A more sensible choice for a 7" iPad display resolution would be 960x640. Then it's at "retina spec" at least in terms of resolution. And at 163ppi, it would be sharper than the current iPad. Any resolution much higher than that becomes quite cramped in a 7" screen.
The other benefit of this is app compatibility- by standardizing (for the most part) on 960x640, developers can target a single resolution, and the line between iPhone / iPad apps blurs even further. Apple could use virtually the same hardware as used in the iPhone 4 / iPod Touch, but with space for a larger battery and thus longer runtime. Add the cameras from the iPhone 4 for FaceTime and you've got a device with a very wide ranging appeal.
This would leverage much of their current hardware investment, would keep the cost reasonable, and IMO is a realistic guess of what Apple is likely to do at this point.
Assuming that there's any truth to the 7" iPad rumors at all....
A more sensible choice for a 7" iPad display resolution would be 960x640. Then it's at "retina spec" at least in terms of resolution. And at 163ppi, it would be sharper than the current iPad. Any resolution much higher than that becomes quite cramped in a 7" screen.
The other benefit of this is app compatibility- by standardizing (for the most part) on 960x640, developers can target a single resolution, and the line between iPhone / iPad apps blurs even further. Apple could use virtually the same hardware as used in the iPhone 4 / iPod Touch, but with space for a larger battery and thus longer runtime. Add the cameras from the iPhone 4 for FaceTime and you've got a device with a very wide ranging appeal.
This would leverage much of their current hardware investment, would keep the cost reasonable, and IMO is a realistic guess of what Apple is likely to do at this point.
Assuming that there's any truth to the 7" iPad rumors at all....
1) The ?retina display? is refers to the pixel density, not the the iPhone 4?s display resolution on a display with 4x the area means it?s not going to be marketed as such.
2) You can?t have a single resolution, nor do you want to. it?s not like the iPhone/Touch and iPad use the same UI anyway. Each are tailored for the display size.
3) You didn?t account for the ratio differences. The current iPad is 4:3 while the iPhone/Touch is 3:2.
1) The “retina display” is refers to the pixel density, not the the iPhone 4’s display resolution on a display with 4x the area means it’s not going to be marketed as such.
2) You can’t have a single resolution, nor do you want to. it’s not like the iPhone/Touch and iPad use the same UI anyway. Each are tailored for the display size.
3) You didn’t account for the ratio differences. The current iPad is 4:3 while the iPhone/Touch is 3:2.
1- Correct, which is why I made the distinction between resolution and ppi at various display sizes.
2- No reason why you can't. 960x640 and 1024x768 are very close while being used on 3.5" and 9.7" display sizes respectively. 960x640 would be a good fit for a 7". In any case, Apple has shown the iOS scales well enough that a single resolution across multiple sizes shouldn't be a problem.
3- True, but we don't yet know what ratio a 7" inch iPad would have. Apple could make it 3:2. How well current iPad apps would display on such a screen is a different story. Apple isn't above requiring developers to update apps to support a new resolution. This has already happened with the iPhone 4 transition.
1- Correct, which is why I made the distinction between resolution and ppi at various display sizes.
2- No reason why you can't. 960x640 and 1024x768 are very close while being used on 3.5" and 9.7" display sizes respectively. 960x640 would be a good fit for a 7". In any case, Apple has shown the iOS scales well enough that a single resolution across multiple sizes shouldn't be a problem.
3- True, but we don't yet know what ratio a 7" inch iPad would have. Apple could make it 3:2. How well current iPad apps would display on such a screen is a different story. Apple isn't above requiring developers to update apps to support a new resolution. This has already happened with the iPhone 4 transition.
1) You say you underatand te difference between PPI and resolution but you referred to 960x480 on display with 4x the area as a Retina Display.
2) If one is going to change the aspect ratio of a device category I would expect one to state why they did so. That plus te previous comment about a 7" Retina Display using the iPhone 4's resolution is more than enough to question that.
3) iOS's UI layer doesn't scale well. Just because the iPad and iPhone/Touch use CocoaTouch doesn't mean they are the same UI. Apple rewrote the iPad UI to match the display's resolution and aspect ratio. This included rethinking how that extra display I/O could be better utilized.
1) You say you underatand te difference between PPI and resolution but you referred to 960x480 on display with 4x the area as a Retina Display.
2) If one is going to change the aspect ratio of a device category I would expect one to state why they did so. That plus te previous comment about a 7" Retina Display using the iPhone 4's resolution is more than enough to question that.
3) iOS's UI layer doesn't scale well. Just because the iPad and iPhone/Touch use CocoaTouch doesn't mean they are the same UI. Apple rewrote the iPad UI to match the display's resolution and aspect ratio. This included rethinking how that extra display I/O could be better utilized.
My exact statement was "Then it's at "retina spec" at least in terms of resolution", meaning that it would match the resolution of devices that do have a Retina Display. And I pointed out this would mean a ppi of 163. Not the same as a true retina display at all, but still slightly sharper than the current iPad. If 1024x768 on a 9.7" iPad is 132ppi, then 960x480 on a theoretical 7" iPad at 163ppi would be a comfortable fit.
960x480 may not be the best choice for a 7" , but since it would match an existing resolution it would certainly make life easier for app developers going forward if they wanted to target both devices and perhaps simply app choices for users.
If the iPad UI doesn't translate well to a 7" 3:2 ratio 960x640 screen, that's a different story. But there are no obvious technical hurdles- the iPad OS could query the device to determine how to behave, just as the iPhone/iPod Touch OS does now. Maybe it's just as likely we'll see a 7" (if it exists) with the same 1024x768 resolution and 4:3 ratio as the current model.
Comments
The other benefit of this is app compatibility- by standardizing (for the most part) on 960x640, developers can target a single resolution, and the line between iPhone / iPad apps blurs even further. Apple could use virtually the same hardware as used in the iPhone 4 / iPod Touch, but with space for a larger battery and thus longer runtime. Add the cameras from the iPhone 4 for FaceTime and you've got a device with a very wide ranging appeal.
This would leverage much of their current hardware investment, would keep the cost reasonable, and IMO is a realistic guess of what Apple is likely to do at this point.
Assuming that there's any truth to the 7" iPad rumors at all....
A more sensible choice for a 7" iPad display resolution would be 960x640. Then it's at "retina spec" at least in terms of resolution. And at 163ppi, it would be sharper than the current iPad. Any resolution much higher than that becomes quite cramped in a 7" screen.
The other benefit of this is app compatibility- by standardizing (for the most part) on 960x640, developers can target a single resolution, and the line between iPhone / iPad apps blurs even further. Apple could use virtually the same hardware as used in the iPhone 4 / iPod Touch, but with space for a larger battery and thus longer runtime. Add the cameras from the iPhone 4 for FaceTime and you've got a device with a very wide ranging appeal.
This would leverage much of their current hardware investment, would keep the cost reasonable, and IMO is a realistic guess of what Apple is likely to do at this point.
Assuming that there's any truth to the 7" iPad rumors at all....
1) The ?retina display? is refers to the pixel density, not the the iPhone 4?s display resolution on a display with 4x the area means it?s not going to be marketed as such.
2) You can?t have a single resolution, nor do you want to. it?s not like the iPhone/Touch and iPad use the same UI anyway. Each are tailored for the display size.
3) You didn?t account for the ratio differences. The current iPad is 4:3 while the iPhone/Touch is 3:2.
My own iPad prediction:
- ETA December 2010
- Display size to remain the same.
- Retina display.
Retina display on the iPad isn't feasible right now. Too many pixels, too high a cost.
- 128 GB and 256 GB storage options.
- MicroUSB 3.0.
- Front camera with FaceTime support.
- HSPA+ (3.5G) support up to 21 Mbps.
You've officially lost it.
256 GB of Nand memory? Hahaha!!!
1) The “retina display” is refers to the pixel density, not the the iPhone 4’s display resolution on a display with 4x the area means it’s not going to be marketed as such.
2) You can’t have a single resolution, nor do you want to. it’s not like the iPhone/Touch and iPad use the same UI anyway. Each are tailored for the display size.
3) You didn’t account for the ratio differences. The current iPad is 4:3 while the iPhone/Touch is 3:2.
1- Correct, which is why I made the distinction between resolution and ppi at various display sizes.
2- No reason why you can't. 960x640 and 1024x768 are very close while being used on 3.5" and 9.7" display sizes respectively. 960x640 would be a good fit for a 7". In any case, Apple has shown the iOS scales well enough that a single resolution across multiple sizes shouldn't be a problem.
3- True, but we don't yet know what ratio a 7" inch iPad would have. Apple could make it 3:2. How well current iPad apps would display on such a screen is a different story. Apple isn't above requiring developers to update apps to support a new resolution. This has already happened with the iPhone 4 transition.
1- Correct, which is why I made the distinction between resolution and ppi at various display sizes.
2- No reason why you can't. 960x640 and 1024x768 are very close while being used on 3.5" and 9.7" display sizes respectively. 960x640 would be a good fit for a 7". In any case, Apple has shown the iOS scales well enough that a single resolution across multiple sizes shouldn't be a problem.
3- True, but we don't yet know what ratio a 7" inch iPad would have. Apple could make it 3:2. How well current iPad apps would display on such a screen is a different story. Apple isn't above requiring developers to update apps to support a new resolution. This has already happened with the iPhone 4 transition.
1) You say you underatand te difference between PPI and resolution but you referred to 960x480 on display with 4x the area as a Retina Display.
2) If one is going to change the aspect ratio of a device category I would expect one to state why they did so. That plus te previous comment about a 7" Retina Display using the iPhone 4's resolution is more than enough to question that.
3) iOS's UI layer doesn't scale well. Just because the iPad and iPhone/Touch use CocoaTouch doesn't mean they are the same UI. Apple rewrote the iPad UI to match the display's resolution and aspect ratio. This included rethinking how that extra display I/O could be better utilized.
1) You say you underatand te difference between PPI and resolution but you referred to 960x480 on display with 4x the area as a Retina Display.
2) If one is going to change the aspect ratio of a device category I would expect one to state why they did so. That plus te previous comment about a 7" Retina Display using the iPhone 4's resolution is more than enough to question that.
3) iOS's UI layer doesn't scale well. Just because the iPad and iPhone/Touch use CocoaTouch doesn't mean they are the same UI. Apple rewrote the iPad UI to match the display's resolution and aspect ratio. This included rethinking how that extra display I/O could be better utilized.
My exact statement was "Then it's at "retina spec" at least in terms of resolution", meaning that it would match the resolution of devices that do have a Retina Display. And I pointed out this would mean a ppi of 163. Not the same as a true retina display at all, but still slightly sharper than the current iPad. If 1024x768 on a 9.7" iPad is 132ppi, then 960x480 on a theoretical 7" iPad at 163ppi would be a comfortable fit.
960x480 may not be the best choice for a 7" , but since it would match an existing resolution it would certainly make life easier for app developers going forward if they wanted to target both devices and perhaps simply app choices for users.
If the iPad UI doesn't translate well to a 7" 3:2 ratio 960x640 screen, that's a different story. But there are no obvious technical hurdles- the iPad OS could query the device to determine how to behave, just as the iPhone/iPod Touch OS does now. Maybe it's just as likely we'll see a 7" (if it exists) with the same 1024x768 resolution and 4:3 ratio as the current model.