I’ve previously pooh-poohed (yes, I just wrote that and I’m a grown-ass man) the need for Apple to make a larger phone, pretty much for the reason Rene Ritchie lays out in this piece.

Big phones are nowhere nearly as popular as people – especially tech geeks – think they are, at least not in North America.

Still, with the 3.5 inch iPhones seemingly fading into the sunset soon, it does seem like we might see a larger than 4-inch model within the next year or two. Personally, I have no interest in a larger for larger’s sake iPhone (this is why I have an iPad), although I am interested in an iPhone with better battery life. As Ritchie notes, if Apple does ship an iPhone with a larger screen, you shouldn’t expect it to be just an iPhone with a larger screen.

From a business perspective, as long as Apple’s not shifting to maintaining a plethora of models, I have no qualms with a larger model. As Craig Hockenberry says, these things have to be managed.

Basically, Apple creates a pipeline that produces devices at an amazing rate. And it’s a finely tuned machine with a lot of inertia. You don’t just walk in and say, “Hey, let’s change the screen!”

So, despite my history with the idea, I can see it happening. I don’t, however, see a need to rush.