Apple fans around the globe are full of anticipation for the new iPhone 6. Rumors indicate that the iPhone 6 will have a display of at least 5 inches, but will that be enough to attract new customers?
For years iPhone users dreamed of a smartphone with a bigger display. The more processing power Apple packed into each iPhone, the greater demand grew for a bigger display. In spite of its customers' obvious desires, Apple continued to release 3.5-inch smartphones. Many who had once been devout iPhone users began to look elsewhere for satisfaction.
Enter Samsung, with its Galaxy S lineup of smartphones, featuring daring displays larger than 3.5 inches. Samsung slowly but surely seduced iPhone users away from Apple simply because it responded to customer's requests for larger displays. The incredible success of the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3 and the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 proved that the world was ready for smartphones with bigger displays. For the first time in a long time, Apple had a true competitor in the smartphone market.
It was time for a change and Tim Cook knew it. The introduction of the iPhone 5 was part of the inevitable revolution that took place in Apple after the death of Steve Jobs. The world will never know if Jobs would have given the 4-inch iPhone 5 the green light, but Cook was determined to prove that Apple was still relevant and the iPhone could be revolutionary again.
The iPhone 5 was no revolution in terms of hardware, software or even design, but it marked a huge point of departure for Apple. The iPhone 5 broke with tradition and expanded the display by 0.5 inches. Needless to say, many iPhone users were disappointed. That's all? Seemed to be the collective response to Cook's big surprise.
When the iPhone 5s and 5c were introduced, most of the discussion centered around the fingerprint sensor, 64-bit A7 processor and the fact that--gasp--Apple had released not one, but two iPhones in one shot. Customers were immediately disappointed by the 5C and dismissed it. The conversation moved back to display size. When would Apple finally make a 5-inch-plus iPhone?
It seems that the answer is this - soon, but not soon enough.
Apple needed to release an iPhone with a bigger display back when it introduced the iPhone 4S. Back in 2011, Apple could have nipped Samsung's success in the bud with a competitive 4-inch-plus display. Instead, Apple stuck with tradition and if the collapse of BlackBerry has taught us anything, it's that sticking to tradition means the death of any tech company.
Apple has finally recognized that display size is one of the most important things that customers consider when buying a new smartphone. Nearly every report agrees that the iPhone 6 will feature a 5-inch-plus display, with some reports hinting at a display of 5.5-inches. Some reports even hint that Apple will announce two iPhones again, but that the difference this time around won't be a $100 discount, it will be display size.
If Apple releases two new iPhones with 4.8-inch and 5.5-inch displays, many Apple fans will certainly rejoice, but it is unlikely that any Android user will experience a conversion experience. After all, their display size desires were fulfilled years ago by Samsung, HTC, LG and other manufacturers. Android is becoming more unified, the Google Play store has almost all the apps you could possibly want and there isn't really any incentive for them to go back to Apple.
It's also a very real possibility that Apple won't make such a huge jump in terms of screen size with the iPhone 6 either. If historical precedent is any indication, Apple will probably choose to increase the 4-inch iPhone display incrementally, rather than leaping blindly all the way up to 5.5 inches. Then again, perhaps Apple has finally remembered the secret to its success: the willingness to take big risks and innovate.
Go big or go home, Apple.
