Another reputable source has come forward with information that the iPhone 5 will indeed feature a 4-inch screen, along with a form factor redesign, for a Summer 2012 iPhone 5 release. And apparently the new design with larger screen was opposed by Steve Jobs before his death.
A new report surfaced today claiming that the 2012 iPhone 5 will indeed feature a larger screen and redesigned form factor. According to an unnamed source at iLounge, “the next-generation iPhone will not look like the teardrop-shaped version that was widely rumored for release in 2011 We’ve been told that the device will have a 4-inch display and will be 8mm longer than before, with a metal casing (probably aluminum).” The iLounge report also sheds some light on the iPhone 5 release date — targeting the Summer of 2012 as the most plausible timeframe — as well as the possible causes for the iPhone 5 not being released in 2011, stating that “We suspect that poor battery life doomed the prior prototype version, and that this one is being built with LTE-ready battery drain in mind.”
iLounge’s report comes more than two weeks after the iPhone 5 News Blog‘s own inside source reported to us on November 4th that the iPhone 5 is “going to have a 4-inch screen and will be announced in June 2012.” The only detail that our source diverges from the iLounge source on is the thinness of the iPhone 5: whereas the iLounge report is claiming that the iPhone 5 will be thicker in order to accommodate a larger battery for the 4-inch screen and 4G LTE technology, our source is claiming a thinner form factor.
It is important to note that the iPhone 5 News Blog‘s source accurately predicted that the 2011 iPhone would be a refresh of the iPhone 4 while the majority of the tech community was reporting that a teardrop-shaped iPhone 5 would be released in 2011, sporting a larger screen. The new iLounge report appears to put to rest the predictions of a teardrop form factor for the 2012 iPhone 5.
Steve Jobs Was Against a 4-inch Screen for the iPhone 5
According to several well-placed sources, it is now apparent that the iPhone 5′s release in 2011 was squelched by Steve Jobs for some unknown reason. While reports have suggested that either the battery or processor posed a performance issue for the larger-screened iPhone 5 prototype, a new report is suggesting the real reason why Steve Jobs stopped development of the iPhone was the larger screen itself.
According to The Register, Jobs himself scrapped production of the iPhone 5 due to concerns over the size of the screen, and how it might negatively impact the user experience: “Steve stepped in to kill the iPhone 5 because he thought that the bigger screen would fragment the iOS ecosystem and make some apps look less than perfect on the new phone.”
If this report is true, then a 2012 iPhone with a 4-inch screen would indeed be a major departure from the wishes of Jobs, marking Apple’s desire to move in a different direction for the design and functionality of its flagship mobile device.
A new report surfaced today claiming that the 2012 iPhone 5 will indeed feature a larger screen and redesigned form factor. According to an unnamed source at iLounge, “the next-generation iPhone will not look like the teardrop-shaped version that was widely rumored for release in 2011 We’ve been told that the device will have a 4-inch display and will be 8mm longer than before, with a metal casing (probably aluminum).” The iLounge report also sheds some light on the iPhone 5 release date — targeting the Summer of 2012 as the most plausible timeframe — as well as the possible causes for the iPhone 5 not being released in 2011, stating that “We suspect that poor battery life doomed the prior prototype version, and that this one is being built with LTE-ready battery drain in mind.”
iLounge’s report comes more than two weeks after the iPhone 5 News Blog‘s own inside source reported to us on November 4th that the iPhone 5 is “going to have a 4-inch screen and will be announced in June 2012.” The only detail that our source diverges from the iLounge source on is the thinness of the iPhone 5: whereas the iLounge report is claiming that the iPhone 5 will be thicker in order to accommodate a larger battery for the 4-inch screen and 4G LTE technology, our source is claiming a thinner form factor.
It is important to note that the iPhone 5 News Blog‘s source accurately predicted that the 2011 iPhone would be a refresh of the iPhone 4 while the majority of the tech community was reporting that a teardrop-shaped iPhone 5 would be released in 2011, sporting a larger screen. The new iLounge report appears to put to rest the predictions of a teardrop form factor for the 2012 iPhone 5.
Steve Jobs Was Against a 4-inch Screen for the iPhone 5
According to several well-placed sources, it is now apparent that the iPhone 5′s release in 2011 was squelched by Steve Jobs for some unknown reason. While reports have suggested that either the battery or processor posed a performance issue for the larger-screened iPhone 5 prototype, a new report is suggesting the real reason why Steve Jobs stopped development of the iPhone was the larger screen itself.
According to The Register, Jobs himself scrapped production of the iPhone 5 due to concerns over the size of the screen, and how it might negatively impact the user experience: “Steve stepped in to kill the iPhone 5 because he thought that the bigger screen would fragment the iOS ecosystem and make some apps look less than perfect on the new phone.”
If this report is true, then a 2012 iPhone with a 4-inch screen would indeed be a major departure from the wishes of Jobs, marking Apple’s desire to move in a different direction for the design and functionality of its flagship mobile device.
