Resolution

10 'Resolution' stories May 2013 - August 2015

App analytics data latest to suggest rumored iPad Pro resolution is 2732×2048

Benjamin Mayo Aug 19 2015 - 7:07 am PT

iPad mini 3 21 ratio

Data from Appsee claims to have identified information regarding the as-yet-unannounced larger iPad Pro, expected to feature a display ranging between 12.3 and 12.9 inches. The app analytics firm says an iPad with identifier ‘iPad6,8’ appeared in its logs with a reported screen resolution of 2732×2048. Internally, the larger iPad models are referred to as J98 and J99. The resolution is especially notable as it was previously spotted within code for iOS 9. For comparison, the current iPad Air 2 has a screen resolution of 2048×1536 with a ‘iPad5,1’ model identifier.

The jump in pixels for both axis is substantial although somewhat expected given the screen will also be increasing in area by about 80%. AppSee says its logs indicate the device has been used to open several apps from the App Store. The company has also identified ‘iPhone 8,1’ and ‘iPhone8,2’ devices corresponding to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

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Xbox One SmartGlass app updated with iPhone 6/6 Plus support

9to5 Staff Jan 19 2015 - 7:19 am PT

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Microsoft today released a minor update for its Xbox One SmartGlass app with long overdue support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The latest version of the companion app for Xbox One now supports the native resolution of both smartphones alongside bug fixes.
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Mac Pro monitor review: The best 4K & UHD monitors for Mac

Jordan Kahn Dec 23 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

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Check out our updated roundup of the best 4K and 5K displays for Mac for 2016.

So Apple didn’t release a 4K (or 5K) standalone Retina display alongside the new 5K iMac, but you can’t hold off any longer on a shiny new display for your Mac Pro. I found myself in the same predicament not too long ago and decided to put a number of displays to the test in recent months. 4K might offer 4x the resolution of your standard 1080p display, but for the short time they’ve been around, they’ve also cost about 4x as much as the alternatives. The good news: There are a few Mac Pro compatible 4K displays (and UHD alternatives) finally starting to hit more reasonable price points just as recent OS X updates fix some issues early adopters first had with the higher resolution displays.

I’ve been testing Mac Pro compatible displays from Dell, Sharp, Samsung, LG, and others that are officially supported by Apple, and put together a list of my thoughts and top picks for those planning on picking up a new Mac Pro this holiday season. Despite my tests being done mostly on a new, stock Mac Pro, these picks stand for Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook users as well.

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Snapchat finally updated with iPhone 6/6 Plus support

9to5 Staff Dec 9 2014 - 7:52 pm PT

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While the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released nearly three months ago, some high-profile developers have taken incredibly long to update their apps with native resolution for the larger screens. Look no further than Snapchat, which has finally been updated with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support in an update released today.

The latest version of the popular ephemeral messaging app, in which users can share photos, videos and instant messages with others that disappear after a customizable length of time, also received enhancements in other areas, including improved captions, the ability to change the color of, pinch to resize and drag around special text and stacked filters.
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Retina iMac references discovered in OS X Yosemite code

Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2014 - 2:11 pm PT

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imac-best-buy-deal

Following the discovery of reference to new iMac models in OS X, Macbidouille has found code in the new OS X Yosemite developer preview that points to Retina resolutions for the yet to be announced product. Specifically, the file points to scaled resolution modes like those available for Retina MacBooks including, according to the report, 6400 x 3600 (probably a 3200×1800 HiDPI), 5760×3240 (2880×1620 HiDPI) 4096×2304 (2048×1152 HiDPI) resolutions. The report notes that the native resolution of the machine appears to be missing from the file as it only lists resolution of the various scaling modes.

Much like the Retina MacBook Pro with a native resolution of 2880 x 1800 is capable of scaling assets at 3840 x 2400 down to 1920 x 1200 and producing sharper, clearer images in the process, the report speculates the 6400 x 3600 resolution would be scaled down to 200×1800 HiDPI.

Apple has long been testing Retina resolution iMacs and rumors last year and earlier this year suggested the company could also release a new lower-cost iMac sometime this year. Apple last refreshed its iMac lineup in September of last year adding updated processors and more storage at the same price point with the same slim, redesigned exterior introduced in the previous generation. Apple’s current iMac lineup includes a 27-inch model with a resolution of 2560-by-1440 and a 21.5-inch model with a resolution of 1920-by-1080.

iPhone 6 with larger, sharper 1704 x 960 resolution screen in testing

Mark Gurman May 14 2014 - 6:45 am PT

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Apple is preparing to release a new iPhone with a larger screen later this year, and while multiple reports have indicated that the screen will be larger, the exact dimensions of the screen and its resolution have so far been guesswork.

Some industry watchers have speculated that Apple could stretch the iPhone software’s interface and retain the iPhone 5s’s screen resolution of 1136 x 640. This approach would allow all iOS software and App Store apps to function normally on the iPhone 6 without work from developers. The downside of this approach would be that the iPhone 6’s display would fall below Steve Jobs’ somewhat arbitrary 300 pixels per inch definition of ‘Retina’ for a phone.

Just like with the transition to the iPhone 4’s Retina display in 2010 and the transition to the iPhone 5’s taller screen in 2012, Apple is preparing major resolution changes for the iPhone 6 that will require software changes by both Apple and developers, according to people briefed on the specifications of the new device…

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Chart shows how much of your iPhone is actually display

Jordan Kahn Feb 11 2014 - 11:28 am PT

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smartphone-screen-real-estate

Have you ever wondered how much of your phone is actually screen? That is, how much of your phone is usable screen real estate in relation to the overall size the device? The chart above from @somospostpc shows you exactly that for some of the most popular devices from LG, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Motorola and Apple. The LG G2 comes out on top at 75.7% display compared to 60% and below for the current lineup of iPhones.

Apple is at a disadvantage because of the home button/Touch ID rather than the on screen buttons of Android. Also, the iPhone is symmetric meaning the same big bezel on the bottom is needed at the top so that the screen sits in the exact middle of the phone.

If the rumors are true, we could start to see manufacturers try to increase screen real estate by eliminating even more of the bezel. In Apple’s case, that would likely require eliminating the home button and moving the TouchID sensor under the glass.

Motorola says new Moto G outperforms iPhone 5s display at a third the price

Jordan Kahn Nov 13 2013 - 6:22 am PT

18 Comments

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Motorola is hosting a live stream as we speak to announce its new Moto G smartphone, which was rumored to be a slightly lower cost follow up to its flagship Moto X launched earlier this year. At just $179 for the 8GB model of the Moto G off contract, Motorola is strongly positioning the colorful device as a competitor to the iPhone 5c, and it made a point of comparing the devices during its presentation today. While mentioning several times that the Moto G is a third of the price of the iPhone, it also presented the slide above noting that the Moto G “outperforms the most popular smartphone” by beating out the iPhone 5s display in both screen size and resolution.

The other specs might not be anything to brag about, but with really aggressive pricing and colorful replaceable backplates, Motorola could have a serious iPhone 5c competitor on its hand.

Putting 4K and the iPad mini Retina display into perspective

Jordan Kahn Oct 30 2013 - 2:05 pm PT

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Curious how the resolution of Apple’s new Retina iPad mini compares to your devices of the past and the 4K and even 8K displays that will soon become standard resolutions? DoghouseDiaries put together the graphic below that shows relative screen resolutions, comparing everything from a Retina iPad mini to an Apple II and future 3840 × 2160 4K displays just beginning to hit the market:

Screen-resolutions

QuickRes 3.0 makes switching resolutions on your Retina MacBook Pro quick and easy

Mike Beasley May 14 2013 - 5:56 pm PT

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Switching resolutions on a Retina MacBook Pro usually requires going through System Preferences, but an app called QuickRes is designed to mitigate that annoying process.

QuickRes puts an icon in your Mac’s menu bar that allows you to quickly jump between a variety of preset display resolutions, even beyond supported by Apple, all the way up to 3840×2400. QuickRes can also enable HiDPI mode on non-Retina Macs, effectively doubling the resolution and giving a clearer (albeit bigger) picture.

To switch resolutions, you can right-click the app’s menu bar icon to select which display you want to change (if you have more than one), then select a resolution from a list of presets. You can also setup anywhere from two to eight of your favorite resolutions and switch between them quickly by clicking on the menu bar icon.

QuickRes is available in two flavors. The paid version is available for a 9to5Mac-exclusive price of $.99 (regularly $1.99) through this discount link. The free version, which supports fewer resolutions and does not include a quick HiDPI toggle for non-Retina, is available on the Mac App Store.