What a Tall 'iPhone 5' with 4-Inch Display Looks Like

Earlier this month, iLounge reported that Apple is indeed looking to move to a 4-inch display in the next-generation iPhone by increasing the height of the screen while keeping the width consistent. With the report including a number of other specifics including measurements for the new device, we commissioned Ciccarese Design to produce some higher quality mockups of what such a device might look like.

iphone 4in 4s ciccarese
Rendered mockup of taller iPhone with 4-inch display (left) and iPhone 4S (right)
Click for larger

As had been proposed in earlier speculation, a taller display could allow Apple to add one more row of icons to the iPhone's home screen, moving to five rows per page plus the row of pinned icons in the dock at the bottom of the screen.

Increasing the diagonal measurement of the iPhone display from 3.5 inches to 4 inches while maintaining the same width as the current display adds approximately 11 mm (0.45 inch) to the height of the display. With iLounge's report indicating that the new iPhone's body will measure in at approximately 125 mm, which is 10 mm taller than the iPhone 4S, the spacing for the components above and below the display would remain roughly the same.

iphone 4in front back ciccarese
Rendered mockup of taller iPhone with 4-inch display
Click for larger

The mockup also shows a smaller dock connector as has been rumored by several sources, as well as a flat metal panel in the central portion of the rear shell of the iPhone, in line with iLounge's claims.

Ciccarese Design has also provided us with an interactive 3D model of this mockup, accessible via WebGL-enabled browsers. On OS X, Safari users can turn on WebGL by first navigating to Preferences -> Advanced -> Show Develop menu in menu bar and then choosing the "Enable WebGL" option from the Develop menu that appears.

It should be noted that iLounge's claims have been directly contradicted by a recent report from iMore, which claims that Apple has yet to settle on a final form factor for the next-generation iPhone but that there appears to be no change to the aspect ratio of the display and that there will be no metal panel on the rear of the device. Both iLounge and iMore have offered accurate information in the past, and thus it remains to be seen which source is closer to the mark on this round of rumors.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out 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 differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

mrBallistic Avatar
159 months ago
prob not...

just imagine the headache of moving from a 4:3 screen to 16:9 for all of the app developers out there. at least retina was just a 2x issue...
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
159 months ago
Yuck

I don't need a taller screen I need an overall LARGER SCREEN Apple!
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
159 months ago
No thank you.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Canaan Avatar
159 months ago
I don't think it looks quite right being that tall. I personally hope they take another route.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nikefn2 Avatar
159 months ago
I may be in the minority but I really don't care about a bigger screen, PERSONALLY. I'm more of a software guy so I'm really concerned with the aspects of iOS 6 and how great that will/should be. Don't get me wrong, a bigger screen would not hurt but it's not at the top of my list.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrystalPepsi Avatar
159 months ago
Won't happen. The ratio will be the same. These mockups are nice and all, but there is no way they are going to make exiting apps ugly/shoehorned.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)