Assuming app compatibility can be worked out… Apple has kind of painted itself into a form factor corner by protecting developer's need to build a variety of interface screen ratios.
Right now they're building 1x and 2x resolutions, but can (mostly) just tile background for the vertical change for the iPhone 5). This is still an cost advantage they have over Android development, even as many developers are now creating parallel platform versions of their apps. (Developers, developers, developers!)
If Apple decides to give in to screen size pressure, then going even taller won't fix it this time…so it has to scale. They can't just double resolution either, as they're already way beyond the eye's ability to discern the difference, and it's a major hit on processor/power consumption. You are seeing a few new Android phones promising absurd resolutions (435ppi?).
And to only scale dimensions without increasing resolution will knock that spec way down the product comparison tables.
So they may have to introduce a third resolution. This adds an ugly addition to developer's list of things to do…as an in-between resolution will is not just a simple scale factor (although some developers create custom graphics for each resolution). To manage this transition they might knock support for the oldest (iPhone 3G, 3Gs) off the supported list. Not a great choice.
Or, the OS could take a major rework/redesign and move to a model where resolution is irrelevant and the app intelligently "adapts" to the environment…which is (sort of) the approach that Android has had to take. This would be a massive undertaking for the iOS team.
Or they can just stick to their basic proportions for the device, stick to their guns about the "correct" size for the device. This is likely Jony's feeling, but then we went and got an iPad mini.
I think Apple saw this train coming 12 months or more ago and came to an impasse over the ongoing approach with Forstall. Not sure if he was for or against the ambitious path, but based on some of the decisions of late I'm sensing management is taking paths of less resistance - which is easier in the short term, but will create major pain later. |
