Tim Cook Comments on 5-Inch Phone Market, Reiterates Commitment to Quality Over Size

iphone_5_black_frontThere have been numerous rumors claiming that Apple is working on an iPhone with a larger screen to compete with phones from competitors like Samsung, but Tim Cook's comments during today's Q2 financial results call indicate that the company is not quite ready to make a phone with a 5-inch screen.

My view continues to be that iPhone 5 has the best display in the industry. We always strive to create the very best display. Some customers value large screen size. Others value other factors such as resolution, color quality, white balance, reflectivity, power consumption, compatibility of apps, and portability. Our competitors have made some significant tradeoffs in many of these areas to ship a larger display. We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these tradeoffs exist.

It appears that Apple will not be releasing an iPhone with a larger screen until the company's manufacturing partners can supply it with a 5-inch screen that meets its demanding criteria.

The above quote is from a rough transcript of the earnings call

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 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 often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...

Top Rated Comments

Razeus Avatar
157 months ago
So be it. HTC One, here I come. I'm looking for bigger screen, not narrower.
Score: 80 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eric/ Avatar
157 months ago
Definitely ok with this. I don't really care for a 5 inch screen. It's not a feature. I don't want a giant phone I can't hold in one hand. Trying to keep inching in every single size imaginable just because Samsung and LG do it would be a mistake. What's next? Build a 6 inch iPhone?

If you want a bigger screen, go buy a tablet. Oh wait, you probably already have one. And a 10 inch tablet. And a laptop. And a desktop.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ssimpson205 Avatar
157 months ago
Are you kidding me?

Delusional. But what else would you expect from a guy who has destroyed 5 times more investor value in one year than Bernie Madoff stole in a lifetime?

If Apple thinks they can wish away the changing reality of the market, they (and their stockholders) are going to be in for very rude awakening. There is absoutely *nothing* I can do with my phone on a 4" screen that I can't do better on a 5" screen. 4.7" is the bare minimum these days - Apple is still trying to compete with phones that were obsolete two years ago.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TennisandMusic Avatar
157 months ago
I don't care if Tim says they think 4 inches is the right size for a phone, but he straight up lied about the trade offs. I wish they wouldn't do this. How can they keep saying this stuff when the evidence completely flies in the face of such a statement? It's bizarre.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wiesenlooser Avatar
157 months ago
The HTC ONE's display is magnificient and bests the iPhone 5's in every category.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
157 months ago
Seems like a throw away comment. The 'competitors' havent really had to sacrifice quality for a larger screen. He's effectively saying that the iPad and iPad Mini screen's are of poor quality there, as they are larger than the iPhone screen.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)