Pundits and fans are in agreement that a bigger screen will be the #1 selling point of Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 6 refresh. With two models in tow, one with a 4.7-inch screen and the other using a phablet-class 5.5-inch display, the iconic smartphone will for the first time go comfortably past four inches.
So, who’s willing to trade a bigger screen for a much-improved battery that could keep you going for 24 hours or more, on a single charge? For the sake of completeness, One survey identified a longer-lasting battery as the top feature request by early iPhone 5 adopters ahead of the handset’s September 2012 launch…
This notion is driven home rather effectively by Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 commercial which likens iPhone users to wall huggers. The 60-second spot argues that the Apple handset has a sub-par battery which tethers folks to the wall and therefore deprives them of the life’s precious moments.
But first, the poll – cast your vote below.
Just a few quick observations.
Although a bigger screen needs a larger enclosure that in turn can house a bigger, longer-lasting battery, a larger form-factor does not necessarily guarantee energy advances.
For starters, phablets are usually outfitted with faster processors with additional cores needed to power apps and graphics on a larger canvas. The problem is, as powerful as these chips can be, most of them are power hogs – that’s why playing resource-intensive games drains your iPhone’s battery fast.
More importantly, a bigger screen needs a larger total backlight which in turn puts a strain on the battery.
Now, most rumors point to Apple’s A8 processor being still dual-core and apparently focused on better power efficiency.
Of course, you could have both – a bigger screen and a longer-lasting battery – usually if a device is chubbier.
That won’t be the case with the iPhone 6 – the handset is said to be between 6 and 7mm thick, leading some Chinese sources to speculate that Apple’s obsession with thinness will yield only marginal battery improvements.
As in, a 2,500mAh battery – more powerful than the 1,570mAh package inside the iPhone 5s/5c, but paling in comparison with high-end Android handsets that sport a 3,000mAh or stronger batteries.
At any rate, yours truly is willing to bet that a stronger battery in the iPhone 6 will offset the increases in power requirements stemming from the phone’s bigger screen and increased pixel count.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMUTrTYD9s
A noted analyst claimed in a note this morning that a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be delayed until 2015 due to production woes.
The report matches up with stories earlier by Taiwanese media which asserted that Apple’s battery cell suppliers like LG Chemical and Samsung couldn’t produce iPhone 6 battery components measuring 2mm or less, as per Apple’s spec sheet.
Before signing off, a sketchy report by British tabloid The Daily Mail calls for a secret partnership between Apple and a UK-based firm called Intelligent Energy. Specifically, Apple is ostensibly looking to use Intelligent Energy’s  fuel cell technology to permit future iPhones and iPads to run on a single charge for days, or even weeks.
I’m interested to hear your take on the Bigger Screen vs. Stronger Battery dilemma. Which one would you be willing to trade for the other, and why?
Hit us in comments below.