Apple developing 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhones with curved, pressure-sensitive displays?

By Trevor Mogg November 11, 2013

apple iphone 5s rear camera angle side — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Apple rumor mill is beginning to creak back into action after a quiet period following the launch of the iPhone 5S in September.

The latest talk, brought to us by Bloomberg, suggests the tech company is planning later next year to launch two new handsets sporting 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens.

While talk of iPhones with larger screens has been knocking around for quite a while, Bloomberg’s source – a person “familiar with the plans” – throws a few interesting tidbits into the mix, claiming the handsets will have curved displays which are pressure sensitive.

First, about those curves. While Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Round handset with a side-to-side bend, and LG unveiled the G-Flex with its top-to-bottom curve, Apple’s glass-bending approach will reportedly be somewhat different, and altogether more modest, with “glass that curves downward at the edges”.

Pressure sensitive

Perhaps more interestingly, the Cupertino company is said to be developing displays which are sensitive to pressure, with “sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen”, opening up a slew of possibilities for app designers.

The source said the handsets are still in development, adding that Apple would “probably” release them in the third quarter of next year. However, the pressure-sensitive technology is still apparently being tested, with a phone incorporating the feature unlikely to hit the market until even later, perhaps in 2015.

With the launch of a 5.5-inch device, Apple would be taking its first step into phablet territory, a space it’s up to now shied away from. The company for a long time stuck with a 3.5-inch display for its popular handset, increasing it to 4 inches with the launch of the iPhone 5 last year.

However, with larger-screen handsets proving popular with consumers, it looks as if Apple is about to join the party in a bid to widen its appeal, boost sales, and increase profits.

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