shownotes_20130107

Opening
  An interesting on the new Maccast Google+ community when Mark posted a link to a Business Insider piece claiming that 2013 would be the year of the Megaphone (and I mean big ass phone, not the handheld loudspeaker device).
  To date I have been firmly in the Apple will never do a 5-inch plus iPhone (but I also believed they wouldn't make a smaller iPad, so what do I know?)
  Let's take a look at why Apple may (or may not) make a larger phone this year.
Those analyst guys say so
  Jeffries analyst Peter Misek says Apple will have an iPhone 5S in June with a "SuperHD" screen and that Apple has a 4.8" IGZO iPhone 6 prototype model.
  Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White says Apple will expand both the colors and screen sizes on future iPhones
  "We expect 2013 to be the Year of the Phablet," said Neil Mawston, UK-based executive director of Strategy Analytics'
  Barclays predicts demand for devices with 5-inch or larger screens will increase nine fold over the next three years.
    They predict Apple will release at least a 4.5-inch iPhone this year
  Thing is analysts are wrong at least as much, and probably more, than they are right.
It's not a phone. Exactly!
  There does seem to be demand for a large phone/tablet hybrid device.
  Samsung reported sales of 10 million of it's 5.3-inch Galaxy Note device back in August and launched the Galaxy Note II with 5.5-inch display in September with channel sales reaching 5 million by the end of the year.
  I think a reason for the trend is a growing percentage of the market that is consuming content on their device, but not really making phone calls
    I think the rising popularity of the iPad mini and other 7" tablets are another example of that trend.
  The advantage of a large phone is the always on connectivity along with the convienience of only carrying one device
  Demand is lead by the Asian-Pacific market.
  1080p HD video is often cited as a driver of demand, I have a hard time with this one. Video playback yes, but 1080p on that small a display is a joke.
Closing
  Thanks to Ken Ray (Mac OS Ken and Mission Log)
  Feedback to member@maccast.com or call 281-622-4269 (281-MAC-I-AM-9)