CNET France: iPhone 5 has a 4.3 QHD screen

[Sedrick]

Yeah, let's make it with a larger screen and a lower resolution

Why not if you can't humanly tell the difference? No point in standing on principle here. Even 285ppi at 4" would be hard to notice unless you use a magnifying glass.

 

[sentinelsx]

The rumours re screen size does not make sense. How can you get bigger screen at the same time remove 100 pixel from the width and still call it QHD at 256 dpi? More credible to retain 960x640 screen so that the applications need not be reworked.

qHD has nothing to do with ppi. It stands for quarter HD i.e. 1/4 amount of 1920x1080 pixels which is exactly 960x540.

Maybe you meant "still call it retina at 256 dpi/ppi" since retina deals with the density of pixels relative to screen size.

 

[MythicFrost]

Android is designed to be fully resolution independent. iOS isn't. There is a reason Apple choose 960x640 for the iPhone 4: It is exactly twice as wide and twice as tall as the pixel resolution on the earlier iPhones (480x320). Which means you just have to scale up each pixel into four.

Actually, it doesn't just have to scale up each pixel into four otherwise it'd look exactly the same as it does on a non-retina display. In a nutshell, iOS draws content with four times more pixels with exception to lower resolution images which stretch (scale up).

 

[d0vr]

Seriously though, I don't know the exact math of it, but why do you (and others here) think it's such a downgrade?

Without trying to start a fight here, most people are idiots. They really only understand basic numbers. so if someone says that it's less pixels (even if it is only on one dimension), they'll freak out and complain.

 

[APlotdevice]

Actually, it doesn't just have to scale up each pixel into four otherwise it'd look exactly the same as it does on a non-retina display. In a nutshell, iOS draws content with four times more pixels with exception to lower resolution images which stretch (scale up).

Pre-iPhone 4 apps which haven't received an update for retina support do basically look the same. Well, except for the fact that the added sharpness makes each of those "pixels" more noticeable.

 

[Virance]

Without trying to start a fight here, most people are idiots. They really only understand basic numbers. so if someone says that it's less pixels (even if it is only on one dimension), they'll freak out and complain.

The resolution won't change - at all. The size might change, personally - I'm hoping it's scaled up to a 4 inch screen.

Moving to the retina display was a very carefully weighed move, it was the only way to increase the screen resolution without causing massive developer outlash. As a developer working both with Android and iOS I can tell you flat out that the number one advantage to working with iOS is the incredibly predictable nature of the platform in comparison to working with Android.

If I want to support retina for a product - it's as simple as designing my game/application around that resolution and then running any 2D assets through a quick bulk scale operation and bam, I develop once and support every generation of iPhone and iPod touch. If I want to be super lazy and not even bother with that, it's still no big deal - because the resolution is exactly four times as great as older devices - applications designed for the older devices look absolutely no worse on the newer screens, just no better.

They are not going to move away from that just yet - a 4 inch 960x640 would still look amazing and would require zero development effort to support. It would also put off the fragmentation of the platform at least one more generation - which has a huge value.

The reality is they are under no pressure to change the aspect ratio, or even the resolution - yet they are under significant developer pressure to avoid just that.

Obviously nobody knows until Tuesday, but if you honestly think they are going to change the aspect ratio of platform this generation you don't understand what got them here in the first place (massive developer support of the platform). If and when they change the aspect ratio of the platform, we are going to know about it far in advance. The reality is that they run a fully-backwards-compatible platform at the moment - if they sprung a new AR on developers with only a week or two to update all their products the new phone would launch with many (read most) third party apps and games flat out broken. Not a little off looking, but legitimately non functional. They aren't ever going to do that, ever. When they go to a new AR expect another major feature and a damn good excuse to come with it (since they'll have to tip the AR hat so far in advance to avoid customer frustration when all their favorite apps are broken on launch day).

I also highly doubt they are going to move to a screen larger than 4 inches, as it quickly becomes too large for many peoples taste. I wouldn't be surprised to see another 3.5, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 3.5-4.0 with the same resolution - I would be shocked to see just about anything else.

 

[eaglesteve]

qHD has nothing to do with ppi. It stands for quarter HD i.e. 1/4 amount of 1920x1080 pixels which is exactly 960x540.

Ah, I see. Thank you for your explanation. But isn't it still true that applications would have to be reworked if this screen is used? That's the main point of what I tried to say, not so much the dpi part.

 

[tahoeroscoe]

4.3" would be one SEXY iphone

The 4.3" only comes in black

 

[MythicFrost]

Pre-iPhone 4 apps which haven't received an update for retina support do basically look the same. Well, except for the fact that the added sharpness makes each of those "pixels" more noticeable.

Mmm, I don't think so.

There isn't any need for apps to update to support the retina display -- it's all done in iOS. The only exception to that is images, which will look the same as they would on a 3GS until HD images are supplied.