Do you wish that your iPhone had a higher resolution screen?

[iOSUser7]

It has nothing to do with being "cheap". Apple decided years ago that iOS devices should run for 10 hours of surfing, watching movies, etc. They have had this spec on nearly every iPhone and iPad. So as battery tech and processor efficiency has improved, they've made the phones lighter and thinner, not longer-running.

Everyone I know, plugs their phone in every night. Apple must have solid data backing up their design choices - and I've never heard someone (outside of these forums) wanting a fatter, heavier iPhone with more battery life.

Yes so what ? You said they decided "years ago" why this would not change today ? Back in 2007, they also decided that the iPhone should be a phone that is easy to handle with one hand and we all know this is not the case anymore with the iPhone 6/6 Plus.

About your last point, well this is funny because every single person I talk to (even random people I don't even know) always wish their iPhone had more battery life. And this also apply to others phones too.

 

[M. Gustave]

About your last point, well this is funny because every single person I talk to (even random people I don't even know) always wish their iPhone had more battery life. And this also apply to others phones too.

I wrote that I've never heard anyone wanting a fatter, heavier iPhone to get that battery life. Asking people theoretically do you want more battery life is like do you want more money? Of course everyone is going to say 'yes'. But then granting that wish comes with consequences most aren't prepared for.

 

[omeryounos]

To the people saying "No", I suggest to read a web page or Facebook etc. Side by side on iPhone 6S vs Galaxy S6/S7 etc. I had both for couple of months together and couldn't stand the low resolution and poor text legibility on iPhone 6S. So sold it and got an iPhone 6S plus. Bearable in comparison to my S7 edge but still miles behind in spite of being more expensive device. Hoping that iPhone 7 addresses that. I agree with what has been written before a 1080P for 4.7" and QHD 1440P for 5.5" will make more sense. There are rumours of S8 being a UHD screen...

 

[iOSUser7]

I wrote that I've never heard anyone wanting a fatter, heavier iPhone to get that battery life. Asking people theoretically do you want more battery life is like do you want more money? Of course everyone is going to say 'yes'. But then granting that wish comes with consequences most aren't prepared for.

That's true, Apple can't satisfy everyone anyway. Personally, I would not take anything thicker than the iPhone 5/5s/SE.

 

[MarkX]

To the people saying "No", I suggest to read a web page or Facebook etc. Side by side on iPhone 6S vs Galaxy S6/S7 etc. I had both for couple of months together and couldn't stand the low resolution and poor text legibility on iPhone 6S. So sold it and got an iPhone 6S plus. Bearable in comparison to my S7 edge but still miles behind in spite of being more expensive device. Hoping that iPhone 7 addresses that. I agree with what has been written before a 1080P for 4.7" and QHD 1440P for 5.5" will make more sense. There are rumours of S8 being a UHD screen...

That's your personal opinion and you're entitled to it. It doesn't mean that I am wrong because I am happy with the resolution on my 6s.

Could it be better? Yes. Would it stop me from buying the 7 if it isn't? No.

 

[mlody]

To the people saying "No", I suggest to read a web page or Facebook etc. Side by side on iPhone 6S vs Galaxy S6/S7 etc. I had both for couple of months together and couldn't stand the low resolution and poor text legibility on iPhone 6S. So sold it and got an iPhone 6S plus. Bearable in comparison to my S7 edge but still miles behind in spite of being more expensive device. Hoping that iPhone 7 addresses that. I agree with what has been written before a 1080P for 4.7" and QHD 1440P for 5.5" will make more sense. There are rumours of S8 being a UHD screen...

No, I do not wish it had.

I actually wish Samsung and other Android OEM's stopped this stupid trend with higher screen resolution cause this wont lead anywhere. Higher screen resolutions on 5-6" devices are as useful as 3D TVs that all the TV OEMs wanted to convince people that they would need back in the day. Yeah, some fell for the marketing trap, few use it and enjoy it, but majority of the people do not give a crap about 3D TV and that is why it died for the most parts. Even before that, same thing happened to SACD and DVD-A music formats. On paper and even in reality it was great, but no one cared.

I think the same goes for the higher resolution cell phones. I bet most people do not even care but since there is only so many OEMs that make the screens/phones, the general population won't have a choice to avoid them in the flagship devices.

BTW, I am not even sure if pictures on facebook are full HD quality as everything is compressed and resized, so yeah, people need QHD or higher screens to see crappy, compressed pictures on facebook that are half the resolution.

 

[Jetcat3]

The term "Retina" is all about context. The current panel in the 6s is not enough for me personally. 1334 X 750 in a 4.7" display equals 325.61 pixels per square inch. Now, in order for the display to appear perfectly sharp, I have to hold my iPhone 6s at least 10.5" away at ALL times or I no longer have a "Retina" display. I am one who likes to read closer than 10.5" because the 4.7" display is quite small. The reason the 6s Plus seems so much better is because with a 1920 X 1080 panel in a 5.5" display we get 400.53 pixels per square inch. Now we gain an extra two inches in our viewing distance and the display will still stay perfect sharp. 8.6" to be exact on the 6s Plus. May not sound like a huge difference but, the effective resolution is even greater because we have 40% more viewing area attributed by the increase in display size. That's where the double whammy comes into play.

"Retina" in my mind is about having a display that will stay "Retina," meaning pixels will not be resolved up to 6" for me. The S7 Edge does just that with a 2K panel in a 5.5" display. The smaller the display size, the greater the need to increase the display and pixels per square inch because our effective resolution is less by virtue of a smaller display that forces the user to hold closer to their face.

It's also interesting to me that my iPad Air 2 looks sharper and crisper than my iPhone 6s, even though I have to hold my iPad at least 13.5" away. Well I've got more than double the screen area, so I really don't need to get near as close as I do with my iPhone 6s. The iPad therefore ends up looking much sharper at 264 pixels per square inch because we are displaying that on a 9.7" display. I just don't need to be as close.

1080P would be perfect for the 6s and they could honestly leave the 6s Plus where it's at. 2K would be nice to though but you have to get pretty darn close to that display to see the difference between a 2K panel and a 1080P one in a 5.5" display. Your eyes can only focus at a certain distance.

With this said, I love having a display that stays "Retina" at all viewing distances. The 6 Plus was the closest device I've had from Apple to do that. The S7 Edge I used for two weeks did that at all viewing angles no matter how close I was to the display. It was quite amazing to use.

 

[Radon87000]

More is always better, but the current screens work for me.

Oh really?Samsung's higher res OLED screens have been proven the best by Displaymate.You keep sidelining the topic here.Its not your opinion which matters here but the facts.Higher res displays are plainly superior and OLED is cherry on the top

 

[Sunny1990]

I want OLED screen with 4k resolution

 

[I7guy]

Oh really?Samsung's higher res OLED screens have been proven the best by Displaymate.You keep sidelining the topic here.Its not your opinion which matters here but the facts.Higher res displays are plainly superior and OLED is cherry on the top

I bought what I believe was the best. I spent my money on the best. My opinion is only what matters, because I bought what works for me. Display mate is another opinion, as this has been beaten to death.

 

[cynics]

While most don't care about this (myself included) certain applications demand higher resolution such as using a smartphone for VR.

So I do hope for higher resolutions eventually so the iPhone is at least somewhat competitive of such functions for those that want to utilize it.

 

[mlody]

Oh really?Samsung's higher res OLED screens have been proven the best by Displaymate.You keep sidelining the topic here.Its not your opinion which matters here but the facts.Higher res displays are plainly superior and OLED is cherry on the top

There is more to the screen than just screen resolution. Samsung screens are better cause they are OLED and you can do more with them such better brightness, always on pixels etc. This is why Samsung is winning the display battle, not because of few more pixels!

Glad that you quoted something that proofs my point. Below is the displaymate info on the distance.

S7 / S7 Edge

20/20 Vision Distance
where Pixels or Sub-Pixels
are Not Resolved

6.0 inches for White and Green Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision
8.4 inches for Red and Blue Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance
where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.
At 10 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 344 PPI.

iPhone 6 Plus / 6S Plus

20/20 Vision Distance
where Pixels or Sub-Pixels
are Not Resolved

8.6 inches
with 20/20 Vision

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance
where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.
At 11 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 313 PPI.


So yeah, 5 mm (0.2 inch) makes a HUGE difference in the distance where pixels are visible - LOL. I will take graphic performance, smoothness, battery live over gaining 5 mm viewing distance any day any time.

 

[Radon87000]

There is more to the screen than just screen resolution. Samsung screens are better cause they are OLED and you can do more with them such better brightness, always on pixels etc. This is why Samsung is winning the display battle, not because of few more pixels!

Glad that you quoted something that proofs my point. Below is the displaymate info on the distance.

S7 / S7 Edge

20/20 Vision Distance
where Pixels or Sub-Pixels
are Not Resolved

6.0 inches for White and Green Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision
8.4 inches for Red and Blue Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance
where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.
At 10 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 344 PPI.

iPhone 6 Plus / 6S Plus

20/20 Vision Distance
where Pixels or Sub-Pixels
are Not Resolved

8.6 inches
with 20/20 Vision

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance
where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.
At 11 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 313 PPI.


So yeah, 5 mm (0.2 inch) makes a HUGE difference in the distance where pixels are visible - LOL. I will take graphic performance, smoothness, battery live over gaining 5 mm viewing distance any day any time.

I agree.I have also seen this on my Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Pro.The Tab S2 OLED is brighter, and hands down better looking than my iPad at similar brightness

 

[dk001]

I agree. Can't change the poll's name though

No, but you can add the ability to allow a vote change.
I voted based on the headline, not the poll question.
Oops

 

[HarryWild]

Higher resolution, better screen image! It is that simple! 720i not as good as 1080p and 1080p not as good as 3840p!

 

[dk001]

I stopped using my Note 5 a few months back and stuck with my work iPhone. Totally unplanned, I have found that I started using the Note 5 again for drawing and photo viewing. The clarity and definition is better than my iPhone especially when I zoom in for detail. The higher resolution/definition is a plus for me.

 

[C DM]

Higher resolution, better screen image! It is that simple! 720i not as good as 1080p and 1080p not as good as 3840p!

It's not just the size there but also PPI that would play a role, among other things like contrast, color reproduction, etc.

 

[Radon87000]

I stopped using my Note 5 a few months back and stuck with my work iPhone. Totally unplanned, I have found that I started using the Note 5 again for drawing and photo viewing. The clarity and definition is better than my iPhone especially when I zoom in for detail. The higher resolution/definition is a plus for me.

Thats because once you use OLED,you will find that LCD is an inferior tech with severe drawbacks.Its the reason why Apple is adopting OLED in 2018

 

[Peter K.]

The term "Retina" is all about context. The current panel in the 6s is not enough for me personally. 1334 X 750 in a 4.7" display equals 325.61 pixels per square inch. Now, in order for the display to appear perfectly sharp, I have to hold my iPhone 6s at least 10.5" away at ALL times or I no longer have a "Retina" display. I am one who likes to read closer than 10.5" because the 4.7" display is quite small. The reason the 6s Plus seems so much better is because with a 1920 X 1080 panel in a 5.5" display we get 400.53 pixels per square inch. Now we gain an extra two inches in our viewing distance and the display will still stay perfect sharp. 8.6" to be exact on the 6s Plus. May not sound like a huge difference but, the effective resolution is even greater because we have 40% more viewing area attributed by the increase in display size. That's where the double whammy comes into play.

"Retina" in my mind is about having a display that will stay "Retina," meaning pixels will not be resolved up to 6" for me. The S7 Edge does just that with a 2K panel in a 5.5" display. The smaller the display size, the greater the need to increase the display and pixels per square inch because our effective resolution is less by virtue of a smaller display that forces the user to hold closer to their face.

It's also interesting to me that my iPad Air 2 looks sharper and crisper than my iPhone 6s, even though I have to hold my iPad at least 13.5" away. Well I've got more than double the screen area, so I really don't need to get near as close as I do with my iPhone 6s. The iPad therefore ends up looking much sharper at 264 pixels per square inch because we are displaying that on a 9.7" display. I just don't need to be as close.

1080P would be perfect for the 6s and they could honestly leave the 6s Plus where it's at. 2K would be nice to though but you have to get pretty darn close to that display to see the difference between a 2K panel and a 1080P one in a 5.5" display. Your eyes can only focus at a certain distance.

With this said, I love having a display that stays "Retina" at all viewing distances. The 6 Plus was the closest device I've had from Apple to do that. The S7 Edge I used for two weeks did that at all viewing angles no matter how close I was to the display. It was quite amazing to use.

GREAT post. I especially agree with the notion that the smaller devices (i.e., with smaller screens) should have higher PPI.

EDIT: ...or, at least, that screen size AND viewing distance should be considered when specifying a device's pixel density.

 

[Appleaker]

Going higher will have a noticeable difference, but I don't think the need to go beyond 1080p for the 4.7" and 1440p for the 5.5".

 

[I7guy]

I agree.I have also seen this on my Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Pro.The Tab S2 OLED is brighter, and hands down better looking than my iPad at similar brightness

snip

The Ipad Pro with tru-tone has the widest gamut and best color management system, reportedly supposed to be on the iphone 7. I'll take that over OLED any day, along with the graphic performance, smoothness and optimized architecture.

 

[9646829]

I nearly bought a Samsung S7 today (ended up leaving it as I just don't like Android enough) and the screen was absolutely fantastic, my SE and my girlfriends 6S looked garbage in comparison.

 

[HEK]

Plus is fine. 6 series could use a bump. SE definitely.

Agreed, anything with more pixels on the plus simply reduces performance as the graphics processor has to shove more pixels around. Even though you can see them. Anything more than 1080 on a screen six inches is just a waste. Color vibrancy, darker blacks all that can make a difference but 4K on a six in screen just uses more power and slows things down.
[doublepost=1470608681][/doublepost]

You been brainwashed by Apple marketing - "Beyond retina resolution...". Retina is a Apple made up term.

So you are telling me you can see a difference with your naked eye on a six inch screen or less between 1080 and 4K. Same type of screen, not amoled vs LCD. Might want to rethink who is brainwashed. Spec sheet wars do not a functional screen make.
[doublepost=1470608776][/doublepost]

I need a standard resolution that is NOT scaled up and down because Apple choose to expose a fixed virtual resolution in all of their API's.
I want a standard 1080p or 4k resolution, including the standard aspect ratio of the physical screen.

Not scaling makes good sense. Speed things up as well.

 

[iOSUser7]

Agreed, anything with more pixels on the plus simply reduces performance as the graphics processor has to shove more pixels around. Even though you can see them. Anything more than 1080 on a screen six inches is just a waste. Color vibrancy, darker blacks all that can make a difference but 4K on a six in screen just uses more power and slows things down.
[doublepost=1470608681][/doublepost]
So you are telling me you can see a difference with your naked eye on a six inch screen or less between 1080 and 4K. Same type of screen, not amoled vs LCD. Might want to rethink who is brainwashed. Spec sheet wars do not a functional screen make.

Fun fact : the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus actually renders everything at 2208x1242 and then downsample to 1920x1080 (the display resolution) which make them a little bit slower than the iPhone 6 and 6s respectively.

 

[HEK]

Fun fact : the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus actually renders everything at 2208x1242 and then downsample to 1920x1080 (the display resolution) which make them a little bit slower than the iPhone 6 and 6s respectively.

That's why I would like to see them get rid of the scaling. Supply a screen that can use the native rendering. I almost got the 6s because of that. But the plus screen at 400 dpi is so much nicer I stuck with the plus when going from 6 plus to 6s plus.

I was never a huge fan of motion or transparency. I turned those things off two years ago and never missed them. Helped speed things up. Not a huge amount, but noticible.

I am anxious for apples OLED display. Not having to power the black should boost battery life. And OLED image is impressive over LCD. It's very difficult to separate out pixel density from other screen attributes when you comparing the two technologies. Thinking sweet spot for speed, efficiency, power consumption, processor load would be a 2k OLED display set for true tones.