipedot, Usenet's comp.misc. An embarrassment of riches.
(Score: 0, Troll) by jon3k on Wednesday April 02 2014, @08:56AM
Do you wear it on one of those sweet hip pouches? Why not just carry a full sized tablet in a backpack? The iPhone is the perfect size because it can be used one handed. Some people get that, some don't.
(Score: 1) by lajos on Wednesday April 02 2014, @09:45AM
"Do you wear it on one of those sweet hip pouches?"
Nah. Fits comfortably in the pocket, with the Samsung made flip cover, that perfectly protects the screen. And if I compare it to an iPhone with some crappy rubber case, it's actually less bulky.
"Some people get that, some don't."
Well, some people do get it, probably because they had a device with a big enough screen to browse the internet and do some research.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:14AM
It's awesome that you know how big my hands are!
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:38AM
Not everyone has the same size hands ya know. I can use just about any phone out there one hands no problemo, the only reason I have stuck by my smaller LG slider is I fricking LOVE having a real keyboard on my pocket computer. You ought to see the looks of envy I get when somebody is trying to look up something and I find it in a couple seconds thanks to speedtyping.
I DO have a question though...if Apple makes the next phone as large as a galaxy Note will you STILL say "its the perfect size" when it comes to the new phone? You see this strange so called "RDS" effect of Apple has really fascinated me, no other company can put out obviously contradictory statements and have their customers not only NOT call them out on the contradiction but actually EMBRACE the contradiction as gospel. For an example when Apple was on PPC all you would hear from the iFans was Altivec and how superior the PPC was to anything i86...until Apple suddenly changed their tune and went Intel then those exact same ifans started singing the praises of Intel over AMD and PPC? Fascinating, this complete acceptance as gospel anything the company does without question.
I'm not being snarky either as I find it truly fascinating how no other company gets this kind of blind acceptance, hell even through their obviously crap years they stuck with an obviously ancient System (insert number) and craptastic chips their fans kept paying crazy money for them..no other tech company that I've ever seen has THAT level of loyalty, not even close.
(Score: 2) by everdred on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:17AM
We don't take no shit from a machine.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Wednesday April 02 2014, @03:34PM
This will actually be interesting as many iOS apps seem to charge for the "tablet" version of the app. Perhaps this will be a different app store entry as well? I think apps should resize themselves intelligently. Most Android apps do this, although I've seen a few that take the Apple approach.
(Score: 2) by zafiro17 on Wednesday April 02 2014, @11:26AM
No, the Note 3 is still a one handed phone, and it's thinner than the iphone too. Nor is it very phone. If you want really massive, try the Samsung Max. It's dangerously close to putting a Nexus 7 up against your head. On the other hand, it's dual chip.
The Note 3 fits in jeans pockets, but it's at the limit. I think the Nexus 5 is probably about the same size.
Soylent, Pipedot, Usenet's comp.misc. An embarrassment of riches.
(Score: 1) by quacking duck on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:07AM
As big as the phablets are getting, I'm surprised they don't come with detachable bluetooth headsets that are nicely integrated into the case. That way you wouldn't look ridiculous holding the whole 6"+ thing against your ear during a call.
(Score: 1) by CoolHand on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:17AM
Sorry about the small size of your phone...
Maybe someday you'll get a real big phone, like mine, the Samsung MEGA 6.3 http://www.samsung.com/latin_en/consumer/mobile-ph ones/mobile-phones/smartphone/GT-I9200ZKATTT-spec [samsung.com]
Let me know when you get a real phone like this little boy... :)
(this is all in jest of course at the ridiculous size of my phone...)
----
However, I truly do find it useful, being almost as large as my Samsung 7" tablet. I can actually use it to remote in to work over our Citrix gateway and have it usable, unlike on smaller phones. You can use bluetooth for phone calls so you don't look like an 80's throwback with the huge phone to your ear.
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 1) by iwoloschin on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:52AM
I have a Note 3, and I recently switched providers and needed a new phone so I picked up a Nexus 5. The Note 3 was neat, I'm glad I got it and used it for about 9 months, but going back down in size to the Nexus 5 and I'm a lot happier. Granted, I've got small hands (like a carnie...), but the size of the Nexus 5 is just more appropriate for most uses. I also didn't use the stylus nearly as much as I expected, I never got comfortable writing on the Note 3. I'm much more of a pen & paper note taker though, so that's not all that surprising to me.
Even if Apple moved to a 5" phone that'd still be a huge jump. My wife's old iPhone 5 just feels too small and cluttered to use after using the Nexus 5. Of course, grandma might complain that it's "different" and therefore bad, and yes, my grandmother does have an iPhone, and is quite proficient in using it, though I know she was quite upset with the iOS 7 upgrade, since it was a major change which confused her for a while.
(Score: 2) by mojo chan on Wednesday April 02 2014, @01:56PM
I think 5" is the perfect size for a phone. Previously the cost and power consumption of larger displays meant that phones were small, but now they can be pretty much any size so ergonomics are what matter. Of course different people will have different opinions, but less than 5" is a bit pokey these days. 5" can be used one handed with ease*.
* That's what she said.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
(Score: 1) by g2 In The Desert on Wednesday April 02 2014, @08:17AM
I can't imagine there is any truth to this. Why don't we wait for it to come out instead of listening to this ridiculous speculation?
(Score: 1) by SpockLogic on Wednesday April 02 2014, @08:28AM
I'll ask my wife.
(Score: 1) by threedigits on Wednesday April 02 2014, @09:23AM
Careful, don't ask unless you really want to find out.
(Score: 1) by Alfred on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:10AM
I'll ask her too.
jk
(Score: 2, Funny) by SlySmiles on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:34AM
She says it does but loves you anyway.
(Score: 2) by sl4shd0rk on Wednesday April 02 2014, @09:07AM
I picked up a Palm Pre the other day that was laying around work (the devs use it for god knows what). It seemed miniature in comparison to anything I've seen in a while. It's still a fully functioning smartphone and the display is quite readable. I found myself almost envious of the smaller device. It's lightweight and leaves plenty of room leftover if shoved into a pants pocket. If I weren't into browsing the web and doing email on my phone, I think I'd almost prefer a smaller device.
(Score: 1) by spxero on Wednesday April 02 2014, @09:17AM
I wish the Pre would have taken off- there was a nifty homebrew community with it and the device itself was just simple to use while still being fully functional. Unfortunately I wasn't on Sprint at the time, and they had an exclusive on it since ATT had the iPhone and Verizon had the Droid.
Unfortunately Palm just had too little too late with that device, and signing the deal to lock it to one carrier put a death nail in that coffin.
(Score: 2) by randmcnatt on Wednesday April 02 2014, @09:23AM
The Wright brothers were not the first to fly: they were the first to land.
(Score: 1) by soulde on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:58AM
http://imguol.com/2012/09/14/com-uma-aparencia-mai s-alongada-que-o-iphone-4s-o-iphone-5-virou-alvo-d e-piadas-sobre-seu-comprimento-avantajado-aqui-o-i phone-30-virou-sabre-do-obi-wan-kenobi-de-guerra-n as-estrelas-justo-1347634137084_600x700.jpg [imguol.com]
(Score: 1) by dast on Wednesday April 02 2014, @04:49PM
It's like that old quote from Gandhi
First they ignore you // my own addition
Then they laugh at you
Then they fight you
(Then they copy you)
Then you win!
Or better yet, Southpark.
1. Copy Samsung
2. Steal panties
3. ???
4. Profit!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday April 02 2014, @05:40PM
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 1) by Pooch on Wednesday April 02 2014, @10:16PM
when did apple announce this? i usually see all their announcements but i guess i missed this one. or have you changed the name of the site to soylentrumours.org in honor of april 2?