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> Can anyone explain to me what the fetish is with pushing the same amount of pixels as a freaking 27 inch display (which, by the way, I've always considered go
by DCKing 12y ago
> Can anyone explain to me what the fetish is with pushing the same amount of pixels as a freaking 27 inch display (which, by the way, I've always considered gorgeous)? I mean, does anyone actually notice the difference? Because if that difference means I'm paying $100-200 extra for a better screen, a better graphics chip etc, and it means my battery life is reduced, I really just don't get it.
There are several reasons:
1. Display quality is very important to (high end) phone users. People use these things for a lot of text-heavy, image-heavy and video-heavy stuff. And the higher resolution makes a lot of difference, particularly for text. I'm not saying resolution and display quality are the same thing, but resolution is definitely a contributing factor.
2. Because they can. Display manufacturing price scales with surface area, but much less so with resolution. Although higher res phone screens are more expensive, they are not that much more expensive. You don't pay $100-200 extra for a better screen, the manufacturer pays maybe $30-50 more when compared to a 1080p screen.
3. Because people can still see the difference. People still claim Apple made the end-all solution when with the retina displays "you couldn't see the pixels". As it turns out, not being able to make out individual pixels does not mean higher PPI stops adding value. Returns are diminishing, sure, but I sure as hell prefer my text rendered on 500ppi devices compared to 300ppi devices.
4. There is in fact a resolution arms race going on mobile phones. That much is true. I don't think it will continue much longer, though.
- Raphael 12y agoWhen considering displays, it would be best to figure out the pixel density per angle of view, which depends on the expected distance between your eyes and the screen. So if a screen is 1800px wide and you position it such that it takes up 90 degrees of view, then it is 20px per degree, or 0.05 degrees per pixel. So a phone may end up needing a higher resolution than a larger monitor because you hold it closer. Although I haven't run the actual numbers.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoNot to mention that red lining (aligning to pixel boundaries to eliminate anti-aliasing artifacts) becomes less of an issue the more pixels you have, which makes it easier for developers to build decent looking apps.
- petersellers 12y ago>3. Because people can still see the difference. People still claim Apple made the end-all solution when with the retina displays "you couldn't see the pixels". As it turns out, not being able to make out individual pixels does not mean higher PPI stops adding value. Returns are diminishing, sure, but I sure as hell prefer my text rendered on 500ppi devices compared to 300ppi devices. I agree with you if the comparison is between 500ppi and 300ppi, but anything higher than 400ppi seems like a waste. I could easily distinguish pixels at 300ppi if I looked close enough, but I cannot distinguish individual pixels on an iPhone 6+ screen no matter how hard I try.
- pwnna 12y agoBeing able to distinguish when you go close enough to your phone doesn't mean you do this everyday. Personally I cannot really see the difference between my 1080p 15in laptop screen and the 15in retina macbook screen during normal usage.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoDo you actually own and use a retina MacBook pro? It's weid that you see no difference, I can totally see the pixels in any text about 10 pt...the difference is pretty dramatic, and my eye sight isn't even very good.