A large chunk of consumers still prefer 4-inch smartphones

A new survey of U.S. smartphone users has revealed that 20 percent of consumers prefer a smaller handset in the 4-inch range, potentially signaling the market size for a refreshed entry-level iPhone from Apple. Responding to the recent flurry of rumors suggesting Apple is working on a revamped 4-inch handset, investment firm Piper Jaffray polled 1,077 U.S. consumers to find out their preferred screen size. Of those surveyed. 20.3 percent said they prefer a 4-inch handset, which is the size of Apple’s current iPhone 5s. Larger screened offerings proved more popular in the poll — 31.2 percent said Apple’s 4.7-inch form factor found in the iPhone 6s is ideal, while 27.2 percent said they prefer the larger 5.5-inch size of the iPhone 6s Plus. The remaining 21.2 percent said they would like a different screen size outside of 4, 4.7 and 5.5 inches. To analyst Gene Munster, the poll suggests that a new 4-inch iPhone won’t have a major effect on Apple’s sales. He predicts that most consumers will find that they prefer the larger screen sizes once they become accustomed to them. “We believe that part of the reason that over 20% of smartphone users still say they prefer a 4″ screen size is they still have older model iPhones,” Munster wrote. “When they upgrade to a 4.7″ screen with an only slightly bigger footprint in the pocket, we expect those users would be converts to the larger screen size.”