
A new Wall Street Journal report claims Apple’s next iPhone will indeed feature a larger 4-inch screen.
Citing sources “familiar with the situation” the WSJ claims Apple has been looking to its suppliers for larger screens for the next iPhone with sizes of at least 4-inches. Rumors surrounding the next iPhone, and even the iPhone 4S before it, have long speculated that Apple has plans to increase the size of their iconic handset. However, the rumors haven’t materialized with each generation of the iPhone sharing the familiar 3.5-inch screen size.
Apple is tapping the likes of LG, Sharp and Japan Display to supply the larger screens according to the WSJ’s sources. The larger screens could be in response to the mammoth-sized handset trend high-end Android manufacturers are currently enamored with. However, Mizuho Investors Security Analyst Nobuo Kurahashi points out to the WSJ that the screen isn’t necessarily a response to Apple’s rivals, and won’t likely be the phone’s defining feature.

Dustin Curtis shows the thumb-touch coverage of the iPhone compared to the larger Galaxy S II.
The larger screen rumor comes up during every rumor cycle before every new iPhone launch. In October of 2011, Dustin Curtis presented the reasoning behind his theory on why Apple has stuck with the 3.5-inch display for so long. Curtis makes his main point with an interesting graphic representing the potential touch coverage of the average hand holding the iPhone. On a 3.5-inch screen most people can hold the device in a single hand and nearly reach all four corners of the screen with their thumb with little to no strain. Increase the size to 4.2-inches, now the single hand operation becomes more difficult with the opposite top and bottom corners becoming useless as the user can’t touch them without using another hand. The entire side opposite of the user's thumb becomes useless as well Increasing the phone to 4.8-inches (Samsung Galaxy S III) or 5.3-inches (Samsung Note) makes single hand use restrictive for everyone without giant like features.
Apple may finally increase the size of the iPhone’s screen, but it’s not a bet I’d be willing to put money on.
Source: WSJ [via CNET]
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