New rumored iPhone could mean big changes for iOS developers

Despite adding a number of new features and updating the aesthetics of its mobile operating system, the physical specifications of Apple's iPhone have remained virtually unchanged since the popular device hit the market in 2007. If you want to learn the ins-and-outs of Apple hardware, the American Graphics Institute's Apple classes are an excellent primer for working with these devices, but if word on the grapevine is to be believed, Apple could soon be introducing a new, larger version of the iPhone - a move that could have significant implications for iOS developers.

Mixed blessings
Although Apple evangelists and newcomers to the company's hardware could be swayed by a bigger version of the iPhone, the introduction of a larger handset could pose problems for countless developers working with Apple's iOS platform. According to Mashable, the move could cause problems the likes of which were seen when Apple first introduced its proprietary Retina display technology. However, despite Apple's apparent reluctance to embrace larger devices, some developers have been preparing for the move to bigger screens for some time.

"Honestly, Apple has been preparing developers for this for two years," Moshe Berman, an iOS developer, told the news source. Berman first began working with the iOS platform over three years ago, and said that functionality such as automatic resolution scaling in Xcode, the integrated development environment used for developing OS X apps, will make the transition easier.

Berman's comments were echoed by Dave Wiskus, lead designer at Q Branch, the development studio behind notation app Vesper. Wiskus told Mashable that Q Branch has already migrated its graphics workflow from bitmap to vector to enable resizing of visual assets without loss of quality.

Keeping up with the Joneses
Although some tech pundits have criticized Apple for failing to keep pace with the competition, the introduction of a larger iPhone was almost inevitable, according to Business Insider.

Apple's primary competitor in the smartphone market is Samsung, which offers a range of handsets that are considerably larger than the iPhone. Despite the pressure to build a bigger iPhone, Apple's fanbase is enviably large, and while the Californian tech giant doesn't necessarily need to produce a larger variant of its flagship device, consumer demand for such a model would undoubtedly be strong, further cementing Apple's position in the mobile electronics industry.

Even if you've never used a Mac, the American Graphics Institute's Apple classes can teach you how to leverage the power of Apple's UNIX-based OS X operating system and hit the ground running.