• Forums
  • Shop
  • iPhone 13
  • AirPods Deals
  • iPad Deals
  • Best Apple Watch

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Opinion
  4. /
  5. Apple
Vector

iPhone 8 screen resolution vs. screen technology

Rene Ritchie
8 Aug 2017

iPhone 8 screen resolution vs. screen technology

Confession: I hadn't even been considering the screen resolution of iPhone 8 (D22). I'm no stranger to such considerations. I went more than a little overboard running the resolution options on a 4-inch iPhone back before iPhone 5 shipped. Likewise imagining the resolution of a 5-inch iPhone before iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus shipped.

This year, though, John Gruber kicked my ass. From Daring Fireball:

Using similar logic, and considering all of the rumors and purported part leaks, I have a highly-educated guess as to the dimensions of the D22 display:

5.8 inches, 2436 × 1125, 462 PPI, true @3x retina with no scaling.

I think the reason I didn't do the math this year is is that, back then, scaling iOS to different screen sizes was a great unknown. It had been bound by pixel perfection to the original size, then the original size plus a row, for years. Breaking those bonds was a big problem for them to solve and imagining how Apple might solve big problems excites me.

There's a great story about iPad mini and how Apple solved for scaling iOS down:

Originally, Steve Jobs was adamantly opposed to a smaller iPad. An argument led by Eddy Cue, though, ultimately changed his mind. So, an iPad mini was put on the release schedule. That created two problems: How would Apple scale the interface, and how would the already overwhelmingly busy team do it in what was the smallest turn-around window of any iOS product in its history.

It turns out, they lucked out. Instead of having to redesign and implement a custom interface, by scaling down the existing 9.7-inch UI and applying it to the new 7.9-inch display size, it matched iPhone resolution and touch target size exactly. It wouldn't be too small to "read" or to interact with. Indescribable relief for all involved, including customers who then got the benefit of a consistent experience across products.

Scaling iOS up from 4-inches to not just 4.7-inches but 5.5-inches as well was a much more bigger problem to solve. Apple couldn't simply make the UI bigger because it would lose information density and touch targets would become oversized.

So, the teams eventually turned to Auto Layout, a technology that was ported to iOS from the Mac, and built out Size Classes, Dynamic Type, and other frameworks that allowed for design and scaling beyond the absolute coordinates of the pixel grid. (And would go on to enable things like side-by-side Split View apps on iPad Pro as well.)

It made iOS, if not resolution independent, effectively resolution non-depedant. It still requires developers to implement the technologies and to apply just as much care and craft to design as they did in the era of pixel perfection, but it's essentially a solved problem.

That's the reason I stopped thinking about it, but it's not an excuse.

John again:

So we know that iOS 11 has support for a 2436 × 1125 iPhone display. We know that 462 PPI is the "natural" (no scaling) resolution for @3x retina on iPhone. We know that a 2436 × 1125 display with 462 PPI density would measure 5.8 inches diagonally. We know that all rumors to date about the D22 iPhone claim it has a 5.8-inch display. We know that a 5.8-inch display with a 2.17:1 aspect ratio (2436/1125), combined with 4-5mm bezels on all sides, would result in a phone whose footprint would be just slightly taller and wider than an iPhone 7. And we know that all rumors to date say that D22 is slightly bigger than an iPhone 7.

There's also this: The next big break point for phone resolutions is far beyond anything Apple ships today.

Right now, Retina — the density at distance where you no longer see pixels — is tuned for reading distance. The only reason it needs a major improvement is for virtual reality (VR), where it leaps to lens distance. That's going from how far away you typically hold a book to how far away you typically place your sun glasses.

Getting a phone to that high a density, at that high a frame rate, is a significant challenge — assuming Apple is even considering it, given the companies current focus on augmented reality. (Which only requires classic Retina levels of density given its applicable distance.)

In other words, it would depend on whether or not Apple's plans for iPhone include strapping it over your eyes.

But that's the future. Fascinating as it one day might be, I'm currently more intrigued with how Apple might solve the problems of the present. And that's less about display resolution and more about display technology.

For instance:

  • How will Apple handle color management with OLED in the mix? There's no world where they'll take the Samsung cop-out of forcing users to manually switch color profiles (yes, like animals) — so how will the company maintain its currently top-notch color matching across devices, new and old?
  • Similarly, Apple and developers alike will want to provide consistent visuals between devices that, as of this fall, will have very different screen technologies. How will Apple, internally and externally, help make sure the different elements and geometries all work out to the same experience?
  • Once I see Apple's implementation of OLED, how will it feel to go back to LCD on other devices?
  • What's the new 3D Touch technology going to feel like? The old 3D Touch used deformation of the screen measured by the LED backlights to determine pressure. OLED has no LED backlight so, rumor has it, Apple is using a film-based technology instead. Will the change be unnoticeable to users or will it, combined with the potential for new taptics, create an entirely new experience?
  • OLED burn-in is more common than LCD. What, if anything, will Apple do to mitigate that for persistent on-screen controls like the theoretical virtual home button? I've seen enough persistent Poké Balls burned into Samsung phones to know I don't ever want to see one while I'm trying to watch a video on an OLED iPhone.

As to that last part, while I love the idea of a virtual home button and function area — and loved the gesture area on webOS back in the day — a literal virtualization doesn't seem long-lived to me.

I may be wrong but it feels like a bridge UI to ease hardware > software transition and will evaporate over time?

— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) August 6, 2017

Of course, nothing is final or confirmed until Tim Cook or another Apple executive holds it up on stage. Until then, though, it's fun to consider all the myriad possibilities.

What do you want to see?

Get More iPhone

Apple iPhone

  • iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Deals
  • iPhone 12 Pro/Max FAQ
  • iPhone 12/Mini FAQ
  • Best iPhone 12 Pro Cases
  • Best iPhone 12 Cases
  • Best iPhone 12 mini Cases
  • Best iPhone 12 Chargers
  • Best iPhone 12 Pro Screen Protectors
  • Best iPhone 12 Screen Protectors
  • iPhone 12 Pro From $999 at Apple
  • iPhone 12 from $699 at Apple

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

PSA: Send your 4th of July iMessages with fireworks this year
Celebrate!

PSA: Send your 4th of July iMessages with fireworks this year

This year, try to remember to use iMessage's cool Send with Fireworks feature when wishing friends and family a happy Independence Day. You've probably thought about doing it after the fact, when it's too late. This year's the year you remember!

Review: 1More Evo earbuds earn their place amongst the top dogs
In-ear headphones

Review: 1More Evo earbuds earn their place amongst the top dogs

1More, a globally distributed audio company recently launched the 1More Evo earbuds — their most evolved in-ear headphones to date. Here are the pros and cons of the new powerful earbuds.

iPhone 14 likely to be a big downgrade from iPhone 14 Pro for this reason
Speedy chips

iPhone 14 likely to be a big downgrade from iPhone 14 Pro for this reason

Apple is strongly expected to announce its iPhone 14 lineup this fall and a new report adds fuel to existing expectations that at least two of the new handsets won't get a speed boost.

Protect your iPhone 8 with a case that's great!
best cases

Protect your iPhone 8 with a case that's great!

If you're looking for some great iPhone 8 cases, there are plenty of options — especially since a lot of them were made for the iPhone SE.

Keep in Touch

Sign up now to get the latest news, deals & more from iMore!

I would like to receive news and offers from other Future brands.

I would like to receive mail from Future partners.

No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission.

  • Opinion
  • iPhone 8
Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie has been covering personal technology for a decade. Former editor-in-chief of iMore and Editorial Director for Mobile Nations, he specializes in Apple and related technologies, news analysis and insight. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter, Instagram, watch his videos on YouTube, and visit him on the web at reneritchie.net.

  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Apple Watch
  • Mac
  • Apple TV
  • Reviews
  • How To
  • HomeKit
  • Forums

Other Categories

  • About Us
  • Newsletter
  • Fitness
  • Apps
  • Gaming
  • Deals
  • Advertising Inquiries
  • Licensing and Reprints
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Android Central
  • Windows Central
  • Thrifter
  • TechnoBuffalo
  • MrMobile
Log in or Sign up
  • t
  • f
  • y
  • i
  • r

Brightness

  • © Future US, Inc.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Licensing
  • External Links Disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • © Future US, Inc.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Licensing
  • External Links Disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement