5.8” vs 4.7” in landscape = negligible difference due to auto layout/margins

[spac3duck]

Someone on these forums referenced the HCI video from Apple for designing for the new iPhone X the other day.

Have a look at approx the 5min mark for a visual comparison but to my eyes, there only appears to be a small increase in usable real estate aka ‘Safe area’ on the iPhone X in comparison to the iPhone 8 when viewed in landscape.

Sure, the X has a better screen to body ratio, but that is only helpful if developers actually take advantage of it. My assumption is that they are going to be put off by having to develop for rounded corners, so they will play it safe by sticking with the traditional norm of square edges which means we are back at the start where there appears to be a negligible different due to auto layout/margins.

Thoughts and theories?

Picture of Landscape mode on iPhone X:

A comparison of the Device Size Class in Landscape is available here.
iPad & iPhone Plus = Regular Width
iPhone & iPhone X = Compact Width

Edit:
- Added Device Size Class link

 

[x-evil-x]

I personally hope they all stick to safe mode. Especially games and video apps. thats if the notch stays black only

 

[spac3duck]

I personally hope they all stick to safe mode. Especially games and video apps. thats if the notch stays black only

and yet that would negate the benefits of creating a 5.8" screen?

If they are going to stick to safe mode, why not create a 4.7" OLED screen that fits into a smaller handset size?

 

[profets]

and yet that would negate the benefits of creating a 5.8" screen?

If they are going to stick to safe mode, why not create a 4.7" OLED screen that fits into a smaller handset size?

I think the purpose with this iPhone X is that it's a future replacement for the current 4.7" iPhone line. Many rumours about a ~6.4" OLED iPhone coming next year, which presumably will be physically similar in size to the Plus sized iPhones.

 

[lancastor]

This home indicator is so anoying.

So we have a bigger screen but we can‘t use it because Apple draws a gray bar on every screen.

Pay 1.000$ for a grey bar on every screen, in every app and every game.

The indicator bar is much much more anoying than the black notch.

 

[tkukoc]

The X screen size is smaller than the current Plus lineup. They are toying with people by saying we removed the home button.. yeah they did but the notch on top took some screen real estate up, width of the device also is smaller and thus removed even more space. That is just another indicator to wait till next year, get their "plus" model and you'll really have a larger screen.

 

[spac3duck]

The X screen size is smaller than the current Plus lineup. They are toying with people by saying we removed the home button.. yeah they did but the notch on top took some screen real estate up, width of the device also is smaller and thus removed even more space. That is just another indicator to wait till next year, get their "plus" model and you'll really have a larger screen.

and yet the same thing would apply if they were to bring out this rumoured 6.4"/larger screen. Numerically, it's larger than the current iPhone Plus at 5.5" but compromised with the rounded corners and 'notch' which ultimately mean you are left with superfluous areas.

 

[Dexterama]

The safe area on the X doesn't seem all that different from the usable space of the 4.7" iphone. Looks like we're getting onscreen bezels now. The 2017 X is really tailor made for those who prefers an iPhone with a similar footprint as the 4.7 while still offering performance, battery life, and camera that is on par with the 5.5" iphone. Those who prefer a larger useable space like on the 5.5" might be disappointed in this year's X.

 

[iScone]

This is only an issue if you're upgrading from a Plus. For those of us with a 6/6s/7, it's not a huge deal. The screen is bigger unless you're watching on portrait when it'll be superior anyway due to the OLED.

Plus owners will need to downgrade on size but upgrade on quality. How many will be willing to do this remains to be known.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Total bummer on usable screen real estate. Definitely deceiving.

 

[Technarchy]

16:9 video on the iPhone X is going to be 4.7" with black bars on the left and right side in landscape.

If you want full screen video it's going to crop content off all 4 corners and zoom in, and the notch will intrude on the display.

If you add a blacked out area to mask the notch, you're not really getting 5'8".

There is no easy way around what Apple has done with the design of the iPhone X.

From another thread:

 

[Faelan]

This is why I opted for the 8+ instead. I have a 6+ and my wife uses a 6s. Everything is just so cramped on her phone and my eyes are getting too old for that. The 6+ is too big for her hands, but I don't have any issues with it and I've found ways to carry my beloved surfboard of a phone that aren't a hassle. It'll be another glorious 3 years with that surfboard design (whatever works). Hopefully by then, there will be a model with even more screen real estate in a similar size.

 

[tkukoc]

and yet the same thing would apply if they were to bring out this rumoured 6.4"/larger screen. Numerically, it's larger than the current iPhone Plus at 5.5" but compromised with the rounded corners and 'notch' which ultimately mean you are left with superfluous areas.

Yes except the 6.4 would actually be larger than the current plus which to me would have been worth the price increase and purchase. But doing a 1 off device this year and inflating the price, no reason for me to buy in 2017.

 

[DaveMoeDee]

This is only an issue if you're upgrading from a Plus. For those of us with a 6/6s/7, it's not a huge deal. The screen is bigger unless you're watching on portrait when it'll be superior anyway due to the OLED.

Plus owners will need to downgrade on size but upgrade on quality. How many will be willing to do this remains to be known.

I currently have a Note 4, but would have considered the X if they didn't end up with a smaller screen (based on my usage). While I would love to have talking poo, I feel the Plus is a much better upgrade for me since I can get the effectively larger screen size while saving a lot of money.

 

[DaveMoeDee]

Someone on these forums referenced the HCI video from Apple for designing for the new iPhone X the other day.

Have a look at approx the 5min mark for a visual comparison but to my eyes, there only appears to be a small increase in usable real estate aka ‘Safe area’ on the iPhone X in comparison to the iPhone 8 when viewed in landscape.

Sure, the X has a better screen to body ratio, but that is only helpful if developers actually take advantage of it. My assumption is that they are going to be put off by having to develop for rounded corners, so they will play it safe by sticking with the traditional norm of square edges which means we are back at the start where there appears to be a negligible different due to auto layout/margins.

Thoughts and theories?

Picture of Landscape mode on iPhone X:

A comparison of the Device Size Class in Landscape is available here.
iPad & iPhone Plus = Regular Width
iPhone & iPhone X = Compact Width

Edit:
- Added Device Size Class link

Even if they are okay with rounded corners, if their app is best used in landscape, my understanding is that Apple likes the apps centered. That means that if they can't use the left side due to the notch, they would have to not use the right side with the rounded corners. They could decide that it is stupid to not use the right side of the screen and just black bar the notch side (with rounding), but Apple might get unhappy about that.

I see no reason why they should insist on symmetry.

 

[9594864]

16:9 video on the iPhone X is going to be 4.7" with black bars on the left and right side in landscape.

If you want full screen video it's going to crop content off all 4 corners and zoom in, and the notch will intrude on the display.

If you add a blacked out area to mask the notch, you're not really getting 5'8".

There is no easy way around what Apple has done with the design of the iPhone X.

From another thread:

This is not accurate. If you are viewing 16:9 content in landscape on the iPhone X, you'll get approximately 5" diagonal screen space. If you do the same on the 4.7" iPhone, you of course get 4.7" due to its 16:9 display aspect ratio. The unfortunate truth is that we only get 0.3" increase in content size for 16:9 content which is far greater than ultra-wide movie content.

Of course, an iPhone Plus user will decrease 0.5" in diagonal screen space for 16:9 content.

 

[spac3duck]

This is not accurate. If you are viewing 16:9 content in landscape on the iPhone X, you'll get approximately 5" diagonal screen space. If you do the same on the 4.7" iPhone, you of course get 4.7" due to its 16:9 display aspect ratio. The unfortunate truth is that we only get 0.3" increase in content size for 16:9 content which is far greater than ultra-wide movie content.

Of course, an iPhone Plus user will decrease 0.5" in diagonal screen space for 16:9 content.

Would you have a picture you could share depicting those dimensions?

 

[Ralfi]

16:9 video on the iPhone X is going to be 4.7" with black bars on the left and right side in landscape.

If you want full screen video it's going to crop content off all 4 corners and zoom in, and the notch will intrude on the display.

If you add a blacked out area to mask the notch, you're not really getting 5'8".

There is no easy way around what Apple has done with the design of the iPhone X.

From another thread:

So an X model with a screen the same width of the 8+ would help? Although holding the phone may be a challenge....

 

[Lyn2012]

So an X model with a screen the same width of the 8+ would help? Although holding the phone may be a challenge....

Surely no more so than the current plus size. If the X had the same width as the plus, I would definitely be buying it. As it is, probably not, for me a taller screen is of no interest or use.

 

[9594864]

Would you have a picture you could share depicting those dimensions?

I don't need a picture. Do the math. Without even doing math you can immediately know it's beyond 4.7" due to the fact that the iPhone X is about 4mm wider.

 

[DNichter]

I think the screen alone outweighs any small decrease in screen real estate. The Plus is too big for me, looking forward to something more compact/modern.

 

[DaveMoeDee]

I think the screen alone outweighs any small decrease in screen real estate. The Plus is too big for me, looking forward to something more compact/modern.

If the Plus is too big for you, than X is a great option.

Plus is not too big for me, so I'll stick with the screen that will be bigger when displaying the apps I use that need screen space -- the Plus -- or I'll get an Android phone if I want an edge-to-edge phone so that I can get an even larger screen.

I case zilch about "looking modern." I care about how it functions when I use it.

 

[Starfyre]

If the Plus is too big for you, than X is a great option.

This is precisely why I am leaning more towards the plus. Plus is too big, I think of X as a plus with a shrunken form factor. (Yes, there are slight differences, but compared to an 8, it's a step up in screen real estate).

 

[nutmac]

From PaintCode's Ultimate Guide To iPhone Resolutions:

• iPhone X: 375 x 812 points
• iPhone 8 Plus: 414 x 736 points
• iPhone 8: 375 x 667 points

So if you zoom out and use the notch, iPhone X is about 22% taller than 8 and about 10% taller than 8 Plus.

iPhone 8 Plus is 10% wider than X and 8, but I frankly find Plus form factor to be too wide for my hands. So I rather have more vertical pixel.

 

[roeiz]

This home indicator is so anoying.

So we have a bigger screen but we can‘t use it because Apple draws a gray bar on every screen.

Pay 1.000$ for a grey bar on every screen, in every app and every game.

The indicator bar is much much more anoying than the black notch.

"half baked" never been more accurate.
[doublepost=1506323690][/doublepost]

Surely no more so than the current plus size. If the X had the same width as the plus, I would definitely be buying it. As it is, probably not, for me a taller screen is of no interest or use.

yup.. that is so unfortunate. they will only "solve" this next year with a bigger model.