Apple Reportedly Developing iPhones with Large Curved Screens for 2014, Enhanced Touch Sensors for Later Models

Apple is developing two next-generation iPhones with larger, curved glass screens set for release late next year, reports Bloomberg. The new iPhones will feature displays at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, with the report also claiming that Apple is working on enhanced touch sensors that incorporate pressure sensitivity for later iPhone models after next year.

iphone5svsgalaxynote3
iPhone 5s vs. 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note III (Source: phoneArena.com)

Two models planned for release in the second half of next year will feature larger displays with glass that curves downward at the edges, said the person, declining to be identified as the details aren’t public. Sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen may be incorporated into subsequent models, the person said.

The new iPhones will be Apple’s largest at screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inches, the person said, approaching in size the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 that Samsung Electronics Co. debuted in September. The South Korean maker last month released the curved display Galaxy Round, the latest phone in an array of sizes and price points that’s helped keep it ahead of Apple in global market share.

The new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven’t been completed, the person said, adding that the company will probably release them in the third quarter of next year.

While Apple routinely develops prototype devices that are never released, rumors of an iPhone featuring a significantly larger screen have surfaced occasionally throughout the past couple of months. The Wall Street Journal reported in July and September that Apple had begun testing prototype iPhones with screens as large as six inches, and a report last month from NPD DisplaySearch speculated Apple may launch both a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch iPhone in 2014.

MacRumors released a printable papercraft version of a 5-inch iPhone back in February of this year after other rumors of a larger iPhone surfaced.

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

Fondaparinux Avatar
141 months ago
How does a curved screen help anyone with anything?
Score: 71 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pat park Avatar
141 months ago
what's the point of a curved screen? Larger screen? I can see that, but do not understand what a curved screen is for.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TC03 Avatar
141 months ago
Ah, Bloomberg. So reliable.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-10/apple-said-to-work-on-cheaper-more-versatile-iphone-models.html

Apple has considered selling the new iPhone for about $200, without obligating users to sign a two-year service contract, said the person who has seen it.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-17/apple-may-delay-introduction-of-iphone-5s-commercial-times-says.html

Apple Inc. (AAPL) may delay the introduction of the iPhone 5S until the end of the year after the design was changed to feature a bigger 4.3-inch retina display screen, the Commercial Times reported.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-25/apple-plans-service-that-lets-iphone-users-pay-with-handsets.html

The services are based on “Near-Field Communication,” a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to 4 inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone for AT&T Inc. and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-09/apple-said-to-develop-cheaper-iphone-model-for-late-2013.html

The device would use cheaper parts and may be smaller than current models, people familiar with the plans said.
These guys don't have a clue what they're talking about.

My guess: it's a mixup.

1. Apple probably is experimenting with larger displays
2. Apple probably is experimenting with curved displays

However, I highly doubt they would use curved displays in the iPhone. I suspect the curved displays are actually iWatch displays and not the larger iPhone displays.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
141 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DesertEagle Avatar
141 months ago
Two new models of a great phone, and (finally!) with a decent screen size too!!

Too bad I went over to Samsung already. :D
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oohara Avatar
141 months ago
Looking forward to the release and the comments from all those iPhone purists who have been laughing at any screen bigger than 4 inches. :D
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)