App developers forced to submit Retina Display screenshots

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014


Apple on Tuesday notified members of its iOS Developer Program that they will be required to provide high-resolution, Retina Display compatible screenshots when initially submitting or updating an app through iTunes Connect.



The note sent out to third-party software developers says that any future updates will not be approved by Apple unless 960x640 pixel screenshot is included, a change from the company's earlier policy which supported Retina Display screenshots but did not require them.











Previously, non-Retina Display images and apps were scaled up from their native 480x320 pixel resolution on devices that sport the high-resolution display, and many apps in the App Store have yet to support to the higher pixel count.



Currently, the only Apple products to boast the Retina Display are the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the fourth generation iPod touch, however speculations that the much-rumored next-generation iPad will include its own high-resolution display have been since early last year.



The iPhone 4 was the first device to use the 960x640 pixel screen, with the display being introduced to the current iteration of the iPod touch in 2010.







[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    Correct me if I'm wrong but this isn't even saying your app has to be retina-enhanced, just your screenshots. Hopefully no big deal for anyone.
  • Reply 2 of 38
    Stupid title.



    Of course they have to submit retina screenshots. Apple only sells one phone that is below their lowest "retina" definition anymore. Developers have known about retina stuff since the introduction of the iPhone 4. If you want to keep making 480x320 apps, go right ahead. See how many people buy them.
  • Reply 3 of 38
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple on Tuesday notified members of its iOS Developer Program that they will be required to provide high-resolution, Retina Display compatible screenshots when initially submitting or updating an app through iTunes Connect.



    The note sent out to third-party software developers says that any future updates will not be approved by Apple unless 960x640 pixel screenshot is included, a change from the company's earlier policy which supported Retina Display screenshots but did not require them.









    Previously, non-Retina Display images and apps were scaled up from their native 480x320 pixel resolution on devices that sport the high-resolution display, and many apps in the App Store have yet to support to the higher pixel count.



    Currently, the only Apple products to boast the Retina Display are the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the fourth generation iPod touch, however speculations that the much-rumored next-generation iPad will include its own high-resolution display have been since early last year.



    The iPhone 4 was the first device to use the 960x640 pixel screen, with the display being introduced to the current iteration of the iPod touch in 2010.







    [ View article on AppleInsider ]



    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.



    Shhhhh... Apple's trying to be stealthy about the new iPad. Put your hands over your ears and go, "la la la la la..."
  • Reply 5 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.



    Not really. There's no iPad considered 'retina', and that's what this entails.
  • Reply 6 of 38
    Huh?!



    What's the big deal?
  • Reply 7 of 38
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.



    I think what you mean to say is that there is currently no shipping iPad with these native resolutions
  • Reply 8 of 38
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    First developers are ?forced? to have descriptions and screenshots for the store, now they?re ?forced? to make them the right size!



    I wish Apple were more Open, and would let developers have a 3x3 pixel image, an image that shows an entirely different app, or a 24MB TIFF of their cat.
  • Reply 9 of 38
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Feynman View Post


    I think what you mean to say is that there is currently no shipping iPad with these native resolutions





    And there never will be. iPad is 1024 × 768 I believe.



    What this means is that if your app is not for iPad but instead was designed for iPhone or iPod then it is supposed to be capable of the highest resolution those devices support. If someone were to run that app on an iPad it would need to scale to fill the screen anyway.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    This has nothing to do with iPad. This is about iPhone and iPod Touch.



    Retina display iPhone is still lower pixel count than a standard def iPad, so there is no sense in which this is hinting about iPad 3's resolution.
  • Reply 11 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.



    The odd thing about your comment is that the title clearly says iPhone and iPod touch. Neither of those is an iPad.
  • Reply 12 of 38
    I really think this notice is geared towards older apps. These specs have been around for a while, though I think they used to be the "maximum" specs.



    I submitted my iPhone app back in April of last year and when it came time to submit screenshots these were the specs listed. I checked my iTunes Connect account and all the screenshots I submitted matched these specs.



    I suspect that they want older apps updated, and want to make sure that any new apps adhere to these specs.
  • Reply 13 of 38
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Once the last iPhone with 480x320 resolution is off the market next year I wonder if Apple will update iOS 6.0 to allow 1x and 1/2x resolution when using iPhone apps on the iPad instead of the 1x and 2x it currently has and that will only pull the 480x320 resolution not 960x640, even if the app is Retina Display ready.
  • Reply 14 of 38
    Well, the thing is...



    Those screenshots are to be used and seen mainly at the iTunes app store. Not on an iPhone or iPad or iPod... but on a Mac.



    For me, this just means one thing: Apple is updating its services for a high-res display on retina Macs.
  • Reply 15 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jamescoulee View Post


    Well, the thing is...



    Those screenshots are to be used and seen mainly at the iTunes app store. Not on an iPhone or iPad or iPod... but on a Mac.



    For me, this just means one thing: Apple is updating its services for a high-res display on retina Macs.



    You realize the App Store is perfectly viewable on all iDevices and that this is in no way indicative of retina Macs, right?
  • Reply 16 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Socrates View Post


    This has nothing to do with iPad. This is about iPhone and iPod Touch.



    Retina display iPhone is still lower pixel count than a standard def iPad, so there is no sense in which this is hinting about iPad 3's resolution.



    I agree, the story isn't about the iPad. AppleInsider seems hell-bent on repeating this particular iPad rumor at every opportunity. I think it's unfair to Apple, which never promised or announced specific features for future iPads. The products should be judged on their own merits (when they are announced), not against the imaginary specs sheet dreamed-up and repeatedly hammered into our skulls by the rumor mill. Repetition of rumors is a rhetorical device, and if recklessly used, it can damage Apple's reputation for no really good reason other than unscrupulous web sites hoping to stir up link traffic. For example, that whole incident with the tech blogosphere exploding in "disappointment" over the iPhone 4S not being called "iPhone 5," not having a big display or aluminum back, things Apple never promised.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by asterizk View Post


    Correct me if I'm wrong but this isn't even saying your app has to be retina-enhanced, just your screenshots. Hopefully no big deal for anyone.





    I suspect that it is a step in that direction. First stop, requiring all apps be updated to iOS 4 at a minimum. No more of this writing the app for iOS 3 and never updating it.
  • Reply 18 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The odd thing is that none of those is the iPad's native resolution.



    That would be why it says iPhone and iPod touch but not iPad in the section title \
  • Reply 19 of 38
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    You realize the App Store is perfectly viewable on all iDevices and that this is in no way indicative of retina Macs, right?



    Shhhhhh. Don't wake up daydreamers.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member
    Simple...when a new iPhone comes out later this year, the 3GS will go away as the low end leaving only Retina Display models for sale. Developers have a few months to get everything up to date before that happens.



    Not really news, just a logical step forward.



    Tom
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