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Poll: If the iPhone 6 is indeed a larger iPod Touch design, has Apple got it right?

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Case designs and claimed leaked sketches are a less than wholly reliable method of predicting what the new iPhone 6 might look like, but we do seem to be hearing a fairly consistent story of a significantly slimmer handset with a rounded back. Very much like a larger iPod Touch, in fact.

Slimmer is likely to be welcomed, though there are those among us who’d prefer to stick to the existing thickness in return for greater battery-life, but with the iPhone expected to be available in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, it’s likely that a larger battery will be possible even with a slimmer format … 

But rounded edges would represent a significant break with recent iPhone designs. Other rumored changes are the power button moved to the side, and thin, rounded-rectangular volume buttons.

Below are a few comparisons between the iPhone 5s and iPod Touch, taken from the recent Unbox Therapy video.

If an iPod Touch-like design is indeed what Apple has planned for the iPhone 6, has the company got it right? Take our poll, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Comments

  1. willo (@mozfart) - 10 years ago

    I would *love* this design.

  2. Omar Sharif - 10 years ago

    If remaking the same design as the iPod touch to save time to work on new features , I’m OK with it

  3. If it’s larger then the rounded edges/corners would be welcomed. I “think” that it wouldn’t be comfortable at the larger size if it retains the same overall design of the 5S. The edges might seem sharper trying to hold it in one had at 4.7/5.5 inches.

    • I second this. If the iPhone 6 is larger (And I REALLY hope it is) the rounded form factor would feel much better to grip than the “sharp” edges of the current design.

    • nonyabiness - 10 years ago

      I’m really looking forward to a rounded design on the iPhone. I’d gladly carry an iPhone 5S if it had the 5C plastic backing- but since the 5C doesn’t have TouchID, it’s a no go. The squared designs of the iPhone 4 – 5S don’t produce a good feel in hand IMO, and is the main reason why I still have my 5S in a case- the case makes it more comfortable to hold.

  4. i vote no because the battery will stay the same or manor improvement for large iphone i think

    • So you vote no for a poll that is completely irrelevant to your reasoning? It’s not asking for your presumptions on battery life, which is what they are. It’s asking if the design is right for the iPhone 6. Your answer may still be no. But don’t vote on a poll if your not going to actually answer the question.

      • Michael Perry - 10 years ago

        He answered the poll just fine and his reasoning is sound. The design doesn’t just consist of the look it also consists of physical dimension. The phone is thin… the battery will have to be thinner to fit. Sure there is more surface areas (a bit) but the battery would still have to be thinner than the current generation batteries; this is a fact, not an assumption. With a less thin device, they could fit a slightly thicker and thus more mAh battery into it; this is also a fact and not an assumption. Conclusion is, if the design of the device wasn’t as thin the battery life could be made better, regardless of what the battery life would be once launched. Additionally if you look at the size jump from the 4S to the 5 and factor the additional space:

        1.) .5″ larger screen
        2.) depth decreased from 9.3 to 7.6
        3.) 4.5″x2.31″ increased to 4.87″x2.31″

        If you take that same information and apply it to what we know of the new phone (providing the leaks are accurate but more importantly it’s what the poll is subjected to) the battery life on the new phone should be about the same as the 5/5S (thankfully not less) which is to say about average… A thicker design would allow more battery and would actually compete with the gold standard for battery life set by a couple phones which have been released within the last 1.5 years

      • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

        Michael, the thing is you have absolutely no idea how much mAh is lost or gained in making the battery thicker. They are making it physically larger in surface area, whilst reducing depth slightly. You think they are losing a lot of mAh from the thinness? I don’t know, but I know you don’t either. What I do know is that everyone talks about it like they know what they are talking about, when in fact, 0% know what they are talking about. The only people that know, are currently working on it at Apple, and it is extremely secretive.

    • Ishan Vadera - 10 years ago

      It’s already reported that Apple has asked the battery manufactures a larger but slimmer battery which according to them (manufacturers) is very complicated.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      You don’t know anything about battery life, so please don’t presume to know what you’re talking about. Thanks.

      P.S. What does a larger device mean? More surface area for a larger battery. What’s better in a battery, surface area or thickness? The answer is: you have absolutely no idea.

  5. jeff (@jayh4wk) - 10 years ago

    I really hope the next iPhone has the rounded edges like the iPod Touch. I have had an iPhone 4 and 5, and while I loved both, they are very uncomfortable to hold without a case. The iPod Touch sans-case is much more comfortable, and this will be a welcome change for the phone…

  6. danbridgland - 10 years ago

    The original 2007 iPhone had rounded edges. It felt great to hold and very natural in the hand. I very much enjoyed the feel of the original iPhone and rued the switch to angular edges for the iPhone 4/4s and iPhone 5/5s

    Anyone wanting longer battery life can buy a battery case.

    • rettun1 - 10 years ago

      Good point. Because all the people making battery comments usually also mention that they don’t care about thinness.

  7. Paul Herron - 10 years ago

    What happened to “the common sense thing”? I don’t want a bigger phone!
    http://youtu.be/EY4c2mh15Yk

    • Lance Newcomb - 10 years ago

      Neither do I. The 5″+ screen Phoblets sold by the android market look really stupid when used as phones.

      Am I the only one that would be very happy if they made a SMALLER iPhone with the same screen resolution as the 5?

      • I feel like I am biased because of how large my hands are. I used a 5″ Galaxy S4 the other day and It rested in my hand much better than my iPhone 5. Being half giant definitely skews my opinion. Ha!

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

        no, your not the only one. Just one of few. If they fit the 4″ screen in the height of an iPhone 4 and made it as thin as these rumors it would be an amazing product.

        Best of both worlds for screen reality and one handed use.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

        you’re* and I meant that as a reply to Jan, I must have hit the wrong reply button

    • Jan Klaassen - 10 years ago

      There seem to be only a few people left who don’t want a bigger phone. I’m one of them. I do NOT want a bigger phone.

      Why do people want a bigger phone? As far as I know most people don’t even care about real estate, but they just want a bigger phone for the sake of having a bigger phone. So, if Apple would release a 6″ phone with the exact same resolution as the iPhone 5s people would describe it as Apple’s best move ever. They would say: “Finally. It was about time they released a phone of a normal size.” Why? What’s the advantage? What do you gain? Absolutely nothing. It only has disadvantages. There are still the same number of pixels, same number of apps on screen. It only makes everything even bigger than it already is. It only makes everything more ugly.

      At least Apple has to increase the number of pixels, so you gain real estate. There should be room for 5 icons on each row, instead of the current 5. This would make a bit more sense, but I don’t want a bigger phone. I really wouldn’t mind Lance’s suggestion of making the phone smaller, while keeping the current resolution. That would be perfect. It would mean the pixels would be even smaller than they are now, making everything on screen even smaller, so even more beautiful. I just love very high pixel density. Back in the days of CRT monitors I had a 19″ screen with a resolution of 2048×1536. I absolutely loved it. I was running Windows 2000 on it and the task bar was just a few millimeter high, while the Start button was as big as the finger nail on my little finger. Everything was so extremely small and beautiful. Other people started buying those first LCD screens with enormous pixels, like 1024×768 on a 17″ screen. Unbelievable. How can people look at a screen like that. It hurt my eyes. I kept my high resolution CRT for a very, very long time. My first LCD was on a laptop, although it was a DELL with an extremely high resolution. I just love it when everything is so extremely small. It looks so good and sharp. I wished everything on my iPhone would be smaller. A smaller iPhone using the current resolution would be really nice or the current size of the iPhone with a higher resolution (5 icons on each row on 4″). I don’t want big, I want small.

      • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

        Yes that’s exactly what people want, to strain their eyes trying to see even smaller content… Um, the entire idea of a larger display is being able to read more easily, and generally have a much better viewing experience.

      • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

        You are incorrect about the “more screen real estate” and the extra row of icons that would be possible. The new screen is not that much bigger, and Apple would be foolish to do anything other than increase the physical size, leaving the virtual size of the screen alone. Anyone looking for an extra row of icons is going to be disappointed.

        As for sizes of phones, the iPhone 5c will replace the 4s and the 4 as the “free with contract” phone, the iPhone 5s will become the iPhone 6c in a plastic housing, and the iPhone 6 will be the only one of the three offerings that is 5″. So there will be two 4″ offerings and one 5″ offering this year.

    • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

      I think you’re SOL my friend, and certainly in the minority. Most folks would like a larger screen. There’s definitely merit in the functionality of single hand use, but that’s where good software design comes in. Apps appropriate for single hand use might consider locating certain buttons within a thumb’s length. Perhaps consider left or right handed layouts. And there’s always Siri to handle your typing.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

      I despise that commercial so much. It makes me so angry since It’s such bs. No one can hold a phone like that. The phone is mounted and the actor isn’t holding it.

      Lets say you could actually hold it like that. Do you hold your phone with your right handed? If so, than hitting the back button is still pain in the ass (note how he never reaches to the upper right). It also glosses over pressing the home button—a crucial part of using an iPhone. Sure, if you hold the phone in the middle to you reach most parts of the screen, but you have to shift your grip change apps, use multitasking, and call up siri.

      The iPhone 4s was the last phone they cared about “ideal” phone size and that commercial was marketing crap to try and convince people everything will be alright. I’ve no doubt they will move to a larger phone and leave that marketing idea in the past if they thought the new larger phone was the best thing they could make given current limitations.

    • Michael Perry - 10 years ago

      That ad was released as a defensive response in a situation where as Apple put it themselves “Customers want what we don’t have” so they used marketing to change perception instead of giving customers what they want.

      • Florin Nica (@iampiny) - 10 years ago

        If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said ‘faster horses.’ — Henry Ford.

  8. JustReboot (@justreboot) - 10 years ago

    I’m kinda mixed here / I actually switched to the iPhone (from a LG G2) for the SMALLER screen. Even though I never use a phone one handed (I kinda hold the phone with my left hand and use my right index finger as a ‘stylus’). I never embraced ‘one handed phone use. Technically, that wouldn’t be the reason for the big/small screen love/hate thing. For me it was/is a matter of comfort. Since I always pocket my phones (front), the phone can’t be too big, or it’s simply uncomfortable to carry around all day (especially seated). I will have to see this phone live to make a final decision, but most likely if the 6 (4.7″) doesn’t add significant ‘volume’ to the phone, I would end up getting it and give the 5s to the wife… Time will tell…

  9. moofer1972 - 10 years ago

    YES PLEASE to rounded corners! The 5S hurts to hold for longer periods!

  10. chrisl84 - 10 years ago

    I like the design I just wonder how the speaker/mic would be affected by having the number of holes in the bottom reduced to a single row. I personally like a strong clear speaker phone.

  11. Toro Volt (@torovolt) - 10 years ago

    I don’t know about the iPhone but I hope Apple updates the iPod Touch with the 4.7 screen and rename it iPhone WiFi or iPad Micro. Calling the best value on mobile computing an iPod is a silly misnomer.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      iPhone wifi is the worst market name in history, I applaud you for coming up with that.

    • Jomy Muttathil (@jomym) - 10 years ago

      iPad air – iPad mini – iPad nano

      • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

        This is what I’d like to see. I don’t give a crap about “phones” and previous to iPhone I never had one as they are mostly useless IMO.

        I don’t want a big ass phone, I want an “iPad nano.” 6″ or 7″ has always been the sweet spot IMO for a portable tablet. Put a stylus on it and it would replace all my analogue and digital devices with one single device. Maybe in a few years Apple will finally get there.

      • charilaosmulder - 10 years ago

        No, iPad nano is a bad name. A 4.7″ device shouldn’t be associated with a tablet brand, let alone a somewhat bigger iPod Touch wouldn’t run iPad apps.

  12. tool022611 - 10 years ago

    I like the current design, the more square look. I don’t know why everything these days needs to be rounded. If they kept the current design but moved the power button to the side, made an all alumina back with the antenna openings on the back, and made it a little thinner, for me that would be the perfect iPhone.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

      It must be rounded because it will be thinner. It really is a necessity. Otherwise would become difficult to pick it up off a flat surface since the sides would no longer be enough surface area to grip. With curved edges you can get your fingers under.

  13. claytonkimball - 10 years ago

    As long as the camera is flush with the back, I’d love the design.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Yes of course that is welcomed, but who cares if it isn’t really?! Do you use a case? If you use a case it DOES NOT matter, even in the slightest.

  14. Mirza Usman - 10 years ago

    I dont think so…They are copying Samsung Design

    • Ry L - 10 years ago

      more like copying themselves. The iPod has been like that for a couple years now.

  15. I like the rounded corners. But a big issue to me is they need to make iPhones more durable. I love not using a case but its a huge gamble. So many of the people who use iPhones cant enjoy the perfection of the design because you have to put a huge case on it or risk loosing a few hundred dollars.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      What do you want them to make it out of? There is no material that is invulnerable to damage. If you don’t use a case it will absolutely always be a gamble for scratches, dents, and a shattered screen. Liquid metal may provide more durability, but other than that, I don’t know what they can do. Of course the screen will be sapphire, so that’s more durable, but yeah…

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

      I think this comment is stupid. Personally, I think people who use cases are just foolish, but choose one option or the other and live with it.

      Picking a case to be safe and whining about having to use it is lame. Similarly not using a case but then bitching about having to pay if you drop it is lame.

  16. capdorf - 10 years ago

    Rounded – yes, Thinner – unnecessary, Power button to the side- Bad idea, too easy to do it accidentally as on samsung, Bigger – a big NO.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Rounded back is great. Thinner is great, and necessary for the larger device size, as it makes holding it easier. Power button to the side is absolutely needed to continue one handed use as much as possible. Bigger physical size, hopefully not by much on the 4.7″, but bigger display size? Always welcomed. Reduction of bezels is what I hope for.

  17. The single biggest issue with most mobile devices is battery life. Please for the love of god Apple figure this out.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      If a battery can last until you go to sleep at night, it isn’t an issue. If you have numerous things turned on costing you battery life unnecessarily, that’s sad. Battery tech is very slow compared to everything else. A new tech will be found at some point, but it’s not now I don’t think.

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

      It’s actually already been “figured out.” It won’t change and you are foolish to think that it will. You only have to ask yourself one question to see it.

      Q – Several times in it’s history, Apple could easily have made the iPhone battery bigger instead of making the phone slimmer, but they chose not to every time … why?

      The answer is that for the average user, the iPhone battery actually lasts for days. If instead you are a gamer, or someone addicted to social messaging or whatever, then you are a minority case.

      The phone is designed for average users to be satisfied. If you check it out, you will find that most users when surveyed about the battery and asked for a response, think that it lasts a long time and are mostly very satisfied with it. The problem here is only that you believe that your experience is “typical” when in fact it’s not.

  18. rettun1 - 10 years ago

    If the protruding cam means ois, then I’m all for it. Insanely thin

  19. rlo (@rpez21) - 10 years ago

    There needs to be a “How the F do I know, but I’ll still buy it just because the screen’s bigger, even if everything else stayed the same” choice. ;-)

  20. PMZanetti - 10 years ago

    This is what they have been trying to make for a long time.

    IMHO, the iPhone 5/5s are the ‘worst’ design for an iPhone yet. The original was the best, the iPhone 3G/3GS second, the iPhone 5c a big achievement going back in the right direction, and the 4/4S & 5/5s completely impractical and uncomfortable in the hand. Fragile, and ridiculous.

    They LOOK nice…but do not make sense as a phone. I always wanted the original iPod touch to be the iPhone. Then shook my head at the current iPod touch as a brilliant design, IF ONLY, it could be for the more useful iPhone.

    Apple is finally getting there. This new iPhone is a long time coming.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      The iPhone 4/4S were by far the best looking, and the iPhone 5/5S were obviously second. They aren’t hard or uncomfortable to hold, all other iPhones look awful compared to them except the iPhone 5C which looks good, but it’s plastic, so it’s no where near as good. Though, yeah, if it looks like the iPod touch it will be superior ergonomics.

      • PMZanetti - 10 years ago

        I vehemently disagree that the 4 or 5 are remotely comfortable to hold without a case on them. They are not comfortable, at all. Hard edges never are.
        The glass on 4 made it extremely awkward. The 5 did away with this, but maintained the 90 degree corners.
        Rounded > Squared.

        The 5c looks and feels great in the hand…except the plastic part. I’ll take anodized aluminum over plastic for comfort. Undoubtedly.

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

      You are making an incredibly tall mountain out of an unremarkable mole-hill.

      Yes the iPhone 4, 4s 5, and 5s have angular edges. Are they “(not) remotely comfortable,” or “extremely awkward” to hold? No, not at all.

      Your post is 100% hyperbole IMO.

  21. As long as the battery life remains the same or increases, why not?

  22. David Kexel - 10 years ago

    For one-handed use, a smaller device makes perfect sense. I have a 4S, which is easy to use, but I hate using it to browse the web, even for a short period of time. I even find the iOS 7 calendar cumbersome to use on the 4S. I will be upgrading to the iPhone 5 or 6 because I want a larger screen. Another thing I think that is driving the larger screen size is that people are opting for one device. The don’t want or can’t afford to spend money on multiple devices (tablet, phone, laptop.) Solution: offer the iPhone Apple in multiple size (3.5″ – 5.5″).

  23. Everyone is comparing this possible new design to the old iPod Touch – don’t forget that this possible design also matches perfectly with the new iPad Air.

  24. Louis Mark - 10 years ago

    I cant believe the tech media are so late to realizing the fact that all these iPhone leaks were bascially exactly the same as the iPod touch. The 6mm design, the volume controls, the protruding camera, the curvature. Everything was exactly the same as the iPod touch. Better late than never

  25. FAME - 10 years ago

    regardless of design, phones need to transcend. people are no longer interested in the conventional idea of a mobile phone. why is it my laptop can’t make calls when a device 20 times smaller can? why is it my ipad can;t make calls when a device 8 times smaller can? the phone moniker needs to be dropped so phone can truly be what the have become, computers. phablets are the present, people still investing in ‘phones’ and ‘tablets’ are 5 years behind.

  26. Dean Fernandes - 10 years ago

    I voted Yes…
    My current iphone as well as my first iphone (got it in 2009) is the unlocked iphone 3g…..Still using it today in spite of its software/hardware shortcomings…

    Have been avoiding upgrading to all the latest and greatest iphones year after year…just in wait for a design similar to the 3g…….sleek, simple and a good natural grip….

    An iphone 6 design of any thickness (that apple seeks to choose), but similar in shape to the 3g while also having a transparent sapphire glass rear body, would be my dream iphone…

  27. Apple is very serious about hardware design. They don’t start jumping and changing designs on every item, they all look the same and stay like that until they need to move on because internal needs. I love the fact they always are stock to their ideas til the end. it makes your device unique and desirable.

  28. Marty Lacombe - 10 years ago

    While the thinness would be cool, I really enjoy the flat sides, making in possible to rest the phone on it’s side for multiple reasons, including viewing videos and using it as a flashlight… I really would hate the rounded sides…

  29. roj - 10 years ago

    sorry guys, but the rounded edges look like a samsung phone (especially now that the iphone becomes larger!!)

  30. Lalit Katel - 10 years ago

    Well I wouldn’t buy, if it looks just like an iPod. No offense current iPod touch users..but this design doesn’t DOESN’T have the premium looks. I would rather wait for iPhone 7 than!!

  31. dr3459 - 10 years ago

    Of course this would have to mean improvements to the design overall then but honestly I saw it coming. Since the iPod 5 came out it just is mind blowing how thin it is and everyone I know has said it would be a great phone model. Just make it bigger(4.7-5.5 inch screen), better cameras, flash, screen, battery(yes battery finally gets better) and internals(A8, M8, more RAM, etc). That’s iPhone 6.

  32. What if it is just a new iPod? Look at the flash it’s not a double-flash like on the iPhone 5s…

  33. Joe Legakis (@joelegakis) - 10 years ago

    I want them to copy the Moto X. 4.7″ screen in an amazingly small phone with good battery life, good speaker, excellent feel in the hand with the addition of waterproof

  34. ziongpham - 10 years ago

    I would love it, it it had a sturdier feeling to it than the iPod. And I would prefer it to be a bit heavier. Probably having a liquid metal inside frame would be a big sell for me.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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