Icon – iPhone 5 LM Concept with virtual home button

Another glossy fanboy render?
Yup, but this LiquidMetal concept isn’t without a touch of real-world problem solving. Much has been made of how Apple can up the size of its screen to fend off attacks from the likes of HTC’s One X or Samsung’s Galaxy S3 without upsetting the millions of devs who’ve created apps in the iPhone’s 3:2 aspect ratio. And this 4.5in design, courtesy of NAK Studio (via Yanko Design), has a neat solution.

Is it to run Android instead?
Hardly. Instead, the home button becomes virtual, allowing devs to create widescreen apps (see Angry Birds, below) but meaning Apple doesn’t have to redesign or fragment its precious iOS. Apps that aren’t updated can run in their previous aspect ratio, keeping the home button handily displayed.

But I’ll be stuck in Angry Birds forever…
No you won’t. NAS doesn’t explain how users leave the app, but a gesture or shake could easily replace that cumbersome home button. Or it could slide up from the base of the screen in the way the iOS notifications panel slides down. We say bring it on – the iPhone’s screen is starting to look embarrassingly small.

iphone 5 lm concept