Apple iPhone with 4.6-inch Retina Display? Report says yes
(CBS News) What new iPad? We want to hear what's going on with the next iPhone!
Reports are circulating that the next iPhone will sport a larger 4.6-inch Retina Display. The South Korean media is reporting that Apple has started placing orders for the new display to suppliers, Reuters reports.
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The Maeil Business Newspaper released the report and cited an "unnamed industry source," according to Reuters.
If these rumors are true, a move to increase the size of the iPhone will be out of step with the product line. All previous models of the popular smartphone have had a 3.5-inch display. Let's get real, though. It seems highly unlikely that Apple would make this drastic a change on such a popular device. A 4.6-inch iPhone is over an inch (diagonally) larger than its current size.
If Apple's history tells us anything, it's that the company cares about the user experience and aesthetics. A larger iPhone seems bulky, which is not in line with Apple's philosophy of clean design.
Apple's current model, the iPhone 4S, has a 3.5-inch Retina Display - 960 x 640 pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch (ppi). Retina Display debuted on the iPhone 4 in June 2010, with the same display specifications as its successor.
Retina Display is defined as passing the threshold where the human eye can perceive data. Currently, it's generally accepted that 300 ppi at a distance of 12 inches is the maximum data the human retina can recognize.
There are currently three devices in the Apple product line with Retina Display: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the new iPad.
