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

Could a pixel doubled 8" iPhone screen work for an iPad mini?

I

iZoom P5

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 16, 2005
44
0
Jacksonville, FL
Nowhere near an engineer here so maybe someone who is can clarify. If they double the pixels to 2272*1280 while doubling the screen size to 8" would that leave the same pixel density?

If that's the case, app developers could use their iPhone 5 code and just increase the assets by 2x. Would this be more feasible than using the iPad 2's resolution? If this is going to be a new use case device (if not the low price may cannabalize iPad 3 AND 2 sales) just downsizing that screen will make it seem cheap since its non-Retina.

On the other hand, keeping the iPad 3s resolution but shrinking the screen may make elements too small to tap, creating usability friction. Seems like the best middle ground would be to make the device and therefore screen like the iPhone in order to still claim retina resolution, easy transition for app developers and staying competitive with 7" tablets as for once Apple could say they have the larger screen for a better experience.
 
I

iZoom P5

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 16, 2005
44
0
Jacksonville, FL
So theoretically it could keep the resolution the same and just increase the screen size and it still be a retina display? Don't the iPad mini mockups show a thin bezel on the portrait sides a la the iPhone?
 
S

SHirsch999

macrumors 6502a
Apr 19, 2011
658
196
I'd rather it have the resolution of the ipad2 and use tablet apps than the resolution of an iPhone and use phone apps. iPad apps use the larger screen to their advantage and are simply better apps than their corresponding phone apps. I'm not sure I can explain the reasons why. Try using an iPhone app on an iPad and you will understand.
 
T

TC03

macrumors 65816
Aug 17, 2008
1,272
356
SHirsch999 said:
I'd rather it have the resolution of the ipad2 and use tablet apps than the resolution of an iPhone and use phone apps. iPad apps use the larger screen to their advantage and are simply better apps than their corresponding phone apps. I'm not sure I can explain the reasons why. Try using an iPhone app on an iPad and you will understand.
Click to expand...
You're a 100% correct. This has to do with the fact that iOS users 'points' and not 'pixels' as a reference. The dimensions in iOS are related to phone usage, so the font size and button sizes are a compromise of usability (buttons shouldn't get too small) and screen estate (we don't want too much buttons and too much scrolling).

This compromise is different on tablets, for multiple reasons. Buttons can be larger due to the larger screen size, the resolution (pixel density) can be lower because a tablet is usually further from the eyes than a phone, and the layout of apps simply can be different because the screen is larger.

In conclusion, a tablet offers a different user experience than a phone does and therefore the OS has to be adjusted accordingly, which Apple has done very well. Simply enlarging a phone does not give you a tablet, it gives you an enlarged phone.
 
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