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iPhone 5S Display Rumored to Carry Twice as Many Pixels as iPhone 5

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Chinese site WeiPhone.com reports [Google translation, via Unwired View] that Apple will make a significant change to the display of the iPhone 5S, doubling the number of pixels to roughly 1.5 million. The device will reportedly also see a narrower bezel, although it is unclear exactly how that would be achieved.
According to sources, iPhone 5S (or iPhone 6) or to have a more narrow screen frame, is now preparing, will ship in September. In addition, the product also has a screen 1.5 million pixels, compared to nearly 730,000 iPhone 5 the number of pixels, if not the screen size continues to increase, the resolution will be greatly improved.
Click to expand...
The report does not specify how Apple would achieve a doubling of pixels in the iPhone 5S display, and any potential solutions would appear to have significant drawbacks.

One possible method would be to increase the iPhone 5's pixel density by a factor of 1.5 in each dimension, yielding a 1704 x 960 display which would include 1.6 million pixels at a density of approximately 489 pixels per inch (PPI). Scaling existing content to the higher-density display would, however, be imperfect given the fractional multiplier.

One major argument against the possibility of a resolution increase for the iPhone 5S is the fact that Apple just underwent a resolution change last year with the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch. That shift has required app developers to tweak their apps to support the taller display, a burden that Apple would surely prefer not to repeat just a year later. The previous change for the iPhone display was the move to a Retina display for the iPhone 4, yielding an interval of a little over two years between that change and the taller display of the iPhone 5.

The claim of a higher-density display for the iPhone 5S also conflicts with a number of other rumors regarding the device, which have indicated the device will use the same display found in the iPhone 5. WeiPhone's claim of a narrower bezel for the iPhone also seems to conflict with Apple's existing pattern of maintaining a body design for two generations before making significant changes. Rumors have so far indicated that Apple will be continuing that pattern this year with an "iPhone 5S" focused on internal upgrades rather than an all-new "iPhone 6", regardless of what the device is ultimately called.

WeiPhone's forums are a fairly frequent source of Apple rumors, although the site itself does not frequently report rumors, making it difficult to determine a track record. But while some have believed that Apple needs to make further improvements to its displays while competitors such as Samsung's Galaxy S4 with its 1920 x 1080 display at 441 PPI have made their own advancements, there has been little sign that Apple is making such plans for its next-generation iPhone.

Article Link: iPhone 5S Display Rumored to Carry Twice as Many Pixels as iPhone 5
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/05/28/iphone-5s-display-rumored-to-carry-twice-as-many-pixels-as-iphone-5/
S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
My only question is - why?

Are people really going to see that kind of difference? On a 4" phone?
 
M

macnchiefs

macrumors regular
Mar 22, 2009
131
77
Um, no.

Although Apple did pull a pointless move like this before when they pulled the disc drive from the imac. So i guess you never know. But still - no.
 
Semester

Semester

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2011
110
0
That would be a huge waste of money really. Lower the prize or put the money on better anodization or something.
 
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,132
1,409
Bring it on. Whatever improvements, I'm ready, my wallet is ready and most imp my contract is ready.
 
R

rei101

macrumors 6502a
Dec 24, 2011
976
1
samcraig said:
My only question is - why?

Are people really going to see that kind of difference? On a 4" phone?
Click to expand...

Yeap, that was my question as well. A feature that does not improve any experience or functionality.

By increasing pixels, applications would need heavier graphics and that would mean bigger files. That is the only things.

It does not make any sense.
 
1

1083296

Suspended
Jun 11, 2010
61
4
So there is no news today so macrumors make an article based on wild speculation that could have been anything
 
I

iBug2

macrumors 601
Jun 12, 2005
4,531
851
No way. Apple won't spend money on something nobody other than a few hundred 20/08 vision people will discern.
 
nick_elt

nick_elt

macrumors 68000
Oct 28, 2011
1,578
0
how can you all say it doesn't make sense? all the competition has far higher dpi in there screens than the iPhone. Does apple really want to be left behind???
 
the8thark

the8thark

macrumors 601
Apr 18, 2011
4,628
1,735
The iPhone 5 is already retina at a typical viewing distance. Going double retina actually gives zero noticeable improvement and only makes things harder for app developers and phone hardware requirements.

So my opinion is this rumour is just that. Not likely to come true.
 
ECUpirate44

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603
Mar 22, 2010
5,750
8
NC
Makes no sense after Apple themselves touted the retina display with so many pixels that the human eye can not discern them. I suppose you could do it from a marketing perspective, but it still doesn't make sense.
 
HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Feb 8, 2004
12,221
15,593
Hobe Sound, FL (20 miles north of Palm Beach)
nick_elt said:
how can you all say it doesn't make sense? all the competition has far higher dpi in there screens than the iPhone. Does apple really want to be left behind???
Click to expand...

If "retina" as it is now is supposed to present pixels packed so closely the human eye can't see a difference, why is super-retina desirable? In other words, if about 150-300 ppi is at the limit of what human eyes could discern, why is "more than that" desirable?

If there was any truth to this rumor, it seems it would be the old Mhz, Ghz game of "who has the biggest number?" (or megapixel wars all over again). Or, it might mean that a bigger screen (height & width) might be coming, but I would think Apple would choose to target one of the iPad resolutions rather than add yet another resolution target somewhere in between. If Apple could fit one of the iPad resolutions into a new (larger screen) phone, you get "retina" and a huge number of apps already ready to go (although some UI button sizes might be overly cramped at around 5 inches).

If there is anything to this, I would guess the latter. But I have great doubts about this one.
 
ChrisTX

ChrisTX

macrumors 68030
Dec 30, 2009
2,690
54
Texas
nick_elt said:
how can you all say it doesn't make sense? all the competition has far higher dpi in there screens than the iPhone. Does apple really want to be left behind???
Click to expand...

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'd rather have a larger display(doesn't have to be a phablet), than a higher PPI display in the same package.
 
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