Microscopic analysis, iOS 8 code point to new 4.7-inch 'iPhone 6' display resolutions

Posted:
in iPhone edited August 2014
Adding to the pile of supposed "iPhone 6" parts leaks, a report out of Russia claims to have put a display bound for Apple's 4.7-inch handset under the microscope, while new code discovered in Xcode suggests at least one new iPhone model will carry a 1,472-by-828-pixel resolution.




According to Russian luxury iPhone modification reseller Feld & Volk, the image above shows a close-up view of Apple's purported 4.7-inch iPhone 6 display with a 1 mm reference box overlaid on top of a grid of pixels, which the firm claims is evidence of a 1,704-by-906 resolution.

As noted by MacRumors, however, counting up the individual pixels within the bounded area comes out to 13 pixels in horizontal and vertical directions, much less than the 16 pixels per millimeter required for Feld & Volk's estimate. By comparison, the current iPhone 5s display boasts a 1,136-by-640-pixel resolution, or about 10.5 pixels per millimeter.

Perhaps offering consensus on the matter is new code discovered in Apple's latest Xcode 6 SDK. Spotted by 9to5Mac earlier today, a file containing instructions for iOS 8's Springboard, more commonly referred to as the iOS home screen, includes mention of a 414-by-736-pixel iPhone resolution.

Considering the point value method by which iPhone translates data, the actual hardware resolution would be double or triple that number, or 1,472-by-828 pixels. The new resolution from Xcode closely jibes with today's microscopic image analysis that yields a roughly 13-by-13-pixel per millimeter resolution, though a near-exact fit would come at around 14 pixels per millimeter.

All rumors will be put to bed when Apple debuts its handset or handsets next month. The company is expected to hold a special media event on Sept. 9 that will likely see the unveiling of a next-generation 4.7-inch iPhone and possibly a 5.5-inch phablet version.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 48
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    1472x828: 363.05 PPI

    1704x906: 410.61 PPI

     

    Bet it’s the first one.

     

    736x414: 337.78 PPI... at 2.5”. THE MYTHICAL IPHONE MINI AT LAST.

  • Reply 2 of 48

    Seems reasonable. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that a phone needs to follow standardized resolutions like 720P or 1080P.

  • Reply 3 of 48
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    1472x828: 363.05 PPI

    1704x906: 410.61 PPI

     

    Bet it’s the first one.

     

    736x414: 337.78 PPI... at 2.5”. THE MYTHICAL IPHONE MINI AT LAST.


    Actually, on 4.7"

    1472x828: 359 PPI

    1704x906: 411 PPI

    And on 5.5" if it's true:

    1472x828: 307 PPI

    1704x906: 351 PPI

     

    They're all Retina, so I agree with the first resolution.

  • Reply 4 of 48
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

    Actually, on 4.7"

    1472x828: 359 PPI

    1704x906: 411 PPI


     

    Weird. My calculator gave me different numbers the first time.

  • Reply 5 of 48
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    It'll be some multiple (maybe fractional) of 568 x 320 to fit in line with the aspect ratio of ext sing phones so that existing apps "work"

    568 x 2.5 = 1420
    320 x 2.5 = 800

    so 1420 x 800 might be one

    568 x 3 = 1704
    320 x 3 = 960

    so 1704 x 960 would be another choice
  • Reply 6 of 48
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Seems reasonable. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that a phone needs to follow standardized resolutions like 720P or 1080P.
    Phones are now shipping with UHD displays. 1080p will pretty much be minimum for any high end device. At some point I think it will be hard for Apple to get away with less than 1080p on their flagship device.
  • Reply 7 of 48
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    I bet that a lot of people are going to have a hell of a hard time choosing between the models.

     

    Apple always makes it hard to choose between various models.

     

    If a person is only choosing by size, and nothing else, then the choice is easy of course, but what if somebody likes to take pictures and the camera is better on the 5.5"? What if the processor is slightly overclocked on the 5.5"? What if the larger phone has a better battery life due to its larger battery?

     

    All I'm saying is that even though some people might think that they have decided upon which phone they want, once the models get introduced, some people might be changing their minds, due to differing features.

  • Reply 8 of 48
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member

    Let's talk about full assembled iPhone 6. It may not be thinner than iPhone 5S after all due to the curved edge screen.

  • Reply 9 of 48
    kotmarkotmar Posts: 17member

    Most video is in 720p or 1080p nowadays, so having perfect 1:1 match would eliminate scaling in most instances.  But I agree, it makes no difference whatsoever if you get a few more pixels.

  • Reply 10 of 48
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Phones are now shipping with UHD displays. 1080p will pretty much be minimum for any high end device. At some point I think it will be hard for Apple to get away with less than 1080p on their flagship device.

    Really? Let me laugh first, then comment: Haha...Apple never chase gimmicky specs. Did they make Octa core or even quad core CPU or  include 2GB/3GB RAM  in their mobile devices? Why would they want to abandon the term Retina that they patented to pursue something useless just to have what competitors have?

  • Reply 11 of 48
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post

    Phones are now shipping with UHD displays. 1080p will pretty much be minimum for any high end device. At some point I think it will be hard for Apple to get away with less than 1080p on their flagship device.



    Why? It’s garbage. You can’t see larger than a certain size, so anything beyond that size just wastes battery and GPU power.

  • Reply 12 of 48
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    As for 1080, screw 1080.

     

    Apple doesn't need to follow any lame standards. My retina iPad already has a higher than 1080 display. 

     

    The people who like to boast about having 1080p on their phone displays are very likely mentally disabled Android people who watch 360p videos on their 1080p displays. Total morons.

     

    And a 1080 display is 16:9, and Apple is not bound by any stupid standards like most Android monkeys are. Apple will do what they think is best for each particular product.

  • Reply 13 of 48
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     



    Why? It’s garbage. You can’t see larger than a certain size, so anything beyond that size just wastes battery and GPU power.


    and I won't see Apple going beyond Retina display much.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

    I bet that a lot of people are going to have a hell of a hard time choosing between the models.

     

    Apple always makes it hard to choose between various models.

     

    If a person is only choosing by size, and nothing else, then the choice is easy of course, but what if somebody likes to take pictures and the camera is better on the 5.5"? What if the processor is slightly overclocked on the 5.5"? What if the larger phone has a better battery life due to its larger battery?

     

    All I'm saying is that even though some people might think that they have decided upon which phone they want, once the models get introduced, some people might be changing their minds, due to differing features.


    What about there's no 5.5" at all? Now, everyone doesn't have to choose sizes.

  • Reply 14 of 48
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

    What about there's no 5.5" at all? Now, everyone doesn't have to choose sizes.


     

    Sure, if that happens and there's only one size, then the choice will obviously be rather easy.

     

    Even though I personally probably wont be getting one, I would like to see a 5.5" model in addition to the 4.7", then Apple will have left no stone unturned.

  • Reply 15 of 48
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    1472x828: 363.05 PPI

    1704x906: 410.61 PPI

     

    Bet it’s the first one.

     

    736x414: 337.78 PPI... at 2.5”. THE MYTHICAL IPHONE MINI AT LAST.


    iPhone mini, or iWatch?  :) 

    Just shrink the physical size slightly, and bump up the PPI

  • Reply 16 of 48
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     
    Why? It’s garbage. You can’t see larger than a certain size, so anything beyond that size just wastes battery and GPU power.


    The only reason to have 1080 would be so every pixel has its true original color value instead of an interpolated value. Of course since the video is compressed, the pixels are already interpolated, so yeah it is not a difference you would ever see.

  • Reply 17 of 48
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

     

    Sure, if that happens and there's only one size, then the choice will obviously be rather easy.

     

    Even though I personally probably wont be getting one, I would like to see a 5.5" model in addition to the 4.7", then Apple will have left no stone unturned.




    I would laugh so hard, if the 5.5 turns out to be a feint.

    I'm dubious about many of the "leaked Apple parts".  I suspect many of them are from Chinese cloners, sprinkled with wishful thinking.

  • Reply 18 of 48
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Let me be the first in this thread to invoke soggy's deaf man...

  • Reply 19 of 48
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CoinAPhrase View Post

     

    I would laugh so hard, if the 5.5 turns out to be a feint.


     

    All we can do is speculate of course, but I do think that the 5.5 is real.

     

    It may not come out at the same time as the 4.7, and it may be slightly delayed, but if I had to guess, then I'm going to say that it exists.

  • Reply 20 of 48
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    Really? Let me laugh first, then comment: Haha...Apple never chase gimmicky specs. Did they make Octa core or even quad core CPU or  include 2GB/3GB RAM  in their mobile devices? Why would they want to abandon the term Retina that they patented to pursue something useless just to have what competitors have?
    I guess I wasn't aware that 1080p was a gimmick. So is the only thing that's not a gimmick is Steve Jobs definition of retina? My co-worker recently purchased an LG G3. I'll have to borrow his phone and compare the display to my 5S. My 5S looks great to me but then I never held it next to another phone with higher ppi.
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