Apple Testing Screens for a Larger iPhone and a 13-Inch iPad

galaxy note ii iphone 5
5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II vs. iPhone 5 (Source: phoneArena.com)

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and its suppliers are testing larger screens for both the iPhone and iPad:

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. The iPad Mini, a stripped-down version of its tablet computer, has a 7.9-inch screen.

Reports of larger screen sizes for Apple's iPhone model are not new. Multiple reports have already suggested that Apple has been experimenting with screen sizes as large as 5.7" for the iPhone.

However, only one previous rumor, which we classified as "sketchy" emerged in May that pinpointed a 12.9" size for a future iPad.

The larger iPad, which the site apparently in all seriousness says would be called "iPad Maxi", would launch in the first half of 2014 and be intended to target the ultrabook market as well as increase utility for digital textbooks.

While we dismissed that rumor before, the Wall Street Journal's sources apparently confirm the testing of this large almost 13" screen size. The newspaper does explain that these new designs may never make it to market.

Meanwhile, they say the new 2013 iPad will be ramping up later this month. This year's iPad will use the same 9.7" screen, but with a lighter and thinner display structure.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Launch Is Just One Month Out – Here's Everything We Know

Saturday August 10, 2024 5:00 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
macbook pro bb cyber

Apple's M3 MacBook Pro Gets Up to $1,000 Off In Major New Sales, Starting at $1,299 [Updated]

Sunday August 11, 2024 1:54 pm PDT by
Apple's M3 MacBook Pro is seeing multiple high value discounts on Best Buy and Amazon today, with up to $1,000 off select models. This includes a new all-time low price on the entry-level M3 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1,299.00, down from $1,599.00, and a massive $1,000 discount on the high-end 16-inch model exclusively for Best Buy members. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best...
iPhone 16 Pro Right Side Feature

The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Tuesday August 13, 2024 4:01 pm PDT by
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18.1 Beta 2 and iOS 18 Beta 6

Monday August 12, 2024 2:32 pm PDT by
Apple is beta testing iOS 18 and the first update to iOS 18 concurrently, and we got the second betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 today alongside the sixth betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15. Many of the changes in iOS 18.1 are focused on bringing the .1 betas in line with the standard betas, which recently received updates to Photos and Safari, while...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID Single Camera Hole

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Thursday August 8, 2024 4:40 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2

Next Year's Slim iPhone 17 Could Be an 'iPhone Air'

Monday August 12, 2024 8:43 am PDT by
Apple's rumored iPhone 17 "Slim" could be positioned as an iPhone "Air" to boost sales, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained how the "fourth" model in the iPhone lineup since 2020 (the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus) has largely been a commercial failure. In the case of the Plus model,...

Top Rated Comments

tbrand7 Avatar
144 months ago
Well, let the iPad "Maxi" rumors begin!
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbrand7 Avatar
144 months ago
RIP Steve Jobs and "Think Different".
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iWallace26 Avatar
144 months ago
I would love a 4.3 or 4.8 screen for the iphone not sure about a 13 inch ipad though.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lincolntran Avatar
144 months ago
Maybe just me

Maybe it's just me, but I prefer to have my devices that fit my needs and my needs are:

- For quick and ultra portable: I have my iPhone 5 (don't like it any bigger, I even like the 3.5 screen better)

- For bigger screen and still ultra portable: I have my iPad mini

- For even bigger screen: I have my iPad

- For serious work AND still portable: I have my Macbook Air

- For taking over the world: I have my Mac Pro

I don't want a phone with 6.5, or 5.5, or 5.0, or related hybrid screen sizes that can't do the job as good as the 5 mentioned above. But that's just me. :D
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
irDigital0l Avatar
144 months ago
Larger screen iPhone?

Yes please.

Apple finally gets it. Multiple displays sizes for MacBook, for iPad...one sizes does not fit all.

Hopefully it'll happen this year.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TrollToddington Avatar
144 months ago
I'm in for a 13" iPad. Perfect for musicians, it will replace the music sheets. There's definitely a market for this.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)