iPhone 8/Plus Does the 8+ really have 88% more viewing area than the 8? How does that math work?

[Hal~9000]

Obviously the 8 plus has bigger a 5.5 inch screen vs a 4.7 inch screen on the regular 8... but I still was curious exactly how much more screen real estate I was getting. I came across this article which said the following:

You get 88 percent more viewing area with the Plus, which is obviously better for playing games and watching videos, and helps when attempting work tasks on your phone.

88% more viewing area for only a 0.8 inch increase diagonally? Really?

Got me curious on how they did the math. Was a pain in the butt to find anything on google that actually gave the height and width of the screen itself but eventually I found this one to do the following math below:

• 104mm x 58mm = 6032mm total area for the 6
• 122mm x 68mm = 8296mm total area for the 6 plus
• 6032mm - 8296mm= difference of 2264mm between the 6 and 6 plus
• 2264mm / 6032mm = 37.5% bigger size for the 6 plus right? If so then how are they coming up with the 88% more viewing area above?

I probably missed something obvious. Thanks in advance to the smart people on this forum who can help

 

[jt1968]

Obviously the 8 plus has bigger a 5.5 inch screen vs a 4.7 inch screen on the regular 8... but I still was curious exactly how much more screen real estate I was getting. I came across this article which said the following:


88% more viewing area for only a 0.8 inch increase diagonally? Really?

Got me curious on how they did the math. Was a pain in the butt to find anything on google that actually gave the height and width of the screen itself but eventually I found this one to do the following math below:

• 104mm x 58mm = 6032mm total area for the 6
• 122mm x 68mm = 8296mm total area for the 6 plus
• 6032mm - 8296mm= difference of 2264mm between the 6 and 6 plus
• 2264mm / 6032mm = 37.5% bigger size for the 6 plus right? If so then how are they coming up with the 88% more viewing area above?

I probably missed something obvious. Thanks in advance to the smart people on this forum who can help

I'm no good at math, but your 37.5% answer seems a lot more correct to me than 88%.

 

[Tork]

You’re correct. I bet that’s a typo such that their first 8 should be a 3.

 

[Hal~9000]

You’re correct. I bet that’s a typo such that their first 8 should be a 3.

Yeah, as I said I probably missed something obvious

I still wonder if perhaps they were combining both the 6 Plus’s increased screen area + the increased pixel resolution (which can fit in more content on the screen) to try and come up with the 88% number in their article?

Probably just a typo like you said though. Thanks for the confirmation that the math checked out

 

[Julien]

Screen area.

8 has 104x58=6032 sq mm
8+ has 122x68=8296 sq mm

So the percentage difference is 31.6%

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percent-difference-calculator.php

 

[jav6454]

I haven’t done the math yet. But, Apple compares resolution wise.

In this case we get the X screen resolution at 2436x1125 which is 2,740,500 pixel total.

The iPhone 8 is 1334x750 screen resolution which is 1,000,500 pixel total.

Now, that means that at 1334x750, we get only 36% of the viewing area (pixel wise) to the iPhone X’s screen. This translates into a 74% viewing area increase. Closer to the 88%, but not quite there.

The iPhone 8 Plus is at 1920x1080 which is 2,073,600 pixel total. Compared to the iPhone 8, that is a 52% screen size increase. Still quite low.

 

[Julien]

I haven’t done the math yet. But, Apple compares resolution wise.

In this case we get the X screen resolution at 2436x1125 which is 2,740,500 pixel total.

The iPhone 8 is 1334x750 screen resolution which is 1,000,500 pixel total.

Now, that means that at 1334x750, we get only 36% of the viewing area (pixel wise) to the iPhone X’s screen. This translates into a 74% viewing area increase. Closer to the 88%, but not quite there.

The iPhone 8 Plus is at 1920x1080 which is 2,073,600 pixel total. Compared to the iPhone 8, that is a 52% screen size increase. Still quite low.

Pixels don't correlate to area comparisons since the DPI is different (X448,+401 and 326).

 

[jav6454]

Pixels don't correlate to area since the DPI is different.

DPI doesn’t matter. Example, do you think you can view more or the same on a 32” TV that has 720, 1080 or 4K?

If you can answer this, then you understand how screen resolutions work and how they can alter screen size comparisons.

 

[Julien]

DPI doesn’t matter. Example, do you think you can view more or the same on a 32” TV that has 720, 1080 or 4K?

If you can answer this, then you understand how screen resolutions work and how they can alter screen size comparisons.

It matters because you are trying to use pixel numbers to compare the different iPhones. You can't do this since they have a different number of pixels per inch. In my post above I give the display area of the 8 and 8+. You need the H and W measurements
to calculate this.

 

[Altis]

DPI doesn’t matter. Example, do you think you can view more or the same on a 32” TV that has 720, 1080 or 4K?

If you can answer this, then you understand how screen resolutions work and how they can alter screen size comparisons.

Screen viewing area is the physical size of the screen's area.

 

[jav6454]

It matters because you are trying to use pixel numbers to compare the different iPhones. You can't do this since they have a different number of pixels per inch. In my post above I give the display area of the 8 and 8+. You need the H and W measurements
to calculate this.

Then you don’t know anything. Here are two pictures to help you understand. A higher screen resolution can be used for two things. View more of an image, or make an image sharper.

 

[Strelok]

Screen viewing area is the physical size of the screen's area.

Except a 27” 1080P Monitor won’t display as much information as a 27” 1440P monitor.

 

[jav6454]

Except a 27” 1080P Monitor won’t display as much information as a 27” 1440P monitor.

Exactly, I even asked that same question and it has yet to be answered which means he/she doesn’t know about it.

Again, the question is:

Do you see more or the same information/image on a 32”TV that has either 720, 1080 or 4K resolution?

 

[Altis]

Except a 27” 1080P Monitor won’t display as much information as a 27” 1440P monitor.

But that isn't what's being discussed when you talk about screen viewing area.

Especially so when the UI elements are all made to appear the exact same size on both (as is the case with the 8 and 8+, IIRC). What you gain is only the physical size and probably some clarity (sharper or fuzzier).

 

[Julien]

Just did a down and dirty measurement of my X (about 133.35 mm x 63.5mm). It looks the the viewing area is about 8468 sq mm counting the notch. And a wide aspect ratio of 2.11 (agin including the notch). Aspect t ratio of the + and regular are 1.78 (AKA: 16x9).

So here are the figures. Oddly the X actually has about 2% more viewing area than the +. However the notch and wider aspect ratio limit this.

X has (about) 133.35x63.5=8468 sq mm
8+ has 122x68=8296 sq mm
8 has 104x58=6032 sq mm


[doublepost=1514658856][/doublepost]

Then you don’t know anything...

Loooooong time audio/videophile and pretty familiar with most aspects like DPI, aspect ratios, resolution and viewing area.

 

[jav6454]

[doublepost=1514658856][/doublepost]
Loooooong time audio/videophile and pretty familiar with most aspects like DPI, aspect ratios, resolution and viewing area.

And yet can’t answer a simple question regarding something you are so expert at.
[doublepost=1514660664][/doublepost]

But that isn't what's being discussed when you talk about screen viewing area.

Especially so when the UI elements are all made to appear the exact same size on both (as is the case with the 8 and 8+, IIRC). What you gain is only the physical size and probably some clarity (sharper or fuzzier).

Please take your time to understand what the poster is talking. Viewing area can be affected by resolution changes.

 

[Altis]

Please take your time to understand what the poster is talking. Viewing area can be affected by resolution changes.

Can be, but isn't with the iPhone 8 vs 8+. The UI elements are the same visual size, so only the physical area matters (and is really what we're talking about).

Everything is so finely resolved on both that any increase in pixel density isn't going to automatically result in being able to cram more content on there.

 

[Julien]

And yet can’t answer a simple question regarding something you are so expert at.
[doublepost=1514660664][/doublepost]

Please take your time to understand what the poster is talking. Viewing area can be affected by resolution changes.

Sorry you are having such trouble understanding this concept so I will try again. Take the iPhone 8+ and keep the form factor (screen size) the same and reduce it’s resolution by ½ to 960x540

Phone 8+ ½ resolution would be 960x540=518,400 total pixels with a DPI of 200 (Apple would go back to not calling it a Retina)
Instead of: 1920x1080=2,073,600 total pixels with DPI of 400

They both have the same 1397mm (5.5”) diagonal 1.78 aspect ratio screen that has a total viewing area of 8296 sq mm. Different pixel densities and count but the exact same viewing area.

Analogy: A piece of land's size is determined by the length and depth measurements and not the number or density of tress on the property. More tress may look better and have more leaves but it doesn't change the size of the parcel. Pixels are more like trees. You can plant (cram) more tress but the property still stays the same size.


EDIT: Just thought of an analogy you can probably understand better. HDTV

• 55" HDTV has a resolution of 1080x1920 and has a DPI of 40. It's total viewing area is 1293 sq in.(47.9"x27")
• 75' HDTV has a resolution of 1080x1920 and has a DPI of 29. It's total viewing area is 2407 sq in. (65.4"x36.8")

Same number of pixels/resolution but the 75" has a 60% larger viewing area than the 55".

 

[MrX8503]

There’s a lot of misinformation in this thread.

If you want to figure out how much more content you can see on an iPhone Plus, you use “points”, not resolution or physical measurements because those units don’t take scaling into account.

iPhone 8 : 337x667 points = 250,125

iPhone 8+ : 414x736 points = 304,704

250,125 / 304,704 * 100 = 82.02%

100 - 82.02 = 17.91% larger screen real estate than the iPhone 8.

 

[Julien]

There’s a lot of misinformation in this thread....

Please read the OP post. The OP is specifically talking about and I quote "screen real estate" and "viewing area" and NOT about the content. Screen real estate and viewing area are true absolute measurements of the screen physical size and scaling (points) are relative measurements of the way data is displayed that is implemented by Apple. Apple could decide to change the scaling points next week in software but the physical viewing area/screen real estate is in the hardware of the screen and is an absolute.

A millimeter is an absolute measurement. Points are relative. You can assign a millimeter as many or as few relative points as you want but it will always be an absolute measurement.

 

[MrX8503]

Please read the OP post. The OP is specifically talking about and I quote "screen real estate" and "viewing area" and NOT about the content. Screen real estate and viewing area are true absolute measurements of the screen physical size and scaling (points) are relative measurements of the way data is displayed that is implemented by Apple. Apple could decide to change the scaling points next week in software but the physical viewing area/screen real estate is in the hardware of the screen and is an absolute.

A millimeter is an absolute measurement. Points are relative. You can assign a millimeter as many or as few relative points as you want but it will always be an absolute measurement.

You’re wrong.

Screen real estate is about how much content can fit on the screen. The term has never been about the physical size of the display. For example a 21” 1080p display has the same screen real estate as a 24” 1080p display.

Apple isn’t going to change the scaling of their current iPhones.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

You’re wrong.

Screen real estate is about how much content can fit on the screen. The term has never been about the physical size of the display. For example a 21” 1080p display has the same screen real estate as a 24” 1080p display.

Apple isn’t going to change the scaling of their current iPhones.

Whilst I agree in general, however the article linked in the original post clearly and unambiguously links their usage of the term to area measurement.