No 4-Inch iPhone 5 After All, Report Says

  • Share
  • Read Later

Apple will buck the trend of bigger screens in the iPhone 5, either sticking with a 3.5-inch display or a slightly larger 3.7-inch screen according to the latest rumor.

A handful of reports from earlier this year claimed that the iPhone 5 would a have a 4-inch screen, thanks to an edge-to-edge design that makes better use of the phone’s existing shape. But that’s poppycock, say the rumor mongers at DigiTimes, citing “sources from upstream panel suppliers.” The iPhone 5’s screen size will remain less than 4 inches, they claim.

(MORE: Latest iPhone 5 Rumors Are All About Shape)

To further dampen the mood, DigiTimes sources say any rumored specs you might’ve heard—say, an 8-megapixel camera, full HD video recording, a dual-core A5 processor and an ultra-thin industrial design—are merely “the market’s expectations” for the iPhone 5, while in reality the iPhone 5 might not be much different than the iPhone 4 in terms of components. Do expect a metal chassis on the back of the phone instead of reinforced glass, those sources say.

I find it hard to believe that the next iPhone won’t have a dual-core processor and an improved camera, and DigiTimes‘ report is kind of vague about refuting those rumors specifically.

But the report is pretty clear about striking down the rumor of a 4-inch screen. If true, that’s too bad. Android phone displays have slowly been getting larger, with handsets like the HTC Sensation 4G proving that you can fit a 4.3-inch display into a svelte figure. Samsung’s Infuse 4G, has gone even larger with 4.5-inch display, and Google’s Nexus Prime is rumored to have the same screen size.

One-handed operation does get a bit tougher with these larger screens, but I’m sure Apple could expand to a 4-inch display without compromising ease of use. Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5 in October—according to more rumors, of course.

LIST: 10 Products That Defined Steve Jobs’ Career