Motorola 'Droid X' to Challenge iPhone 4's Retina Display? [Updated]

[Xibalba]

Update 2 indicates that this was just an "error" in advertising - ouch!

Still, I welcome competitors to the iphone to help drive the technology and hope the Android OS continues to do well. For me though, it will take much to switch from the iphone - both personally and professionally - over the past 2 and 1/2 years.

 

[kdarling]

like many Apple technologies, the retina display is overkill, and given the limitations of the human eye, there is no reason for anyone to spend the money to meet or exceed its resolution, other than bragging rights.

As has been mentioned before, it's not the highest resolution screen ever used in a phone.

Not that it matters. As you said, it's overkill and few people would be able to tell its density from many other phones that are close in resolution, especially at the distance range that Apple decided to talk about.

The only reason Apple went so high anyway, was because iOS is still a work in progress. It and the apps are not resolution independent, and thus the entire iPhone ecosystem required a double-each-axis hardware hack so that old apps would still work.

Apple's lucky that there have been so many other phones pushing the display resolution envelope all these years while Apple stayed stagnant. Otherwise the leap would most likely not have been possible.

People, please! Verizon just showed off the Incredible and now they are going to kick the Incredible to the curb(old school slang for throwing someone or something under the bus). You may say no way. But I say way! Verizon knows the so-called tech savvy geeks(suckers needing the latest tech fix) will throw their Incredible onto ebay faster than Usain Bolt running the 2 yard dash!

Yes, very similar to what many iPhone owners do when a new model comes along. They also sell off their old ones and buy the new model. The only difference is in the frequency of this occurence.

Who's to say that "one year" is the mandated model update time?

If Apple were to be truly nice by your definition, they'd only bring out a new model every two years when American owners' contracts were up.

 

[macUser2007]

... Dismissing higher resolution display as "useless" doesn't buy you much credibility either.

Hm, really? The iPad has 132 pixel resolution, which most here would deem adequate at a reasonable distance. Most e-readers are under 200 pixels, and people who read on them find them plenty sharp for even small text.

Having over 300 pixels on a 3.5" is great, and even greater from a marketing perspective, but the practical usefulness of it is at best debatable.

Flash sucks (especially on a phone), so I'd put that as a negative, not a positive.

iOS is superior to Android OS. Faster, more intuitive, more consistent across different SKUs.

I would rather have a 3.5" screen if it allows the device itself to be much smaller.

Most of the world enjoys what Flash provides. Get used to it.

iOS is certainly less responsive on my 3Gs, when compared to Android OS on the Incredible or the EVO running 2.1 - plus Android 2.2 is measurably faster.

I like iOS UI a little better, but it's close. Android OS can also be customized to look better.

The EVO, with its 4.3" is larger than the iPhone, but it does not feel drastically different in the hand, or in the pocket. But the 4.3" screen makes a HUGE difference to stuff like web browsing.

Oh, and instead of blue Lego pieces, you get actual web content, too.

 

[blizaine]

Update 2 indicates that this was just an "error" in advertising - ouch!

So I guess the Droid doesn't do... 300+ ppi.

 

[Justinf79]

And flash is amazing on a phone.

I lol'd...

 

[kevinkt]

This is simply a fail. Idk why all of you insist on making longwinded remarks lol

 

[Cinematographer]

Watching movies on a 9" screen isn't exactly what I would call an 'HD' experience, regardless of the rez.

It's all about the rez.

A movie in HD quality does indeed lock better than the same movie in SD quality, regardless of the screen size.

 

[pooryou]

LOL @ them putting HDMI on a phone

 

[NorrisKillsKids]

LOL at Verizon, nuff said.

 

[macUser2007]

It's all about the rez.

A movie in HD quality does indeed lock better than the same movie in SD quality, regardless of the screen size.

Not true.

For someone with the name of Cinematographer, you should know better about the eye's ability to resolve and its relation to distance.

The main reason for this "retina" resolution is not usefulness, but the fact that unlike Android, Apple hasn't had resolution independence built into the OS until now.

Android vendors have been pushing the resolution numbers up and up. So, Apple had to bump the resolution.

But without resolution independence, Apple had to exactly double the resolution of the screen, to ensure compatibility with older apps. Then Apple marketing turned this into a "great new feature," even though Android hardware has had 300 dpi screens for months now.

But really, if you believe that the 300+ dpi on the iPhone is so useful and necessary, do you deem the iPad to be a total failure, since it sports only 132 dpi?

 

[Cinematographer]

Some of what you say is obviously true, macUser2007.

But I was basically answering to LOLaMac's statement that HD does not exist on a 9" screen like the iPad and that it needed a 50" screen or bigger "with at least 5.1 surround".

 

[marksman]

I am an AT&T customer, how come I can't get any of these awesome droid phones? Why do they only exist on Verizon? Surely if they are so awesome they should be going head up with the iPhone on the second largest carrier in the US. I know android based phones exist for AT&T, but where are the big boy competitors.

Why can't I get a big android based phone that is awesome on AT&T?

I never hear anyone talking about the next awesome android phone for AT&T... why is that?

 

[spydr]

What's with phone's having HDMI outputs now-a-days? Seems like such a useless feature to me.

Wow dude... You clearly don't know the sweet experience of watching your text messages fly on a 46" TV - esp. if you are pounding them with a USB keyboard attached to your phone

 

[staveb]

It looks so lame...

The Apple Stud McMuffin strikes again with a perfect assessment!

 

[iSamurai]

teaser fail

 

[mixel]

It would be really nice if people would actually wait until they've seen/used the retina display before they deem it worthwhile or useless.

Personally at the distance I use the phone from I'm very pleased about the idea of the extra resolution. I genuinely think it'll be a large usability improvement. Its not as important on the iPad as that's total resolution is higher anyway and it isn't held as close to your face. The actual res is more important than the ppi.

I like the look of most of these recent Droids but don't understate the importance of features you've never experienced if they're going to impact general use. Fair enough dismissing niche extras like hdmi out.. Has anyone who's seen iphone4 in the flesh had anything negative to say about the new screens? ... Thought not.

 

[Warbrain]

The 720p likely is the resolution of the screen, not the pixel density. More pixels > bigger display.

 

[Castiel]

Why does choice scare Apple fanboys so much?

Pfft, I like how throwing the word 'fanboy' out makes you feel like "my point is valid because a fanboy is bias." Interesting, because I believe the bias is on your end..

and hey, go choose from the slew of Droids. Hopefully they'll actually get it right for once.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I am an AT&T customer, how come I can't get any of these awesome droid phones? Why do they only exist on Verizon? Surely if they are so awesome they should be going head up with the iPhone on the second largest carrier in the US. I know android based phones exist for AT&T, but where are the big boy competitors.

Why can't I get a big android based phone that is awesome on AT&T?

I never hear anyone talking about the next awesome android phone for AT&T... why is that?

Simple it is because of Apple.

AT&T does not want to risk pissing off Apple by a good direct competitor with it.
I want the iPhone to leave AT&T so the price discounts for the non-iPhone get in line with the discounts they give everyone else.

 

[uberamd]

Most of the world enjoys what Flash provides. Get used to it.

iOS is certainly less responsive on my 3Gs, when compared to Android OS on the Incredible or the EVO running 2.1 - plus Android 2.2 is measurably faster.

Oh, and instead of blue Lego pieces, you get actual web content, too.

You must be kidding. iOS is insanely responsive on my 3GS. It is actually better than 3.1.3 I would argue.

Flash isn't available on most Android devices anyway, and requires significant power to run. Thus, you still don't see lots of flash content.

 

[skyehill]

Kobe's game is more refined. He's all about work and dedication to show his best on the court. He produces results. It just works. - iPhone

Lebron is all flash. Nice stats, great hype, but in the end, keeps failing. - Droid

Lebron and his supporting cast had the best record in the league the past two years. What do they have to show for it. (Besides the dancing during pre-games, during the game, and on the sidelines).

Wow, you have absolutely zero clue about sports. Move along.

 

[brewcitywi]

A List of things

1. The mobile phone market is still very viable, and not shrinking anytime soon. So, Apple won't have competitors who back out of the market without some heavy competition. So, of course everyone will try and catch up.

2. The retina display is a marketing term for a super nice screen. Knowing Apple, it will be amazing.

3. The time between new phones in a company's line may actually be the key to what everyone is talking about:

A. Apple has a new phone every year. Contracts are every two years. Apple wants to make phones that are amazing enough to last, and still garner the user's interest, all the way through to the second year. However, their phones are more expensive, and even the carrier must subsidize it's initial costs over the 2-year contract.

B. Most other companies constantly add/embellish/re-name/re-brand/re-design their models...maybe even 3-4 times each year. However, some of these phones are given out free with contracts, buy one get one, etc. So, these companies place a much more "disposable," or "temporary" label on their phones. Maybe their view is that a phone's lifespan is LESS than a year.

I doubt that Apple will start releasing 2 phones each year. They want a more stable, controllable, higher-end build-up.

What would be more interesting, is if the competition had one "high-end" phone in their lineup, that was really meant for 1-2 years of use....even as their other temporary phones are released in a flurry around it. That would be more competitive to Apple, I think.

C. I still believe that, if Apple makes a viable phone on Verizon's network this Fall, it could honestly give Android a major blow. iPhone 4 on Verizon would really make some users think twice before buying anything else.

 

[skyehill]

Didn't you get the memo? People here are never satisfied. Apple could make an iPhone that prints $20 bills and people would complain that it doesn't print them fast enough.

And the phone could drop feces into their mouths every time they make a phone call and the fanboys would say they're the best tasting feces ever. funny how that works, eh?

 

[wovel]

Yes, but chances are you won't know most of those 600,000 people, and as such you won't be calling them, and even if you did you wouldn't be wanting to video chat with them.

I see Facetime as being useful primarily in families where each family member has an iPhone, but not so much outside of families. And even then, the fact you need Wifi makes the feature next to useless. I dunno, I just don't see it really taking off... yet. Maybe during the first month the iPhone 4 is out, as people want to test the new feature, but I see it tapering off after that.

Facetime lets you know when you call someone if they are capable of a videocall and you can make the switch with the push of a button. You will discover lots of people outside of your family that are able to use it...I suspect you will support in lots of devices before the end of the year.

And if they were releasing a phone with a 3.0" screen you'd rather the larger screen.
iOS isn't superior to android OS, not faster, more "intuitive" is that an opinion or fact? and more consistent across different SKUs? as in what, the iphone ipod and ipad? how about the fact that you're stuck with AT&T.
And flash is amazing on a phone.

Is that an opinion or a fact?

Hm, really? The iPad has 132 pixel resolution, which most here would deem adequate at a reasonable distance. Most e-readers are under 200 pixels, and people who read on them find them plenty sharp for even small text.

Having over 300 pixels on a 3.5" is great, and even greater from a marketing perspective, but the practical usefulness of it is at best debatable.

You came to thread hoping to gloat, but your dreams were dashed..

Most of the world enjoys what Flash provides. Get used to it.

iOS is certainly less responsive on my 3Gs, when compared to Android OS on the Incredible or the EVO running 2.1 - plus Android 2.2 is measurably faster.

I like iOS UI a little better, but it's close. Android OS can also be customized to look better.

The EVO, with its 4.3" is larger than the iPhone, but it does not feel drastically different in the hand, or in the pocket. But the 4.3" screen makes a HUGE difference to stuff like web browsing.

Oh, and instead of blue Lego pieces, you get actual web content, too.

So very predictably, you went back to flash!

 

[Sean4123]

This stupid phone isn't even out yet and Engaget said it feels this is false advertising as they have already seen the phone. And STILL there are Android fans on here claiming that this phone has made Apple look stupid and is going to crush the iPhone. Blah, blah, blah, blah.