Report: Apple Testing Larger iPhone, iPad Displays

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Unnamed sources are saying that Apple is testing larger screen sizes for the iPhone and iPad. Currently, most high-end smartphones have larger screens than the iPhone.

The Wall Street Journal’s Lorraine Luk reported, “Apple Inc. and its Asian suppliers are testing larger screens for iPhones and tablets, officials at the company’s suppliers say. In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally, they said. The current iPhone 5 has a four-inch screen, while the iPad has a 9.7-inch screen.”

InformationWeek’s Eric Zeman noted, “Monday’s report from the Journal doesn’t mean the next iPhone or next iPad will be bigger. It’s also not all that surprising to learn that Apple is testing devices with various screen sizes. It would be more surprising to hear that Apple isn’t testing devices with various screen sizes. While many people may want an iPhone with a bigger display, pushing the size of the iPad’s screen past its current 9.7-inch diagonal would be an interesting move on Apple’s part.

Salvador Rodriguez with the Los Angeles Times added, “The report says that Apple has already begun production on the next version of the iPhone and that suppliers have been told to be ready to ship units as early as late August. It does not appear that the next iPhone will feature a screen larger than 4 inches. The company will also begin production on the next iPad later this month, according to the report. That version of the Apple tablet will likely not feature a larger screen than the iPad’s current 9.7-inch display but it may be lighter and thinner than previous models.”

According to PCMag’s Stephanie Mlot, “Apple has not officially released any details about upcoming smartphones or tablets. CEO Tim Cook recently acknowledged that some people are hankering for larger screens, but said that many of the ‘phablets’ on the market sacrifice resolution, color quality, and other features for their massive displays. ‘We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these trade-offs exist,’ Cook said. ‘My view continues to be that the iPhone 5 has the absolute best display in the industry.'”