[NewsPoster]

Future generations of Apple's iPhone could pack curving screens and pressure sensitivity sensors, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The Cupertino company is said to have new handsets in development that will finally reify longstanding rumors that new iPhones would sport even larger screens. According to the new report, Apple's potential devices could sport displays of 4.7 and 5.5 inches.

The report notes that the devices are still in development and that plans for them are not complete. Supposedly, Apple would release the new, larger-screened iPhones in the third quarter of next year. How exactly those new, larger-screened devices would fit into Apple's current iPhone pricing tiers is unknown.

As to the curved screens, the technology would likely help Apple to improve the durability of its bestselling handsets. Both LG and Apple's chief rival Samsung have been showing off devices with curving displays recently, and the improved toughness of those displays is typically a point of emphasis in demonstrations.

Unlike Samsung and LG, though, Apple's devices would not have a fully curved form factor. Instead, the glass of the iPhone display would curve around the edges of the device. Samsung showed off such technology earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Perhaps a larger change would be the addition of pressure sensitivity to displays. The new report says that technology is unlikely to be ready for inclusion in the next generation of iPhones, but that Apple is at the least considering it and working on it. Reportedly, iPhones would have sensors built in that could distinguish between light and heavy touches. Prior reports on the supposed features to expect in next generation iOS devices have been hit or miss at best, as Apple tends to work on a wide range of technologies and doesn't necessarily put them to work in its devices immediately, if at all.

[Gmark3d]

Am i the only one that doesn't want a phone the size of a dinner plate?

[Spheric Harlot]

No.

[dprimary]

The current iPhone is a little larger then I care for already, the 4 was a better size.

[mkbhatia]

checking to see if this works properly

[pairof9s]

Gmark3d: I think this is where the 5C/5S sets the precedent for Apple having a variety of current iPhone offerings. Apple can provide a "cheap" model (5C), a std model (5S), and large model (5+).

I respect the size of the iPhone 5S (which I now have), but from a viewing perspective, I would like to have a 4.7" like the HTC One I tried out. It was not as easy to hold & use as the iPhone 5, but definitely not problematic; it could even be a little smaller, 4.3-4.5". The larger viewing area allowed me to customize the icons, text and graphics to be bigger, which helps these aging eyes!

[Inkling]

Who cares about curved screens. I just want screens that don't break when dropped.

[climacs]

@Inkling: Apple is working on that, check out the deal they concluded recently to fund a sapphire display plant in AZ. The capacity suggests strongly that the vendor may have come up with a way to make sapphire displays more economical, which could mean using sapphire for something other than camera lens and Touch ID sensor.

Apple needs to give in and come up with a phablet. There is clearly strong demand for such a size, even if Apple continues to insist that the iPhone is the perfect width so you can use it with one hand.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by climacs 

Apple needs to give in and come up with a phablet. There is clearly strong demand for such a size

No there isn't, and certainly not "clearly", by any stretch.

Check back with actual sales data, if you can find it.

[andi*pandi]

if a curved screen makes it more comfortable to hold by your ear, great. If not, then Shaddim/Phileas's watch/remote doodad is sounding better and better. I tend to make my calls in speakerphone mode (if it won't bother anyone) because of discomfort.