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why do people need such big phones? a colleague has one of those 4,6" cause he has bad eyes. but for anybody else? i don't see the point.
 
What are you talking about: "non-integer pixel multiplication"? I don't even know what you're trying to say.

If you're suggesting that they aren't able to go to 1440x960, then you're wrong. As I said, it's the exact same process as going from 480x320 to 960x640. If you're suggesting that the hardware isn't capable of powering double the pixels, then you're wrong again, as even one entry level PowerVR 600 series GPU will be able to power 1440x960 whilst giving more performance than an SGX543MP2 at 960x640, and using less power.

SMH. I'll lay it out for you.

The reason Apple has exactly doubled their resolution when going to retina hasn't been by accident. They did it to allow for backwards compatibility from non-retina apps. You can display a standard iOS app on a retina screen by quadrupling a pixel:

Code:
*

becomes

Code:
**
**

Easy, quick, and looks good (well, good-ish, but as good as you can get)


To go from 960x640 to 1440 x 960 means you're not just doubling each dimension. You're multiplying it by 1.5. Which means you're going from this:
Code:
**
**

to this:
Code:
***
***
***

Which is more processor intensive, and it looks like balls.

Even more fun is going from this:
Code:
*

to... what, exactly? Now you're into fractional pixels. Now we're reaaaaly talking poor display.

This. Will. Never. Happen.

The next iPhone resolution will be an exact doubling of the 960x640: 1920x1280. Cash in the bank.
 
Personally, I want a bigger screen on the iPhone. It's currently just too small for me to do anything on . . . . the EVO has spoiled me rotten.

I don't think Apple would EVER go as big as the Galaxy Nexus though. 1) that's admitting that Android handset makers had a good screen size and 2) I don't think Apple's stale iOS could handle that screen size.
 
A bigger screen is almost a necessity at this point. Not just for Apple, but for Android phones as well.

People want more CPU/GPU horsepower, more RAM, 4G LTE. Making the phone bigger to accommodate a bigger screen means more room for the most important thing to these new additions....more space for a bigger battery.

Apple has never been about "specs" and that's a key reason they're so successful.
 
Is bigger really better, though?

This is the thing -- given the iPhone screens are good high res things, does making the screen bigger really make the experience better? Surely its' just something Samsung have done in order to say "we're bigger ' on marketing.

I don't know if I want bulkier iPhones, I'd like smaller ones really. What does everyone else thing? And what about Apple beating RIM in canada??
 
I agree. My prediction is Apple might increase it a bit while making the bezel smaller.

In order to keep the "Retina" claim with a 300DPI linear resolution, the largest possible diagonal is 3.84", which according to the DPI calculator site gives us a 3.2" × 2.13" screen.

You might say that's too small as it's still under 4", but one thing to keep in mind: iPhone's display is larger than its diagonal indicates in comparison to Android phones because of the more square aspect ratio. An iPhone at 3.84" diagonal will be plenty big.

To give a quick comparison, an Android phone with a 4.3" qHD display like many HTC and Motorola phones will have a dimension of 3.75" × 2.11". The hypothetical 3.84" iPhone display will actually be (extremely slightly) wider than the 4.3" Android phone. To me the width of the phone is what really matters for usability within reasons and I think I'll be very happy with an iPhone with a ~3.8" display, as long as the bezel is kept in check. I don't really want to see it get much bigger physically.

p.s. I just read the original Korean article in question and it sounds very dubious. Not only the reporter gets fact wrong - "the iPhone display is 1:2" - he claims "Apple's new management team is following Samsung's lead by going with a bigger screen" (not HTC?) and adds that this is a great news for Korean display suppliers as the prices for LCD panels will go up which should help the bottom line of the display makers. Pumping up the display stocks?


Apple is not going to fragment their devices' aspect ratio just to please some people with a fraction of an inch's worth of extra screen size.
 
SMH. I'll lay it out for you.

The reason Apple has exactly doubled their resolution when going to retina hasn't been by accident. They did it to allow for backwards compatibility from non-retina apps. You can display a standard iOS app on a retina screen by quadrupling a pixel:

becomes


Easy, quick, and looks good (well, good-ish, but as good as you can get)


To go from 960x640 to 1440 x 960 means you're not just doubling each dimension. You're multiplying it by 1.5. Which means you're going from this:

to this:

Which is more processor intensive, and it looks like balls.

Even more fun is going from this:

to... what, exactly? Now you're into fractional pixels. Now we're reaaaaly talking poor display.

This. Will. Never. Happen.

The next iPhone resolution will be an exact doubling of the 960x640: 1920x1280. Cash in the bank.
Let me explain it to you:

You're not going from 960x640 to 1440x960, you're going from 480x320 to 1440x960. All iPhone apps are coded for 480x320 points, and the scaling factor on each device determines how many pixels that is, i.e, on the iPhone 3GS the scaling factor is 1, the 4 & 4S its 2, and on the 5 it would be 3.

Let's say you have a button on an app at 10, 10, with a size of 30, 30. On an iPhone 3GS that literally translates into 10, 10, 30, 30, on an iPhone 4 or 4S, it translates into 20, 20, 60, 60, and with a scaling factor of 3, it would translate to 30, 30, 90, 90.

Again: all apps are coded for 480x320. It's the OS that handles drawing them, there's no way to even code an app for 960x640 and have it fit on the screen. The screen real estate is exactly the same across all models.

EDIT: Another example, with a button that's 11, 11, with a size of 13, 13, it would be 11, 11, 13, 13 on an iPhone 3GS, 22, 22, 26, 26 for the 4 and 4S, and 33, 33, 39, 39, for a 5 at 1440x960.
 
Let me explain it to you:

You're not going from 960x640 to 1440x960, you're going from 480x320 to 1440x960. All iPhone apps are coded for 480x320 points, and the scaling factor on each device determines how many pixels that is, i.e, on the iPhone 3GS the scaling factor is 1, the 4 & 4S its 2, and on the 5 it would be 3.

So you're going on record as saying that the smallest unit possible on a retina display is a 4x4 block? That there is absolutely no difference possible between a retina display and a standard display?

You might want to rethink that statement. :rolleyes:
 
From what I have been reading the phone itself will remain the same physical size as it is now but the screen will wrap around the edges and you simply roll it to view the whole image.

----------

You need to try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DayQeLkc710 or maybe it was because you were holding a Smasung instead of a Samsung. :D


Larger Display => Higher Energy Consumation

Last ios consumes lot of energy. If lcd grow, battery most grow too. Look to the new ipad. I don't believe that Apple neglect this point.
An 3.8' - 4' case is acceptable. The other away is a case with the same size, but more thicker. Maybe an compromise solution
 
I'm pretty sure the screen won't change size because of ergonomics, not resolution. The screen will hardly lose its retina quality if they used a slightly bigger screen with the same pixel ratio(?).

Ergonomically, if I hold my phone with one hand, my thumb can touch virtually the whole screen with a little effort. I do have big hands but that's aside the point. If the screen gets bigger, suddenly I'm not able to touch as much of the screen. I mean, just look at that picture, that's a whole extra centimeter added vertically, just by moving to a screen that's 0.5" bigger.

I'm sure I saw a graphic that explained this, but that was a while ago and I can't find it.

The Galaxy isn't a huge phone, it's a tiny tablet requiring two-handed operation.

iphone-4s-galaxy-s2-screen-size.jpg
 
Higher resolutions with the same DPI => much larger displays

Apple will not increase DPI. It's no sense
 
Dis-information?

Maybe it's both true and false. Maybe Apple does intentionally place actual orders for a small number of screens they actually don't intend to release publicly -- just to confuse the competition? Potentially it's a small price to pay for the competitive benefits of confusing the other device manufacturers.
 
We already know what the iPhone 5 will be and will look like, this korean blog is stupid.

There are official claim that Steve Jobs had the iPhone 5 ready, but that Apple decided finally to go with an iPhone 4S, which is a better economical strategy of course.

The final rumors of the iPhone 5 before the big deception were most likely true: it will be thinner than the iPhone 4S but probably a bit larger, for the screen that probably will be 4", with a tapered screen
 
Indeed. Problem is if you want to stay in the Apple eco system you have little choice but to buy a product you don't really like. Eventually people will start to get fed up with this hobsons choice. If they are going to sell new and old models together there's no reason we can't have some choice on screen size.

This is why the Samsung Galaxy SII is selling so well. If Apple keep the 3.5" screen I wouldn't be surprised if the SIII overtakes it in sales.

No, the Samsung Galaxy SII Extreme Pro XXX Advanced (as well as other Android phones) are mainly selling so well because mobile carriers are pushing them, since they make greater profit margins on them. Notice that in the tablet market, where carriers have little to no influence and consumers make up their own minds what to buy, the iPad is still king, with the only real competition coming from the Kindle due to its low price and Amazon marketplace (despite its shittty quality.)
 
So you're going on record as saying that the smallest unit possible on a retina display is a 4x4 block? That there is absolutely no difference possible between a retina display and a standard display?

You might want to rethink that statement. :rolleyes:
Sigh...

Apps are coded in points, not pixels. You get 480x320 points to work with, and the OS automatically renders the app and its UI at the correct dimensions on retina devices.

If an app was coded at 960x640, it wouldn't work at 480x320.
 
I think I am ok with a 4" or 3.7" screen because if I don't like it I can get an iPhone 4S. Just I LVVVUUURRRVVEEEEEE my iPhone 4 screen, always have, yet to see any other mobile with a better screen and I also love the compact size.
But I can compromise with a 4" screen with a PPI of around 320, but what is really important to me is that Apple REALLY make an effort to keep the physical size increase to an absolute bare minimum.

Right, as for a 4.6" screen!! I would never buy it and get an iPhone 4S in a heartbeat and I would think many others would be the same too. 4.6 is just to big :eek:

Oh and a 12mpx Sony Ericsson camera plus dual core A6 CPU and PowerVR series 6 dual core GPU would also be nice Apple thanks :D, I say dual core as this is still damn powerful but gives even better battery life ;)
 
Sigh...

Apps are coded in points, not pixels. You get 480x320 points to work with, and the OS automatically renders the app and its UI at the correct dimensions on retina devices.

If an app was coded at 960x640, it wouldn't work at 480x320.

Since when are apps the only things that can run on an iPhone? You have a 960x640 screen that is fully able to be written to for websites, and you're fully able to target a single pixel.
 
Definitely, Apple needs to be more competitive.


Yup, with the stock at $602.50/share, market cap over half a trillion dollars and the highest brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction ratings on the planet... they just need to be more competitive. :rolleyes:
 
BS factor 10!

Why does the larger screen has to be an iPhone? To me, it could well be for the controller for the rumoured Apple TV (the real thing)!
 
Yup, with the stock at $602.50/share, market cap over half a trillion dollars and the highest brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction ratings on the planet... they just need to be more competitive. :rolleyes:

Are you agreeing with my sarcasm? Just wanted to make sure you didn't think I actually thought that :)
 
I just don't understand the need for a 4" screen. I don't want to carry anything larger around in my pocket -- and why be "competitive" just on screen size? Make a better device with the 3.5" screen and people will still flock to it. I don't want to carry a tablet around in my pocket, let alone pressing one to my face.

People with the large-screen phones look ridiculous, and then seem annoyed when it comes time they need two hands to operate it.

I guess I'm just one of the few that sees no need for a larger screen. I like the compactness of the current iPhone.
 
Let me explain it to you:

You're not going from 960x640 to 1440x960, you're going from 480x320 to 1440x960. All iPhone apps are coded for 480x320 points, and the scaling factor on each device determines how many pixels that is, i.e, on the iPhone 3GS the scaling factor is 1, the 4 & 4S its 2, and on the 5 it would be 3.

Let's say you have a button on an app at 10, 10, with a size of 30, 30. On an iPhone 3GS that literally translates into 10, 10, 30, 30, on an iPhone 4 or 4S, it translates into 20, 20, 60, 60, and with a scaling factor of 3, it would translate to 30, 30, 90, 90.

Again: all apps are coded for 480x320. It's the OS that handles drawing them, there's no way to even code an app for 960x640 and have it fit on the screen. The screen real estate is exactly the same across all models.

EDIT: Another example, with a button that's 11, 11, with a size of 13, 13, it would be 11, 11, 13, 13 on an iPhone 3GS, 22, 22, 26, 26 for the 4 and 4S, and 33, 33, 39, 39, for a 5 at 1440x960.

You're exactly right. I have a feeling most people don't understand that the iPhone is based on 480x320 "points", even if there are more pixels. Developers can sort of use "fractional" points if they want to take advantage of the extra pixels in higher resolution devices but the OS is designed to think of the screen as <480x320> times the <scaling factor> of the device (an integer).

I see no reason why they won't continue this trend in the future. "Doubling" the resolution every time is unsustainable. Integer multiples of 320x480 is flexible enough to support many device configurations while still making it crisp and easy for developers to work with.
 
Since when are apps the only things that can run on an iPhone? You have a 960x640 screen that is fully able to be written to for websites, and you're fully able to target a single pixel.
Firstly, a website is displayed in a UIWebView... in an app. Secondly, it doesn't ever display 960x640 worth of real estate, it displays the exact same amount of content as 480x320, just sharper.

As a developer, you've got no access whatsoever to the 960x640 display. When you make an iPhone app, you're working with 480x320 points, and the OS handles everything else. You've got no part in it, and no control over it.

Don't believe me? Download XCode yourself and query the iPhone simulator for its resolution, and the retina iPhone simulator for its resolution. You get the same answer back. If you make a UIImageView at 960x640, then three quarters of it will be cut off.
 
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