Apple Code More or Less Reveals Bigger iPad, iPhone Screens

Rumors abound about the iPhone6 and the iPads (from iPad Air, to iPad mini 3 to the elusive iPad Pro). The latest is that these phones and iPads may come in new sizes and shapes. At least Apple’s just released beta code for xcode 6 revealed as much. So the forthcoming hardware is expected to bring in some new looks.

New York: It was first reported by the French blog Mac4ever that two new configurations have been added to the list of iOS devices that can be simulated in the coding environment “resizable iPhone’ and ‘resizable iPad’. These additions do not tell us anything specific except to suggest that Apple will release iPhones and iPads with new dimensions, possibly in time for iOS8 release this fall. The options can be found in the iOS Simulator tool, which itself comes with new configurations that let developers group data and configuration settings together. They were not however mentioned specifically in the “What’s New” release notes. Latest rumors suggest that there might actually be two new iPhones in the works: a 4.7 inch iPhone and a 5.5 inch iPhablet. The latter is expected to be so thin that it is learnt that Apple is finding it difficult to find batteries for it. As for the iPad and iPad mini, some analysts believe that larger screen versions will not come until 2015 at the earliest, while upcoming refreshes will focus on Touch ID integration and possible speed boosts. Developers can download the latest xcode 6 beta from Apple’s Developer’s Portal.

There has been a lot of speculation about the launch of the iPhone 6 later this year, with most of the reports focusing on the possibility that Apple will release larger sized iPhones and iPads. The updated xcode hint only strengthens these rumors. With Apple reportedly working on a larger display for iPhone6 which runs at a native resolution 1704×960 pixels, the resizable simulator will enable developers to test how their app’s layout adapts to changes in screen size and prepares for the future.

One of the biggest criticisms of Apple in the recent years has been the lack of options in terms of hardware, especially when compared to Android which has smartphones available in virtually every screen size. According to a screen shot on Twitter, the new simulator will offer four options to developers when choosing their screen size for their app: iPad Retina, iPad Air, Resizable iPhone and Resizable iPad.