Rumours Apple is on the verge of launching a larger screen iPhone have been circling for months, and now leaked slides reveal exactly why the firm may be looking to this new market.
In short, it’s because that’s where the money is. The slides were used by Samsung as part of the current court battle in California between the two rival phone makers, and were published by website Re/Code.
They were taken from an Apple planning meeting from April 2013 that plotted the rise in popularity of larger screens, compared to a drop in iPhone growth.
The slides, pictured, were revealed by Samsung as part of the current court battle in California. They date back to an Apple planning meeting from April 2013. According to one slide, pictured, the smartphone market recently grew by 228 million units. Of this increase, 159 million units were larger, cheaper phones
On one slide, Apple accused its rivals of spending an ‘obscene’ amount of money on advertising, and claimed consumers want what Apple doesn’t have. Elsewhere, Apple admitted the strongest demand from consumers was coming from ‘less expensive and larger screen smartphones.’
It continued that its competitors have ‘drastically improved their hardware and in some cases their ecosystems.’
According to the slides, between 2011 and 2012, the smartphone market grew by 228 million units.Of this increase, 159 million units were phones with screens larger than 4-inches, that cost less than $300 (£181).
Larger phones that cost more than $300 (£181) equated to 91 million units, and there was a drop of 22 million units in every other sector. By comparison, Apple’s growth rates since 2009 to 2013 are shown as dropping from 107 per cent down to 8 per cent.
Apple’s growth rates since 2009 to 2013 were shown on another slide, dropping from 107 per cent down to 8 per cent, pictured. The $2billion court case began on March 31. Apple is accusing rival Samsung of infringing a number of software patents on the iPhone
On one slide, pictured, Apple accused its rivals of spending an ‘obscene’ amount of money on advertising, and claimed consumers want what Apple doesn’t have. Elsewhere, Apple admitted the strongest demand from consumers is coming from ‘less expensive and larger screen smartphones’