Screen

iPhone 6 display: bigger screen, better pixels

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

For most people, the first thing that stands out about the new iPhone 6 display is that it's bigger, and with the iPhone 6 Plus, it's a lot bigger. Naturally, this means both screens must have a higher pixel count in order to maintain Retina status, but the real question – are these displays simply bigger, or actually better – still awaits this Friday for an answer. Apple certainly considers them to be better, as they've advertised the new 'Retina HD' display in the iPhone 6 siblings as having higher contrast with wider viewing angles and improved polarization, but the real difference between Retina and Retina HD remains somewhat obscure.

While Retina displays have been in existence for over four years now since they made their first appearance in the iPhone 4, Apple's new Retina HD display seems to greatly improve upon the old formula.

Samsung ads lampoon iPhone 6 screen, battery, multitasking, Apple Watch and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2014

Galaxy maker Samsung on Thursday published a series of advertisements on its YouTube channel. The commercials have been designed to ridicule Apple's latest announcements.

The six-installment series, which Samsung is running under the 'Note The Difference' tagline, targets pretty much everything, from Apple's botched live stream to the iPhone 6's screen size, multitasking and battery life to — funny you should ask — the star of the show: the Apple Watch.

I've included the videos for your viewing pleasure right after the break so watch them now and join us in comments.

Reuters: iPhone 6 backlight woes affect production plans, could limit launch availability

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2014

We heard before that Apple faced several issues related to manufacture of the upcoming iPhone 6.

This is expected for any major Apple product with a brand new design demanding new production equipment and requiring contract manufacturers to develop custom ways to build and assemble products.

According to Reuters Friday, Apple's plan to make every iPhone 6 component as thin as possible could backfire because a last-minute design change has sent suppliers "scrambling" to get enough screens ready ahead of the expected September 9 launch.

Another claimed iPhone 6 resolution emerges: 1,472-by-828 pixels at 16:9 ratio

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2014

Back in May, code strings discovered in a beta of the iOS 8 software development kit (SDK) suggested that one of the upcoming iPhone 6 models has a screen resolution of 1,704-by-960 pixels, indicating a pixel density of 416 pixels per inch (ppi).

This, in turn, would be more than comfortably above Apple’s self-imposed Retina requirement of 300ppi.

A reference to a larger 1,472-by-828 resolution has now been spotted in a file added in Xcode 6 beta 5.

This assumed resolution on a 4.7-inch device would yield Retina-class 360ppi, or 307ppi on a larger 5.5-inch panel...

Rumor: LG Display beats out rivals to become top iPhone 6 display supplier

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

If there's any substance to a new supply chain report Tuesday, LG Display beat out rivals like Samsung, Sharp, and Japan Display as Apple had reportedly selected the South Korea-based firm as its top display supplier for the upcoming iPhone 6.

Based on a massive amount of orders, analysts are expecting iPhone 6 shipments in the ballpark of 70 million units during a three-month span.

The huge order should be enough to keep suppliers such as LG Display busy in the months ahead. RBC Capital Markets in a note to clients yesterday cited latest supply chain data, upping its forecast of Apple's orders to as many as 80 million units of both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 variants.

This compares to the 60 million iPhones ordered during the same period of last year...

Apple rolling out on-site iPhone 5s screen replacements to U.S. retail stores

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 5, 2014

Well, it had to happen someday. Call it a stroke of bad luck or inattention on my part, but it only took a fraction of a second for my shiny new iPhone 5s to slip out of my hand and fall on the concrete face down, just a few short weeks after purchasing the device! For the record, I am the type of person who handles my devices with utmost care so you could imagine my sorrow and feel my heartache.

Now I'm left with a pricey device that has a damaged screen with nasty cracks appearing all the way down to the steel Touch ID ring. A quote my nearest Apple Store gave me for an out of warranty screen replacement was just unbearable. And, it would take them at least a week to, or even more, to service the device, which was unacceptable to me.

Worse, iFixit at the time didn't yet sell an iPhone 5s screen replacement kit. In addition, history has taught me all to well to avoid inexpensive screens sold on eBay. More often than not, these third-party components don't hold a candle to Apple's Retina screen in terms of color accuracy, overall image quality and touch sensing.

Luckily for our U.S. readers, after introducing in-store iPhone 5c screen repairs back in January, Apple Stores in the United States can now replace your damaged iPhone 5s screen in a matter of an hour...

Poll: what’s more important to you – screen size or battery life?

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 14, 2014

Pundits and fans are in agreement that a bigger screen will be the #1 selling point of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 6 refresh. With two models in tow, one with a 4.7-inch screen and the other using a phablet-class 5.5-inch display, the iconic smartphone will for the first time go comfortably past four inches.

So, who's willing to trade a bigger screen for a much-improved battery that could keep you going for 24 hours or more, on a single charge? For the sake of completeness, One survey identified a longer-lasting battery as the top feature request by early iPhone 5 adopters ahead of the handset's September 2012 launch...

Noted analyst claims 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could delay until 2015 over production woes

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 14, 2014

In his new research note issued to clients Monday, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cautions that Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be delayed until after October and possibly until 2015, over yield issues with its in-cell touch panel and metal casing.

According to the analyst, panels this large exhibit issues where the edge of the panel may become insensitive to touch. Also, under Apple's new manufacturing process for the iPhone 6 metal casing, "color unevenness is an issue," wrote Kuo...

Apple’s new Adaptive Display framework hints at larger iPhone

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Just in case there weren't already enough signs pointing towards the launch of a larger iPhone or two later this year, a new Adaptive Display framework in iOS 8 is a telltale clue that wider and taller screens could be on the horizon. As reported by The Guardian, the developer protocol is called UIAdaptivePresentationControllerDelegate, and works with a presentation controller to determine how to respond to size changes in apps.

If that sounds like a bunch of garble, allow me to explain in slightly more simplified terms. Apple has improved two frameworks called UIKit and AppKit, making it easier for developers to support multiple screen sizes and orientations. Apple does have multiple screen sizes, ranging from 3.5-inch and 4-inch iPhones to 7.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPads, and the consensus is that 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones will soon crack the list.

This screenshot on Apple's WWDC sessions page could be a subtle hint…

Apple adds Innolux as third iPhone 6 screen supplier, Samsung and Sharp lose orders

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 28, 2016

Although Samsung of South Korea should build Apple's in-house designed A8 processor for the next iPhone and has remained the top iPad display supplier, it looks like the conglomerate won't make it on the list of suppliers providing 4.7-inch display panels for the iPhone 6.

A new report by Taiwanese media alleges that Apple dropped both Samsung as Sharp as iPhone 6 display suppliers, instead adding Innolux as a third supplier of iPhone 6 screens..

Screens updated with new trackpad mode, iCloud Keychain support and more

Cody Lee ∙ February 20, 2014

Popular VNC client Screens updated its iPhone and iPad application today, bringing it to version 3.2. The update brings about a handful of new features and a number of improvements including better URL scheme and Retina display support.

As for the new features, the app now has a trackpad mode, which—as the name suggests—allows you to control the mouse cursor on your computer as you would with a standard trackpad. And it's also gained support for your iCloud Keychain...

Rumor: the next iPhones have sharper 4.7″ and 5.5″ Retina screens with sapphire protection

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2014

According to a new report by the South China Morning Post, Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch two new iPhones with bigger screens sporting sapphire crystal protection. The handsets are reportedly scheduled to launch in September 2014.

In corroborating previous rumors by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, sources claim the upcoming iPhones have 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens coated in sapphire, the expensive gemstone Apple uses to protect its Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s and iSight camera lenses on iOS devices. And, the screens will be flat, not curved...