WSJ: iPhone Mini Will Have Edge-to-Edge Screen

[belardo]

Facts
When things get smaller they break easily

Actually... no.... it depends.
My big Galaxy S phone broke when it feel out of my pocket, a 2 foot drop - first time ever. Broken screen.

A smaller body will most likely take a fall better than a bigger one. And while it maybe half the size of current iPhones, it could be perfect for some people.

The 4" screen size on Samsung phones is fine... but the bezel around it takes up space and makes the phone rather uncomfortable.

 

[epdm2be]

Screen size in inches (pixel densitiy) is irrelevant. It's the effective pixel resolution that counts (with respect to compatibility). Since the iPhone 4's screen resolution is already (960x640) 4x the old resolution they have enough room to cut 1/4 of that screen into a smaller device yet maintain the same resolution as the original iphone 2G (480x320). So there won't be any problem.

 

[epdm2be]

[citation][nom]Belardo[/nom]The 4" screen size on Samsung phones is fine... but the bezel around it takes up space and makes the phone rather uncomfortable.[/citation]

Don't forget they have to put the buttons, jacks and connectors somewhere. There's a reason why the top and bottom have these thick black panels/bezels. Just look how deep a 3,5" headphone jack is.

 

[molo9000]

[citation][nom]epdm2be[/nom]Screen size in inches (pixel densitiy) is irrelevant. It's the effective pixel resolution that counts (with respect to compatibility). Since the iPhone 4's screen resolution is already (960x640) 4x the old resolution they have enough room to cut 1/4 of that screen into a smaller device yet maintain the same resolution as the original iphone 2G (480x320). So there won't be any problem.[/citation]

Screen size does matter. A smaller screen means all the control surfaces (buttons, etc.) are smaller but your fingers are the same size as before.

It all depends on how much smaller the screen is, but hitting the right buttons is difficult enough on a 3.5" screen.

 

[mage182]

If these are decent'y cheap when being bought without a contract, and can be used on ATT network without getting a data plan I'd get one. It would be nice to have something newer than my Treo 680 that doesn't cost a fortune and I can use to mess around on wifi.

 

[belardo]

@ Molo9000:
They could make the iPhone Mini with a custom smaller display form-factor. So instead of 4 columns but buttons, it has 2. Making the UI tiny, overall - I don't see them doing that.

@epdm2be

Don't forget they have to put the buttons, jacks and connectors somewhere. There's a reason why the top and bottom have these thick black panels/bezels.

That has nothing to do with the bezel of a Galaxy. Theres the HTC Aria (which I considered), which has all the jacks and buttons of a Galaxy, yet has a 3.2" screen. With the crappy support from Samsung and the big - yet great looking AMOLED screen of the Galaxy, I sometimes feel I should have gone with the Aria.

The new Galaxy S2 is even larger in every way, other than being thinner - than the previous Galaxy. Geez- make it to thin, there will be nothing to grip when your talking.

 

[epdm2be]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]Screen size does matter. A smaller screen means all the control surfaces (buttons, etc.) are smaller but your fingers are the same size as before.It all depends on how much smaller the screen is, but hitting the right buttons is difficult enough on a 3.5" screen.[/citation]

OK, it does matter from an aesthetic PoV. But from a technological point it's perfectly feasible.

Anyway iPhones are essentially MP3-players combined with cellphones. Since the target audience for MP3-players is kids... kids have small fingers, haven't they?

It's unfortunate that the same kids can't afford iPhones. So business-execs buy them instead. For whom mediaplayers are useless and therefore they're the wrong target audience anyway. But that's a whole other story.

 

[alienzander76]

Got my 3GS for Christmas a year ago. Loved it for the first 6 months. Now, if I wasn't stuck in a contract, i'd throw it out of a 3 story window and watch it explode. I wonder if the new versions are going to get slower and slower with every firmware update like the previous versions. Can't wait to go Android. CANT WAIT!!!!! Suck it Steve, suck it

 

[lamorpa]

Smaller isn't necessarily better, bigger isn't necessarily better. What is better is different than now, so you buy a new one (from the manufacturer's point of view).

 

[silver565]

Ah look! another revolutionary product from apple!

It's like the iTouch/iPad but in reverse!

I can see it now

"Hey guys, we've made the iTouch bigger, it was a really big hit. Should we make something smaller now?"

 

[robochump]

Edge to Edge screens are not easy to pull off. If Apple iPhone 5 and iPhone Nano did pull this off then it would be another industry first. I do see Apple doing this BTW. And I believe selling an iPhone Nano to those "other" CSPs will be a good move.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]soldier37[/nom]What us iPhone users want in the iPhone 5...4.3 - 4.5 oled screen, 64gb storage, 1080p video, Sony optics in the camera, dual core CPU and thinner with no or less bezel. NOT a smaller phone.[/citation]

The 4.3~4.5 screens are WAY to big for most people. Yeah, its good for watching videos... that suck up batteries. Hey, I know... buy an iPad or other tablet computer.

The only way a 4.3 screen would be acceptable is if it has NO Bezel.

 

[eddieroolz]

You know, we heard this same thing back in the days of iPhone 2G. Guess some rumors never die.

 

[epdm2be]

[citation][nom]Belardo[/nom]The 4.3~4.5 screens are WAY to big for most people. Yeah, its good for watching videos... that suck up batteries. Hey, I know... buy an iPad or other tablet computer.The only way a 4.3 screen would be acceptable is if it has NO Bezel.[/citation]
Interesting point you make there.

What IS the biggest acceptable size for a phone anyway? That is an interesting point to seek out. I'm inclined to set the max. for me personally to 4" but how does others feel about it? Perhaps this should be on another thread/article.