iPhone 5 Rumor: New Smartphone To Have 4-Inch Display

A new iPhone 5 rumor suggests the forthcoming smartphone will rock a 4-inch screen, as Apple attempts to stay ahead of its Android rivals.

Heavyweights such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Reuters have all focused on the speculation about a 4-inch display, lending the rumors some extra credence.

And in a way, it makes perfect sense. Throughout its evolution, the iPhone has always stuck to a 3.5-inch screen – even when other smartphone makers were increasingly designing phones with screens measuring over 5 inches (the Samsung Note is one of the biggest, with a 5.3-inch display).

Yet a Tokyo correspondent for Reuters reports that LG, Sharp and a new firm, Japan Display, will combine forces to produce the 4-inch screens for iPhone 5 from next month. That, suggest several pundits, could allow Apple to start production in August, ready for an iPhone 5 launch in October – October being a popular month for Apple launches.

So far, Apple’s response to having a smaller screen than many of its rivals has been typically impressive, with some thoughtful interface design maximising the 3.5-inch display. Yet with a run of 4.5-inch-plus Androids now flooding the market, the company may have to expland, literally.

Is a 4-inch display too big? Personally, I think it’s at the outer edges of what is acceptable for a smartphone – I always found the Samsung Note a tad large to smoothly transfer from hand to pocket. Beyond 4.5 inches, I’d prefer a tablet. What say you, readers? Let us know in the comments.