It seems like just yesterday I was bemoaning the lack of small iPhones. Our phones have become too large, too unwieldy, and people—women especially—are fed up with them. Who wants a phone you struggle to hold, can’t fit into a pocket, and is essentially a tablet?
It seems Apple may be working on a new iPhone smaller than any they have out currently, even smaller than the iPhone 8. However, it’ll still use a bezel-free display. This new 5.4″ iPhone could be exactly what those who have grown weary of oversized iPhones have been asking for.
5.4-inch Screens
These rough, but gives you an idea of what Apple could be going for with a 5.4” device — something in between an iPhone 8 and an SE, but with a much larger screen.
I would guess they would scale down the UI of the XS, even if screen would be narrower than that of an 8. pic.twitter.com/EFR88i1hEb
— Max Rudberg (@maxrudberg) June 24, 2019
According to a report from DigiTimes, BOE and General Interface Solutions have teamed up to make Apple’s upcoming 5.4″ displays. This falls in line with previous reporting from Ming-Chi Kuo, who has told us to expect three different screen sizes this year. The new screen will be bezelless, like the iPhone 11, however, in a smaller package. It’ll be the smallest display Apple has ever used with their Face ID notch.
A Cheaper Option?
Yes, and no. This isn’t for the upcoming “iPhone 9,” the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. That will be an iPhone 8 body. Instead, this would be released as an iPhone 12 model. In fact, if current rumors are to be believed, the next iPhones will come in 5.4″, 6.1″, and 6.7″ sizes. That would be smaller than the iPhone 11 Pro, two the size of the iPhone 11, and one larger than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This could be a cheaper model though, like the iPhone 11 was to the iPhone 11 Pro. I’d be disappointed if Apple held the smaller iPhone back just because it’ll appeal to different people. 6.1″, I think, is the perfect size for a cheap iPhone, right in between sizes so people aren’t making as drastic of a choice.
This could also be the year that Apple finally redesigns the iPhone. The current model is still based on the design of the iPhone 6. The same slippery design is still here. With the iPhone 12, Apple may finally create something new. Rumor has it that something akin to the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4 may make a comeback, a flat side that’s easy to grip and looks timeless. Perhaps it’ll be something that finally looks like it’s worth Apple’s insane pricing.
A Phone in the Pocket?
Once upon a time, Apple called smaller iPhones “common sense.” Sure, the iPhone 5 had a larger screen than the iPhone 4s it replaced, but it still put your entire screen within reach of your thumb. When the 4.7″ iPhone came out, Apple introduced “reachability,” which helped pull the screen down, when you needed it. It was a cumbersome solution to a problem that was easy to solve: just make the screen smaller.
Now our phones are so large that even the volume and lock buttons are out of reach. Software can’t bring them closer to the bottom of the iPhone.
To put it simply, Apple has lost their common sense. Maybe 2020’s the year they get it back?
While I’d prefer an even smaller screen, a device closer to the size of the iPhone 5, something between an iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 would be nice. Furthermore, interest in it could show Apple that people still want small screens.
I don’t think I’ve been this excited for an iPhone concept since the early 2010’s.
Sources:
- Gordon Kelly, Forbes
- Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider
- Joe Rossignol, MacRumors