It’s looking more and more likely that Apple’s iPhone 6 will feature a much bigger display than previous models have had, and now some helpful tech observers have put together a video showing just what the iPhone’s operating system might look like running on a bigger device.
When Apple shows off the next version of the iPhone some time later this year, industry observers expect that Apple’s new smartphone will feature a 4.7-inch display outputting at a resolution of 960×1704. That would bring the iPhone nearly to par with high-end offerings from Samsung, HTC, and others, and it would mark the second screen size increase for the iPhone since its introduction in 2007.
Apple, of course, won’t confirm or deny the existence of a larger-screened iPhone, but that hasn’t stopped a number of supposed Apple suppliers from leaking components that are said to be going into the iPhone 6. Top Apple rumor site 9to5Mac , which always has its ear to the ground regarding the new iPhone, dug up some pics of a supposed backlight component for the iPhone 6. The backlight is said to be big enough for a 4.7-inch screen. Undeniable proof? No, but this is kind of how Apple rumors go from whispers to confirmed: bits and pieces of iPhones and iPads leak to the press in a slow trickle until just a bit before Apple unveils a new device, by which time we already know what the thing looks like.
Right now the assumption is definitely that the next iPhone will have a screen that is massive compared to the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c . What’s not certain yet is how iOS will look running on such a screen. A couple of days ago, though, 9to5 ‘s Dom Esposito did a mock-up of what iOS 7 might look like running on on the bigger display. Surprise! It looks… like iOS.
Okay, to be fair, users will be able to fit a ton more content onto their screens, so there will be no more squinting at Safari in order to browse the web. Android users are already accustomed to the larger screen real estate, but this will be a new thing for iPhone users. People with iPhones, though, will also likely get an extra bonus that Android users won’t have: superb battery life.
Apple has had the option to make the iPhone larger for quite some time, and a number of tech industry observers have criticized the company for failing to do so. Apple CEO Tim Cook, though, has steadily maintained that Apple would not produce a larger-screened iPhone until it could do so without having to sacrifice battery life, among other factors. If Apple is indeed coming out with a larger-screened device this fall, it almost certainly means that the Cupertino company has found some way to boost battery life to levels it feels acceptable.
Of course, the iPhone 6 isn’t the only thing Apple is said to have waiting in the wings. There is the ever-rumored Apple TV, as well as the much-anticipated iWatch. Apple is said to be rounding up celebrity talent to make a marketing push for the latter , so the later part of this year could see a blitz of new Apple products, with a larger-screened iPhone 6 at the forefront.