Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod touch iPod Touch 4th Gen Retina vs. iPhone Retina Display, Are they different?

falconman515

falconman515

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2010
578
36
So I have had all the iPhones (currently have the 5 of course) and I have had the iPad 1 and 3.

So I bought a refurbished iPod Touch 8gb 4th Gen from Apple for Christmas for my daughter. It came in today and I started setting it up and noticed the "retina" display on this iPod touch looks NOTHING like my iPhone display ... not even the display I had way back on the regular iPhone4.

Wondering if the displays used in iTouches vs. iPhones are different? Cause really this display loks washed out and it almost looks like it's not even retina.

Any feedback or info you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.
 
V

Virinprew

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2012
774
404
I have iPod touch 4th gen. It is retina 960x640. But no IPS. So viewing angle is worse compared to iPhone's retina. And that make black looks blue when you tilt it. 5th-gen touch has IPS though.
 
R

raccoonboy

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2012
918
5
Retina on Touch 4 is not that bad, it just lacks IPS that Iphone 4 has.

So viewing range aren't as good. But i believe the Touch 5 has the exact screen technology as Iphone 5.

Wait for other experts, this is all i know.



For me, it is not a deal breaker as much as the lack of ALS on Ipod touch 5.
 
falconman515

falconman515

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2010
578
36
Ok so that's why the viewing angles ar SO Horrible on this thing.

Still looking at the screen it seems very washed out (I have tried adjusting the brightness but still looks blah) and not "retina'ish" at all.

Just wanting to get some more info on this before I make the appt. to take this in to apple.

Thanks so much for all the feedback you can provide. :)
 
spyguy10709

spyguy10709

macrumors 65816
Apr 5, 2010
1,007
657
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino CA
falconman515 said:
So I have had all the iPhones (currently have the 5 of course) and I have had the iPad 1 and 3.

So I bought a refurbished iPod Touch 8gb 4th Gen from Apple for Christmas for my daughter. It came in today and I started setting it up and noticed the "retina" display on this iPod touch looks NOTHING like my iPhone display ... not even the display I had way back on the regular iPhone4.

Wondering if the displays used in iTouches vs. iPhones are different? Cause really this display loks washed out and it almost looks like it's not even retina.

Any feedback or info you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the iPod Touch gen 4 screen isn't IPS, as indicated by other users.

The 5th gen is, however - which is a factor to the 299 price tag. IPS displays are extremely expensive. I would say that the screen is top-middle of the class for phones, and top of the line (second only to the 5th gen) for Portable Media Devices. Kids... don't notice these kinds of things...

I'd say make your daughter happy this year and just give her the iPod, maybe load up some songs or free games and not even tell her or show her your Phone in comparison...
 
falconman515

falconman515

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2010
578
36
Thanks so much for the info guys.

Jsameds said:
That's the thing. By itself it looks fine, but next to a 5th gen (or iPhone 5) it looks shockingly bad!
Click to expand...

Ya I figured my IP5 was different by just looking at the 2 side by side ... but what about say the original iPhone 4? Did that have the IPS screen as well? Cause it looks still way better then this iPod as well.

You guys are right just looking at the iPod after not looking at my phone for a while the screen looks ok and you can see that it is in fact a retina display but still just looks blah.

I have never had an iPod before .. only had the iPhone ... so I guess even the iPhone 4' screen is way better then an iPod touch 4th gen. screen?
 
sammich

sammich

macrumors 601
Sep 26, 2006
4,305
268
Sarcasmville.
The 4 and 4S are roughly the same screen, both IPS.

The iPod Touch skipped a generation, so it kept the old, still same resolution screen.
 
J

Jsameds

Suspended
Apr 22, 2008
3,525
7,987
falconman515 said:
but what about say the original iPhone 4? Did that have the IPS screen as well?
Click to expand...

Yes it did - the iPod Touches have always had an inferior display than the iPhone in one way or another, the exception being the 5th gen.

Hope this clears it up a little:

iPhone 3GS - 3.5" 480×320 not IPS
iPhone 4 - 3.5" 960×640 IPS
iPhone 4S - 3.5" 960×640 IPS
iPhone 5 - 4" 1136 x 640 IPS, 44% greater saturation


iPod 3 - 3.5" 480×320 not IPS
iPod 4 - 3.5" 960×640 not IPS
iPod 5 - 4" 1136 x 640 IPS (Same as iPhone 5)

Isn't it crazy that iPhone 5 has almost 5x the pixels the 3GS had? Screen technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last 3 years!
 
spyguy10709

spyguy10709

macrumors 65816
Apr 5, 2010
1,007
657
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino CA
Jsameds said:
That's the thing. By itself it looks fine, but next to a 5th gen (or iPhone 5) it looks shockingly bad!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say shockingly bad. It's still an amazing screen, just not as saturated or as good for viewing angles as the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 is IPS+, a brand new, extremely expensive technology. The iPod4th gen was introduced 2 years ago, and didn't have an IPS screen because of the high cost - almost 40 dollars per panel vs 15 for TFT. If you compare it to the competitors at the price point both now and back then - the iPod wins out. If you compare it to an iPhone 4, it's only marginally worse. The iPhone 5 is an AMAZING screen, so anything held against it will lose out bigtime.
 
blackhand1001

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,599
33
spyguy10709 said:
I wouldn't say shockingly bad. It's still an amazing screen, just not as saturated or as good for viewing angles as the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 is IPS+, a brand new, extremely expensive technology. The iPod4th gen was introduced 2 years ago, and didn't have an IPS screen because of the high cost - almost 40 dollars per panel vs 15 for TFT. If you compare it to the competitors at the price point both now and back then - the iPod wins out. If you compare it to an iPhone 4, it's only marginally worse. The iPhone 5 is an AMAZING screen, so anything held against it will lose out bigtime.
Click to expand...

nah its not amazing at all, its pretty mediocre. The galaxy players 4.0 5.0 and 4.2 while only 800x480 had ips displays.
 
falconman515

falconman515

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2010
578
36
Jsameds said:
Yes it did - the iPod Touches have always had an inferior display than the iPhone in one way or another, the exception being the 5th gen.

Hope this clears it up a little:

iPhone 3GS - 3.5" 480×320 not IPS
iPhone 4 - 3.5" 960×640 IPS
iPhone 4S - 3.5" 960×640 IPS
iPhone 5 - 4" 1136 x 640 IPS, 44% greater saturation


iPod 3 - 3.5" 480×320 not IPS
iPod 4 - 3.5" 960×640 not IPS
iPod 5 - 4" 1136 x 640 IPS (Same as iPhone 5)

Isn't it crazy that iPhone 5 has almost 5x the pixels the 3GS had? Screen technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last 3 years!
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so guys for all the feedback ... looks like I'm just so used to the iPhone I thought there was an issue with the iPod ... I thought the screen we're all the same.
 
R

raccoonboy

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2012
918
5
Jsameds said:
That's the thing. By itself it looks fine, but next to a 5th gen (or iPhone 5) it looks shockingly bad!
Click to expand...


I wouldn't say it is "Shockingly bad" that is an overstatement. Ipod touch 4 has a very decent screen, if you look at other PMP such as Walkman A series, F series, Galaxy player. The screen resolution is only around 480x320 so Ipod touch 4 screen is still no.1. I do not think OP's daughter would even notice or even care about the minor differences.
 
A

Anitramane

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2013
430
1
spyguy10709 said:
Unfortunately, the iPod Touch gen 4 screen isn't IPS, as indicated by other users.

The 5th gen is, however - which is a factor to the 299 price tag. IPS displays are extremely expensive. I would say that the screen is top-middle of the class for phones, and top of the line (second only to the 5th gen) for Portable Media Devices. Kids... don't notice these kinds of things...

I'd say make your daughter happy this year and just give her the iPod, maybe load up some songs or free games and not even tell her or show her your Phone in comparison...
Click to expand...

IPS displays are cheap as ****.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom