Apple testing various iPhablet sizes up to 6-inches

posted by Michael H. / Sep 05, 2013, 4:49 PM

Apple testing various iPhablet sizes up to 6-inches

A new report from The Wall Street Journal is telling us what we already knew, but giving a bit more information than we had before. We were pretty sure that Apple was working on a potential iPhablet, though we never had proof; and, we knew that the device would not be part of the announcement that will happen next week on September 10th. But, now we know more about the sizes that Apple is testing out.

According to WSJ, Apple is testing out various sizes for the iPhablet that range from 4.8-inches all the way up to 6-inches. We're not really sure that 4.8-inches should even be considered a phablet, even considering the largest iPhone available now is just 4-inches. It's possible that Apple has a different definition; but, the report also mentions that Apple is testing a 4.8-inch iPhone, so it could just be an oddity of the report itself.

The current set of phablets on the market range from 5.5-inches (Samsung Galaxy Note II) all the way up to 6.3-inches (Samsung Galaxy Mega). So, it's clear who Apple would be going after with this move. While there are other good phablets on the market, like the Huawei Ascend Mate, Samsung basically has the phablet market on lock with the Note.

There's no word on when Apple is planning to release said iPhablet, but it likely won't be any time soon if Apple is still in the testing phase.

source: WSJ

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53 Comments

1. Ninetysix

Posts: 2933; Member since: Oct 08, 2012

I'll definitely look at iPhones again once they up the screen size. Pretty happy with my S4 right now.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 4:52 PM 4

4. Topcat488

Posts: 1411; Member since: Sep 29, 2012

Sorry but 4.8" is NOT considered as phablet... The Dell "Streak" started the phablet era at 5"... Samsung perfected the marketing of it at 5.3"... So anything under 5" is just a large phone... Apple even joined that category late.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:04 PM 17

23. HansGoneInsane unregistered

I don't mind Apple bringing a larger screen size to the market, but I hope they don't make a phablet. Lets be honest: A phablet is not a phone anymore. Why do you never see someone actually making a call with such a device in the respective advertisements? Because holding such a big device to once ear looks stupid. Its like humans evolve back to the 80s or early 90s. Let a phone be a phone (smartphone of course) with a size that fits good in once pocket and let a small tablet be a small tablet that is better for long reading. Just my opinion of course.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 6:23 PM 0

43. ProblemSolver15

Posts: 372; Member since: Jun 14, 2010

My Note 2 fits fairly well in my hand, and holding it up to my face proves to be well worth its size. Quite honestly, I love my Note and I'd gladly fork over the money for the Note 3, I just don't see much reason to do so when my current handset has proven to be a workhorse. Think I'm going to look into the G2 just to be 'different', I guess you could say. I see no shame in swapping between the 2 every couple months. We're all phone and gadget fanatics, that's why we're here. We want the latest version of whatever device or software is out and we will pay hard-earned money to do so. This is just fun for me guys.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 10:05 PM 1

51. Piotrek007

Posts: 119; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

Don't tell me you never saw people using Galaxy Note (any) and making a call with it !!

posted on Sep 06, 2013, 4:58 AM 0

37. Alex123

Posts: 241; Member since: Oct 17, 2012

Agreed. Apple falls behind the others.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 8:49 PM 0

52. Supaheight

Posts: 66; Member since: Sep 29, 2012

fo apple 4.5 is

posted on Sep 06, 2013, 8:25 AM 0

33. InspectorGadget80 unregistered

You're right it will look like just another iphone again and if it will be a iphablet it would be the most expensive phone ever.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 8:33 PM 1

2. _Bone_

Posts: 2155; Member since: Oct 29, 2012

Imagine the number of baby iOS7 icons it'll fit!!!!

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 4:56 PM 15

11. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

Imagine the number of applications that would be optimized to actually look good in a 6inch screen!!! As opposed to scaled up smartphone apps...

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:26 PM 12

20. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

If you call a black screen at the top and the bottom as "optimized"

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:57 PM 16

24. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

If Apple does release a 6in iPhone, you can bet that its either going to run iPad apps and/or its going to gets its own category of applications. Black bars at the top and bottom are temporary, but scaled-up smartphone apps on Android "phablets" are not going to change :/

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 6:38 PM 1

30. Whateverman

Posts: 3295; Member since: May 17, 2009

I have a Note 2 and if apps are scaled up... I can't tell! They all look GREAT! Why the hate?

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 7:06 PM 5

32. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I guess we all have our own tolerance levels, nothing wrong with that. I had a Note II and that was one of the biggest reasons why I had to sell. I had a huge powerful device with a 5.5 inch screen and yet I was running the same exact apps as other weak smartphones out there, homescreen was still 4x4 apps/widget (WTF? Why?), and the pull-down menu on the Note II is exactly the same as the S3; you'd think that with a bigger screen you'd be able to see more notifications...So instead of making good use of space a lot of things (not everything though) is stretched and magnified. If I'm going to carry around a huge ass phone, I want to see a lot more content and not a magnified OS...The Note II also lacked good Spen document editing apps (I tried many including S Note [which oddly enough was the worst], Acrobat Reader, Lecture Notes, etc) and none were up to par. A good "phablet" needs to be perfectly optimized for its size. Otherwise its just a huge ass phone. That's why for me personally its a tablet combined with 4-4.8 inch phone, no more phablets

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 7:52 PM 1

40. Whateverman

Posts: 3295; Member since: May 17, 2009

Lol, I'm coming from a Razr, so the notification screen is completly different for me. The Razr didn't have all of the quick toggles but yeah. I guess that would be a negative. I will admit, the only app I've seen look kinda weird on was Ruzzle. Everything else, fantastic. All I know, is that Note 3 is the one to beat right now. If Apple can put something compelling together, I would give it a shot, but it has to have a stylus.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 9:26 PM 1

49. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

The Note 3 is looking like a killer device, but the Note 2 for content creation and document editing was a let down. For example, if you want to make a simple 8.5 x 11 flyer or edit a powerpoint via S Note, you can't because everything you export from S Note will essentially look like a screenshot. I needed more powerful tools from the Note 3 and not the cute touchwizzy features like action memo and scrapbooking. I'm not saying the Note 3 is bad device, but the S pen is just not powerful enough to justify the size tradeoff. I do miss jotting down notes on the go though. Its kinda funny but owning the Note 2 is what convinced me to buy an iPad 5/iPad mini 2 this year (or maybe Galaxy Tab). Lots of powerful iOS exclusive apps -Notabilityhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmBRBqs9ME -Penultimatehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvlPVsXoZuk

posted on Sep 06, 2013, 2:08 AM 1

44. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

if you have an iPad and and iPad mini... do you honestly think would be nice to cramp it inside a smaller device...

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 10:19 PM 0

18. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

It'll just translate into "another row" of uselessness .... iL∅L

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:51 PM 10

28. Googler

Posts: 813; Member since: Jun 10, 2013

How many icons are on the iPad? Don't see a slightly larger phone changing that much.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 6:55 PM 1

34. InspectorGadget80 unregistered

Imagine having a extra set of rows and still looks the same

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 8:33 PM 2

3. KingKurogiii

Posts: 5713; Member since: Oct 23, 2011

lul, i wonder what they'd actually call it. xD probably some spin on the iPhone name like iPhone 6 Mega or iPhone 6 Max, maybe even iPhone 6+

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:02 PM 2

14. lalalaman

Posts: 638; Member since: Aug 19, 2013

I will call it iPhablet...its a perfect name....it will get ppls attention quick....they will thinks a something completely new is there....bt it will certainly b the screen size which will attract instead of pixels or processor

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:36 PM 0

16. Commentator

Posts: 3722; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

The iPhab? At any rate, Steve Jobs is thrashing violently in his grave. If you listen closely when it's very quiet, you can make out a faint "COOOOOooooook!!!" on the wind.

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:46 PM 8

19. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

I thought dead people couldn't pass gas?

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 5:52 PM 1

42. taikucing unregistered

iCopyAndroidPhablet

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 10:00 PM 0

22. Droid_X_Doug

Posts: 5993; Member since: Dec 22, 2010

iPhone XL?

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 6:12 PM 0

35. InspectorGadget80 unregistered

iPhab is the perfect name and their still behind on massive screen display next thing we know they will patent the screen 6" saying no one else can't make that size screen

posted on Sep 05, 2013, 8:38 PM 0

6. Whateverman

Posts: 3295; Member since: May 17, 2009

It's about time! This is a good move for Apple, if the actually sell it. But they still have to loosen the shackles a little, you still can do much with an iPhone (Relatively speaking. I know you can do a lot on them). I'm sure that won't hender the sales figures. And if they give a different option to the candy land colors, that would be even better.