As rumored for some time now, The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple placed orders for displays that are “at least 4 inches diagonally” – presumably for the next-generation iPhone. Apple’s current iPhone, and all previous models, have retained the introductory screen size of 3.5-inches. A larger display would not only appease the demands of customers who claim the iPhone isn’t on par with other devices, it would also set the stage for a major redesign.
As suggested in the report, Apple may begin production on a new iPhone with a bigger screen as soon as next month:
Apple Inc., which is expected to launch its next-generation iPhone later this year, has ordered screens from its Asian suppliers that are bigger than the ones used in iPhones since they debuted in 2007, people familiar with the situation said.
Production is set to begin next month for the screens, which measure at least 4 inches diagonally compared with 3.5 inches on the iPhone 4S, the latest phone from Apple, the people said.
In addition to The Wall Street Journal’s report, Reuters chimed in with similar claims of their own. However, according to their sources, the next-generation iPhone’s display will (if accurate) measure 4-inches diagonally instead of “at least 4 inches”:
Apple Inc plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. [...]
The new iPhone screens will measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one of the sources said.
While the aspect ratio isn’t mentioned, there’s a good chance Apple will maintain the same ratio and pixel density as the current iPhone to lighten the workload of scaling up graphics for apps and to retain the same retina properties.
Stay tuned for complete coverage on Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPhone.
