IPhone to get larger screen: A report to take with a grain of salt?

By Salvador Rodriguez

May 16, 2012 12 AM PT

Apple has begun preparing to launch an iPhone with a larger screen than its previous models, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The tech giant has ordered screens that measure at least 4 inches diagonally from its Asian suppliers, the Journal reported early Wednesday, attributing its information to “people familiar with the situation.”

Production for the larger screens is expected to begin next month, according to the report.

If the report is accurate, the sixth-generation iPhone would be the first in Apple’s phone line to have a screen larger than 3.5 inches.

Apple could be making the move as a response to other manufacturers’ phones, which have continued to grow larger.

For years there has been a large selection of Android phones with larger screens. A few more phones heading to the market -- notably the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S III -- measure over 4.7 inches. Samsung also has a phone/tablet hybrid, the Galaxy Note, that comes in with a 5.3-inch screen.

But be cautious with this news. Apple has been rumored to be on the verge of increasing the size of its iPhone’s screen size numerous times in previous years, with no result.

The Cupertino company could be hesitant to begin switching up its mobile gadgets’ screen sizes to avoid one of Android’s biggest problems: fragmentation.

Keeping every iPhone the same size has helped Apple ensure that most of its users are running the latest iOS version, which in turn helps developers create apps with the latest features and therefore have some of the best smartphone apps available.

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