Apple Tests 5 Inch iPhone And 13 Inch iPad Screens – Report

Apple and its Asian suppliers are reportedly testing larger screens for both the iPad and iPhone, indicating the manufacturer is considering diversifying its product line up.

Officials at Apple’s suppliers told the Wall Street Journal that the Cupertino-based company had asked for prototype screens larger than four inches and a prototype tablet slightly smaller than 13 inches.

The current size of the iPhone 5 screen is four inches, while the iPad measures up at 9.7 inches. The iPad Mini is a bit smaller at 7.9 inches.

Apple larger screens

Many smartphone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung offer smartphones with screens larger than the iPhone 5 and compete in an increasingly popular ‘phablet’ section of the market.

Samsung has enjoyed great success in offering smartphones in a number of different sizes, while Apple has persevered with its ‘one size fits all strategy’, despite falling behind Samsung in terms of market share.

Apple’s larger screen tests could be a direct response to this trend, while the company is widely believed to working on a cheaper version of the iPhone as it attempts to target the mid-range market.

The company is still the leader in tablets, although its advantage is being eroded by Samsung. Apple has already responded to the threat of seven-inch tablets with the iPad Mini, but a larger device would appear to go against the trend and potentially open up a new market segment.

However both prototypes may never hit shelves as Apple routinely tests different designs during development. What appears more concrete though is that suppliers have already started work on a new iPad and mass production of components for a new iPhone believed to have the same resolution and dimensions as the iPhone 5.

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