I saw this post and reactions to it floating around, but honestly, I thought they were floppy disk memoirs or something.
When I first read the post, the assumption that the iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen is a design decision based on thumb-reach radius sounded very plausible. After all, Apple does stuff like that all the time.
Upon further review, I wonder though. I tested the theory on my old HTC EVO 4G, which sports a 4.3 inch screen slightly larger than the Samsung Galaxy S II mentioned in the post. Yes, my thumb didn’t reach the top corner initially, but a quick adjustment in the hand made that possible, while walking, down stairs.
And I have small hands and short, club thumbs. Seems like a dexterity thing instead of a physiological limitation.
So, I don’t buy it anymore. Maybe Apple did make a smart design decision, but I think supply chain or resolution/layout concerns are more likely culprits.
Thoughts?