Next-gen iPhone Expanded Screen Concept [With Pictures]
I was thinking the other day about the next iPhone, as we are all are apt to do. Specifically, I was thinking about the possibility of a larger screen. Rumors have pointed in this direction for months now, and the main argument against them is the compact form factor of the current iPhone 4 and 4S. Big screens are wonderful, but no one seems thrilled about jamming a massive slab of an iPhone into his jeans pocket.
Why not keep the size of the phone the same, then, and just expand the screen vertically? I looked at my own iPod touch and realized there's just no room with the current configuration. The home button is in the way.
via i48.tinypic.com
So why not remove it? While the iPad can function perfectly well using gestures, the iPhone is honestly much too small for that, making the button crucial to a smooth experience. But what if the home button was part of the screen itself, instead of below it?
Here is my mockup of a next-generation iPhone with the same dimensions as the current one but with an expanded screen. (I have no Photoshop skills to speak of, but anyone who does is welcome to my idea.) I call the space below the dock the Navigation Area.
via i47.tinypic.com
The basic premise of the Navigation Area is that it is fluid. It becomes whatever it needs to be. On the home screen, it begins as a black rectangle that holds the new soft home button. With a swipe from the left, the background fades to brushed metal and the media controls appear.
via i49.tinypic.com
A swipe from the right shows recent apps, fading the home screen apps. Tapping the home screen apps zooms the Navigation Area back to the home button, saving the user from needing to scroll through a long list of recent apps.
via i45.tinypic.com
Notifications could also be presented in this area. I pictured a notification and its associated app icon zooming in from the right, bumping the home button out of the way before leaving the way it came. Notification Center would stay at the top of the screen.
via i45.tinypic.com
Now let's talk apps. By default, apps would take up the entire expanded screen. (My example is in landscape, but portrait apps would behave the same way.)
via i47.tinypic.com
A swipe from the right edge (bottom in portrait) would bring the Navigation Area back, nudging the app out of the way and fading it.
via i45.tinypic.com
While looking through recent apps, a tap on the current, faded app would zoom back to the home button, and another tap would bring it back into focus, covering the Navigation Area once more.
Realistically, it would take developers a while to update apps for this new screen. Apps not yet updated would simply open with the Navigation Area next to them in a sort of compatibility mode, retaining their 4:3 ratio.
While not quite 16:9, this new screen would still make for a much improved video experience. The black bars would shrink, and the viewing area would be larger.
It's not perfect, but I think this expanded screen could be just what the iPhone needs. It's not as wasteful as the current design, and I think it is simple and elegant. There are many more cool scenarios the Navigation Area could present (for example, the home button floating up and transforming into the Siri icon), so please share! I'd love to hear feedback on this idea.
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