Apple's World Wide Developer Conference rumor roundup gave us a flat interface for iOS 7, the redesigned Mac Pro, and iRadio iTunes Radio. With those out of the way, and WWDC about to wrap up for another year, the rumor mill is back in full swing and this time it's bigger iPhones... again.
Big iPhone & cheap iPhone rumors are back. Again.
The latest report saying Apple is working on a larger form factor iPhone comes via Reuters sources who say both 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screen sizes are being considered for release in 2014. Earlier rumors claim lower priced iPhones are coming, iPod touch-style colors will be options instead of just white or black, finger print technology will be included, and that this will be the year Apple finally adds NFC technology to the iPhone.
Apple probably has been working on all of those features in various forms, but that doesn't mean we'll actually see any of them in shipping products. What it does mean is that Apple is continually looking for ways to improve the iPhone, and that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.
Calls for a bigger iPhone and a cheaper iPhone have been making the rounds practically since Steve Jobs showed off the combination iPod and smartphone at the beginning of 2007. Apple did eventually increase the iPhone's screen size from 3.5-inches to 4-inches with the iPhone 5, but that also included a redesigned form factor that made it easier to still use the device one-handed -- an important feature for handling a phone on the go.
Moving to a 4.7-inch screen could happen if Apple felt the tradeoffs in battery life and portability could be overcome, but a 5.7-inch screen seems too big and unmanageable for the company's style.
What does seem reasonable is that Apple will introduce an iPhone 5 replacement this fall around the same time it ships iOS 7. If that also includes a lower priced iPhone model outside of the company's modus operandi of selling previous year's models at a discount, it'll be because Apple is ready to start going after the market for less expensive smartphones, much like it did when taking the music player market with multiple iPod models.
The HD Apple television, the iWatch, the cheap iPhone and the big-screen iPhone are like unicorns prancing in a meadow: Everyone wants them, some people even say they've seen them, but in the end it's all just talk. Wanting Apple to make a product doesn't mean it'll happen, so for now less expensive iPhones and bigger screens are rumors, just like they have been for years.