iPhone 6 rumored to have larger, 1704 x 960 display

By Derek Kessler
last updated

A new report indicates that Apple's testing of a larger iPhone 6 display has included a 1704x960 resolution screen. The current iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c have 4-inch 1136x640 displays, and the larger iPhone 6 at this rumored resolution would both have an even-sharper screen and make updating of apps an easier task. As is typical of Apple, the 1704x960 resolution was chosen quite deliberately. 9to5Mac:

568 tripled is 1704 and 320 tripled is 960, and sources indicate that Apple is testing a 1704 x 960 resolution display for the iPhone 6. Tripling the iPhone 5′s base resolution would mean that the iPhone 6′s screen will retain the same 16:9 aspect ratio as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c.

Aside from maintaining the 16:9 aspect ratio introduced to the iPhone line two years ago and increasing the size of the display to meet the demands of modern users who are looking at a 4-inch iPhone compared to flagship Android phones with screens at 5 inches or larger, the 1704x960 resolution actually increases the pixel density and is a tripling of the pixel-width of the original iPhone. The introduction of the iPhone 4 saw the first Retina display, which made for a super-crisp panel. Bumping up the size of an iPhone while not scaling up the resolution would make for an iPhone with a screen that falls out of the "retina" category.

The 3x resolution also ensures that apps will continue to function as designed on the larger display. There will be issues, of course, with scaling apps up by 50%. Old pre-Retina (1x) iPhone apps will be okay, if blocky. Retina (2x) iPhone apps will be blurry, with some pixels falling off the the grid and getting aliased. New 3x apps will be fine, meaning developers will be under the gun to get new assets made and updated. Apps that are updated for this resolution would also be able to take advantage of the additional space.

It's worth noting that this report is of a screen size and resolution that Apple has been testing, and is not necessarily what we will see on the iPhone 6. Apple tests just about any logical technology and variation you can imagine. It's possible and possibly the most pragmatic solution to an tough problem, yes, but not a guarantee.

Would you be happy with 3x and 1704x960, or would you prefer Apple jump to 1920x1080 or even 4x and 2272x1280?

Source: 9to5Mac

Derek Kessler
Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm, and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.

38 Comments
  • I'm so ready. I hope they release it sooner than later. Sent from the iMore App
  • wish they release it with higher resolution
    minimum 1080p
  • That's what I'm saying. I get not putting a ridiculous resolution on a device like 2K or 4K, but come on Apple! 1080p is the standard! Brought to you by the Nexus M8
  • 1080p is the standard for movies, but makes no sense at all on a mobile device of this size. You are just victims of marketing double-speak. You want something that has been marketed to you, without even knowing why you want it. Think about it dudes. If you can't SEE the pixels (and science proves rather handily that you simply cannot see the extra pixels), why do you WANT them? If the iPhone can export 1080p, shoot 1080p, send 1080p down the wire, and wirelessly stream 1080p, what does it matter that a screen so small that you can't even see the pixels cannot display it? Apple could literally just tell you it's 1080p and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference without a microscope. The proof is in the fact that a lot of 1080p screens are actually "PenTile" screens and thus not actually even giving you 1080p despite marketing themselves as such.
    NO ONE HAS NOTICED YET.
  • Bravo. Your post saved me the time and effort, and is better written than what I would have came up with. Sent from the iMore App
  • PenTile displays have nothing to do with resolution. It's the arrangements of the pixels. This affects viewing angles, color accuracy, contrast, and how fine details such as text come out when zoomed in. Not as many phones use PenTile displays as you think. Yes, the human eye cannot see the pixels but there's a number of megapixels the human vision does see. 576 megapixels to be exact. 1080p Full HD is 2MP, and 4K UHD is 8MP. With screens, it's not about being able to see the pixels anymore or not. The more pixels = higher resolution = more detail in what we see on the screen. We may not see the pixels themselves on the screen but we see the image the screen resolution delivers. The higher the resolution, the more detail we're able to see. Most of the time it wouldn't matter based on what we're looking at on our phones but when it comes to pictures and in future, videos, you'll be able to see the difference. It's not necessarily just marketing, it's stepping stones towards achieving sharper and sharper screens. To say more pixels don't matter because our eyes don't see it and 1080p is sharp enough is basically saying that means our eyes only see up to 1080p resolution in our vision. Do you know how little detail that is? 1080p=2mp. Our eyes can see up to 576mp. Pretty sure it'll be a while until we can really say the resolution now doesn't matter anymore and screens are sharp enough. Speaking of marketing, most Apple users are victim to their marketing. Their products are overpriced for what they are yet people still stand by them. A lot of apple users fail to recognize that they can get something better for less money. Example: Nexus 5 vs iPhone 5
  • "Speaking of marketing, most Apple users are victim to their marketing. Their products are overpriced for what they are yet people still stand by them. A lot of apple users fail to recognize that they can get something better for less money." Thats a matter of perception. I've gone to android a couple of times and it just isn't for me. Granted, I've never used a Nexus 5 but I have used top of the line (albeit slightly older) HTC devices and newer Samsung devices. I simply don't like Android and I don't like plastic. Nothing against anyone who does and loves it but it's not for me.
  • "1080p is the standard for movies"
    No it actually two different standards: 35mm film is about 3500p and digital 35mm is about 4800p! If you think about how big the screen is at the local theater and how big your smartphone or tablet or computer or TV is you can see that it requires close to Quad HD to project it properly! But the new digital cameras for movies are going be double that of Quad camera since it all digital memory storage!
  • wish the use higher resolution
    minimum 1080p Sent from the iMore App
  • Daniel, With a screen size that small you would not notice the difference by going to 1080p. Just look at a small 30 inch Tv in 720p and 1080p and you don't really notice the difference. Now apply that to a phone. With a 3X resolution all will be well.
  • I would want the screen to be either 720p or 1080p as most video content is already encoded at those sizes. Makes for less scaling when watching videos. Also, you may not be able to see the pixels themselves, but I noticed a huge difference in clarity of screen going from my iPhone 5 to my Nexus 5.
  • This is the same reason if prefer a standard resolution of either 720p or 1080p. Sent from the iMore App
  • Dude, it's a phone... You won't even SEE the difference. 1080p is a complete waste on such a small screen..
  • You do see the difference. Its like saying you don't notice the difference of the iPad 2's 1024x768 versus the iPad Retina's 2048x1536. There is a noticeable difference. Everything looks much cleaner, crisper, and sharper. Brought to you by the Nexus M8
  • Law of diminishing returns.
  • This is actually in your mind. Without a microscope, or at the very least a Jewler's Loupe, it is impossible to see the pixels.
  • I'm not saying that you could see the pixels with a lower resolution. I'm saying that everything looks better all around. You can't say that if you had the option to have a higher resolution, you wouldn't take it... Brought to you by the Nexus M8
  • Yes, yes I could say that. It's a huge waste of power to have a screen that goes orders of magnitude beyond what you can actually see for one thing. Also, we are talking about a 120 pixel difference here (1080p would be 11% more pixels). It's shocking that we have even wasted this much time talking about it.
  • Oooooo Smacked!!!!!! Sent from the iMore App
  • Same bunch of people that, should Apple go over 1080p or 4k or whatever super retina they might have on the shelf, will say in a few months that no less would have been acceptable. Fascinating.
  • Here we are in 2014, and Apple is still battling the lack of versatility in screen sizes and aspect ratios in iOS. Andy Rubin was clearly a better visionary than Steve Jobs, as he saw this before iOS or Android were released, and developed Android to handle any screen size or aspect ratio from the beginning.
  • iOS- uniform scale with screen size changes. Android- everything gets bigger or smaller with a different screen. No scaling. Sloppy. Sent from the iMore App
  • That is simply not true. I guess you don't understand how the DPI setting comes into play. iPad and iPad mini are uniform scale? Lol, the mini is a scaled down interface. No adjustable DPI there. Android- uniform scale with screen size changes. iOS- everything gets bigger or smaller with a different screen. No scaling. Sloppy.
  • Apple iPhone 6 Screen, Glass, Sapphire Protection Apple iPhone 6 Screen, Glass, Sapphire Protection Apple iPhone 6 Screen, Glass, Sapphire Protection
  • Rerun? Sent from the iMore App
  • All these numbers...all those pixels... Mean nothing to me. I'll buy a larger screen where I can't make out individual pixels, the colors are great, and the images are sharp. Sent from the iMore App
  • I will summarize the comment flow: I'm SO ready for this to be released NOW! Why Apple, why must you make me wait! Hell no! I want to use my 4 inch iPhone as an altimeter, one-handed, while skydiving. I need my free hand to open the chute! You're all crazy...buy an Android! (Incidentally, I'm in the first camp. I'd preorder this sucker if I could. Especially if it worked well enough that I could give my iPad Mini to the kids.)
  • Interesting how the author danced around the issue of fragmentation, pretty much describing it but never mentioning by name.
  • I care less about resolution than screen size. And one reason I care so much about screen size is because so many iPhone apps seem oblivious to the concept of landscape orientation. Portrait typing on an iPhone screen is ridiculously challenging.
  • I would love to see a larger display. Sent from the iMore App
  • apple should stop increasing dimensions of their Iphone with each generation http://bit.ly/1jIj15d
  • They eye cannot tell the difference. I came to a 5s from a Nexus 5 and the 5s display has significantly better coloring and is just as sharp as the 1080p (which is a huge waste of battery). I have used every high end android device and none of them touch the iphone on ease of use, battery life, or ease of handling with one hand. The worst news I have heard in a while is that Apple is possibly following the ridiculous path that Android chose which was to keep making devices larger and larger. Is it a matter of opinion? Sure, but I hope at very least they make a 4 inch variety of the iphone 6 and not make it a stripped down version of the large one.
  • 4X please! Sent from the iMore App
  • Nope, keep the 4incher please! Sent from the iMore App
  • Oh snap!!! Sent from the iMore App
  • Bigger screen for sure. Love iOS but hate the iPhone's physical size. Posted via the Android iMore App!
  • Just go full hi res already. Sent from the iMore App
  • Wow! Apple is really going state of the art with this 6! Who would of thought that Apple is doing HD for it latest iPhone while others are doing Quad HD or 2K!