How Apple Could Make the Move to 4.7" iPhone Displays

[Casiotone]

I don't know if it's the result of my many (long) posts about the topic, but there seem to be a lot more people posting here now that understand the issues related to supporting different resolutions and screen densities on iOS.

As I wrote multiple times, iOS is not currently able to automatically compensate for screen density changes. It's not "PPI independent".

The 2x retina trick is very specific to support a transition to a screen of the same size with exactly double the resolution and PPI.

Keeping 326 PPI makes the most sense for iOS. Going over would mean a lot more work for devs even if iOS 8 adds PPI independence features.

Android needs ultra-high resolution screens to hide interpolation artifacts resulting from its use fractional UI scaling, because logical pixels are rarely aligned with physical pixels, causing some blurriness which is even more apparent on lower resolution screens.

The iOS UI on the other hand, is meant to be "pixel perfect" so it wouldn't benefit as much from a higher PPI.

 

[Beta Particle]

but Apple and all the fan boys said 3.5" is the perfect size

It was for me.

The 3:2 aspect ratio is the same as most camera sensors, so it meant that images filled the screen completely.
16:9 is an ugly aspect ratio for a portrait device.

I was just using a friend's iPhone 4S the other day, and I was reminded of how I preferred its size to the iPhone 5/5S.


I don't mind if they make the screen as large as they can without making the phone any bigger than it already is (as it's unlikely to get smaller) but I absolutely do not want a larger device.

I don't really understand the mentality of buying bigger and bigger phones.
It seems that most people wanting bigger phones really just want a small tablet.

As I wrote multiple times, iOS is not currently able to automatically compensate for screen density changes. It's not "PPI independent".

The 2x retina trick is very specific to support a transition to a screen of the same size with exactly double the resolution and PPI.

Keeping 326 PPI makes the most sense for iOS. Going over would mean a lot more work for devs even if iOS 8 adds PPI independence features.

It's not pixel density that needs to remain constant, it's resolution.

Pixel density is just a measurement of the size of each individual pixel.
You need to either double the resolution (2272x1280) or keep resolution the same and reduce the pixel density on a larger screen to avoid scaling the image.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

"The revolutionary concept in the new iPhone, users can change the battery back on their own! No more needing to plug your phone in during the day, or for long outing! Apple = Innovation!"

Good luck with that. That would be like Apple including a SD card slot so that users could up the onboard memory or add to it when needed, or have unlimited local storage by swapping out cards as needed. Post that idea and the cheerleaders will blast that down on "lack of space inside", "kludgey", etc but then later cheer on thinner, thinner, thinner!

 

[T-Will]

Couldn't they just "stretch" unoptimized 4" apps to use the extra screen real estate (until apps are optimized for 4.7")?

 

[ttss6]

Darn it Apple. It doesn't even exist yet and I want it NOW

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I don't really understand the mentality of buying bigger and bigger phones.
It seems that most people wanting bigger phones really just want a small tablet.

Consumer rationale: one size that works for you does not work for all. Consumers are individuals, not one unified herd. Choices are desirable.

Apple's rationale: consumers are buying lots of bigger screen phones from our competitors and we want that money

 

[o0bubbles0o1]

Good luck with that. That would be like Apple including a SD card slot so that users could up the onboard memory or add to it when needed, or have unlimited local storage by swapping out cards as needed. Post that idea and the cheerleaders will blast that down on "lack of space inside", "kludgey", etc but then later cheer on thinner, thinner, thinner!

Apple didn't ever allow those things because they are obscenely stupid. Apple knows how to make seamless, beautiful devices, not devices you put together like Legos every time your dumb{%& wants to put a new battery in, despite the fact that there are ten trillion external batteries or battery cases you could be using. So glad Apple has highly intelligent people working for them, as opposed to people that are clueless.

 

[LordVic]

Consumer rationale: one size that works for you does not work for all

Apple's rationale: consumers are buying lots of bigger screen phones from our competitors and we want that money

exactly.

This isn't a hard concept.

I'm a "bigger phone" guy. I like the 4.7-5" size range (5.5 was WAY to big for me to handle)

the more rumours that come out about the iPhone6, the more and more i want one finally.

I generally am platform agnostic. Most of my services aren't dependant on a specific platform. So i'm willing to give the iPhone 6 a shot if it hits those checkboxes that I have for a phone.

 

[goobot]

I think a 5.5 inch iPhone with its own resolution would be cause to worry about fragmentation, but I'm not convinced it exists. As it stands, the iPhone 4s will be getting phased out, and then its just the iPhone 5 resolution and the iPhone 6 resolution. 2 resolutions. So the status quo.

The 4s won't be phased out until iOS 9.

 

[497902]

Why wouldn't they just scale everything like on the iPad and iPad mini?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Apple didn't ever allow those things because they are obscenely stupid. Apple knows how to make seamless, beautiful devices, not devices you put together like Legos every time your dumb{%& wants to put a new battery in, despite the fact that there are ten trillion external batteries or battery cases you could be using. So glad Apple has highly intelligent people working for them, as opposed to people that are clueless.

So you're apparently saying that ALL consumers wouldn't want an interchangeable battery or SD card memory options in an iPhone? ALL = EVERYONE.

 

[GreyOS]

Dear sanity! Do not let Apple choose the odd-ball resolution of 1334x750. It's not proper 16:9, because 9 doesn't divide evenly into 750. It's unnecessary too because there's a standard resolution just 30 pixels away. I hope that Apple have seen sense and taken a slight hike in pixel density to give us a 720p screen instead. Maybe they could use 1080p on the 5.5'' one.

Not sure I follow. 1280x720 (720p) would be lower than 1334x750?

 

[Piggie]

I'd think, logically you don't want to jump to a new resolution very often.

So staying the same or increasing a little bit would seem a dumb move.

If you are going to jump to a new screen, and why not, they ruined lots of 3rd party physical devices when they changed the power adapter socket, so you may as well made it a good jump that's going to last and be in place for many years to come.

 

[goobot]

I agree. I believe they will either double the resolution in each direction, or up it by 50%.

So with 50%, 1136x640 would become 1704x960. The PPI would increase of course, which would keep the iPhone up with all the other phones with willy-waving resolutions and PPI.

And it would scale UI components where it had to - but the fact that the old resolution and the new resolution are retina will hide most of the artifacts that stretching would create.

Doubing is easier, and that would be 2272x1280, and as phones are coming out with 2560x1440 or thereabouts displays, it isn't technically infeasible.

Doubling wouldn't be easier because the screen size is changing, apple doesn't want to go above the PPI now because it serves no purpose other than to drain your battery and for companies like Samsung to trick people into thinking their screens are better when in reality you can't see the difference unless you use your phone as a pair of glasses and use it against your face.

 

[o0bubbles0o1]

So you're apparently saying that ALL consumers wouldn't want an interchangeable battery or SD card memory options in an iPhone? ALL = EVERYONE.

It doesn't matter how many people want it, it's something that they know the devices are a million times better without. You don't let morons make decisions.

 

[thekeyring]

So you want existing resolution stretched out to 4.7" or even 5.5"?

Top kek m8 thats horrible.

Nintendo have done this with their DSi XL and 3DS XL products... I cannot see Apple doing this, the results suck.

It's good to remember that Apple have probably built prototypes of each display, played around, mocked up apps, etc, and worked out which will actually be the best solution.

 

[Gudi]

First you ruin the software. (iOS 7)
Then you ruin the hardware. (iPhone 6)

And you make the switch. (Android)

 

[o0bubbles0o1]

Doubling wouldn't be easier because the screen size is changing, apple doesn't want to go above the PPI now because it serves no purpose other than to drain your battery and for companies like Samsung to trick people into thinking their screens are better when in reality you can't see the difference unless you use your phone as a pair of glasses and use it against your face.

Not true, sorry your eyesight is poor. I can easily see pixels, especially now in iOS 7 with thinner fonts, from distances up to about 8" from my eyes. The pixel density would have to be increased in order to attain 'retina' from any comfortable viewing distance, which is about 4"+.

 

[thekeyring]

Why wouldn't they just scale everything like on the iPad and iPad mini?

Because scaling upwards means they'd release a newer iPhone with a lower PPI, and no more screen real-estate. If that's what you want, hold your current iPhone closer to your face.

 

[497902]

Because scaling upwards means they'd release a newer iPhone with a lower PPI, and no more screen real-estate. If that's what you want, hold your current iPhone closer to your face.

I actually meant the GUI, not the screen, so that everything is proportionally the same.

 

[bsolar]

Not sure I follow. 1280x720 (720p) would be lower than 1334x750?

If I understand the poster correctly: 1280x720 is exactly 16:9, 1334x750 is not:

720 * 16 = 11520
11520 / 9 = 1280

750 * 16 = 12000
12000 / 9 = 1333.333... <- not exactly 1334.

Why this matters, I don't know.

 

[D.T.]

Not sure I follow. 1280x720 (720p) would be lower than 1334x750?

They were pointing out that 1334x750 isn’t an exact 16:9, as I responded it’s 1.78, though as this poster most accurately pointed out:

16/9 = 1.777777777777777777777777777777~
!=
1334/750 = 1.778666666666666666666666666666~

Third of a row of pixels or so off.
Is that a problem? for most people, no.

It’s effectively 16:9 with just a slight inaccuracy of 0.00088888888889, so depending on where you round.

If Apple used the common HD resolutions of 1280x720p, there wouldn’t be any scaling on 720p video, though there would be more downscaling from higher-resolution sources like 1080p.

Alternately, they could just use the 1280x720p subset of pixels so 720p video, have more letterbox/blackbars, but it would be mapped 1:1 (I actually wonder if that produces a better end result, since upscaling just a few additional pixels from a 720 source probably introduces some artifacts, etc.)

So 1280x720 might be better for “full screen” video, from 720P sources, but they would lose the “magic” consistent PPI of 326 (and non-video uses would take a little hit).

I watch very little video on my phone, so I’m all about maximum text quality (I’m also a dev, so I’m about minimum porting effort )

 

[497902]

If I understand the poster correctly: 1280x720 is exactly 16:9, 1334x750 is not:

720 * 16 = 11520
11520 / 9 = 1280

750 * 16 = 12000
12000 / 9 = 1333.333... <- not exactly 1334.

Why this matters, I don't know.

The current iPhone isn't 16:9 either. It has one row of pixels too much.

 

[GreyOS]

If I understand the poster correctly..

They were pointing out that 1334x750 isn’t an exact 16:9, as I responded it’s ~1.78

I was replying to this part, sorry "I hope that Apple have seen sense and taken a slight hike in pixel density to give us a 720p screen instead."

1280x720 instead of 1334x750 is not a hike in pixel density, unless I misunderstand what "hike" means.

 

[BCWorld]

This is very interesting. A 4.7 inch screen is a great size. BUT if Apple makes a larger iPhone aren't they admitting they were wrong about the 4 inch being "Perfect"? Also a 4.7 inch screen will probably get a lot more Android fans to switch to Apple?? Just my thoughts. All comments are welcome.