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New iPhone 16 survey proves that it’s time for larger displays

Today the findings of a new survey reveals what buyers are looking for ahead of the iPhone 16’s launch. One of the key takeaways? Apple knows what it’s doing by betting on larger iPhones for the upcoming 16 Pro lineup.

The survey, which was performed by SellCell, polled 2,000 prospective iPhone buyers. Those surveyed were all adults, and it was an even sample of 1,000 females and 1,000 males.

Perhaps the most interesting data point had to do with Apple’s plans to increase the size of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

Among those surveyed, a whopping 54.9% said they would like to have a bigger iPhone.

This is a huge number. The sample size of 2,000 may not be quite large enough to accurately represent the broader population. However, it’s still very significant that over half of respondents expressed a desire for a bigger iPhone.

As you might expect, the answers here skewed toward greater interest from men than women.

  • 62.1% of men surveyed want a larger iPhone
  • Slightly less than half of women (47.8%) said the same

It’s no doubt because of data like this that Apple is planning to increase the size of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max this year.

Brown iPhone 16 Pro concept

Top comment by BarelyLucid

Liked by 23 people

Cherry picking a number doesn't "prove" anything. That same stat suggests that 45% want the same size or smaller.

Looking at the survey results, size was only the 5th most important thing. Price, thermal design, AI features (ugh), and faster processors were all more important factors among those surveyed. The action button was in a virtual tie with size as well.

Additionally, the question itself was poorly framed. The question was: "would you buy a bigger phone?" and the only available "yes" answer was "yes, I would like a bigger phone."

"would you buy" and "would you like" aren't the same thing. It always amazes me at how bad surveys are at asking questions that will generate serviceable answers.

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When they’re introduced next month—likely on September 10—here’s what we’re expecting from the new iPhone 16 Pro models:

  • iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display, up from last year’s 6.1 inches
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch display, up from last year’s 6.7 inches

Although there’s definitely a notable chunk of Apple’s customers who do not want larger iPhones, and feel as though the current models are big enough (or even too big), it’s apparently also true that many haven’t hit their preferred size limit yet.

Other noteworthy data from the survey

Some other interesting tidbits from the survey include:

  • A whopping 61.9% of respondents said they expect to upgrade to the 16 line in September
  • Most iPhone 16 buyers (82%) don’t mind that Apple Intelligence won’t quite be ready at launch
  • Among reasons respondents would upgrade to the iPhone 16, one of the top motivators was surprisingly the prospect of a better thermal design to combat overheating

What do you think of the survey results? Do they surprise you at all? Let us know in the comments.

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Author

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.

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