iPhone 5 Could Have a Taller 4" Display

Before the iPhone 4S came out, almost every rumor assured customers that it would see an increase to a 4" display. When it turned out that the screen of the 4S didn't change at all (in fact, the entire exterior didn't change at all), it was a big disappointment for many customers. Now, we hear rumors that the iPhone 5 will be the one to get the 4" display. But the thing that makes this report interesting is that the width of the screen won't change; Apple will just make the screen taller, changing the screen ratio from 4:3 to 16:9. Here's what that would look like:

But, Apple wouldn't simply stretch out the display. Instead, you'll just see more of the display. For example, on the home screen above, you'll see 5 rows of apps on every home screen; on the 4S you only see 4. And on the Twitter app below, you'll see more of the timeline, but proportions will stay the same.

 
One reason why some people are wary about this change is that it could change the snug feel that the iPhone 4S has in your hand. Because the height of the device will be increased by 0.4", your hand probably wouldn't touch the top of the device anymore, which might feel weird. Apple could counter this by making the bezel smaller, but iLounge reports that the bezel will only shrink by 0.04".

There are mixed reactions to the new design; while some are in favor of it (after all, if Apple's making the design, it has to be good...), others aren't so sure. First of all, it would be quite a hassle for app developers to make their apps compatible with the new screen size, and apps would look really weird before they made the switch. Second, this wouldn't quite solve the issue of the slightly cramped iPhone screen; many people are in favor of keeping the same aspect ratio in a new iPhone. Third, I find the back of the new iPhone a little bit ugly; the white-gray-white coloring looks too blocky and old.

You'll notice that this mockup shows the iPhone with a significantly smaller dock connector, which has also been rumored by several other sites. If this dock connector turns out to be micro-USB, that would make many of your other appliances compatible with the iPhone, but if it isn't, that will be a hassle, because your 30-pin chargers and other appliances won't work with the next iPhone.