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iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina (or does it?)

By | June 9, 2010, 1:17pm PDT

Summary: Don’t believe the hyerbole - the iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina.

Don’t believe the hyperbole - the iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina.

This is according to Dr. Raymond Soneira runs DisplayMate Technologies, who claims that Steve Jobs is flat out wrong in saying that the screen on the iPhone 4 has a higher resolution than the human retina:

Steve Jobs claimed that the iPhone 4 has a resolution higher than the retina - that’s not right:

1. The resolution of the retina is in angular measure - it’s 50 Cycles Per Degree. A cycle is a line pair, which is two pixels, so the angular resolution of the eye is 0.6 arc minutes per pixel.

2. So if you hold an iPhone at the typical 12 inches from your eyes, that works out to 477 pixels per inch. At 8 inches it’s 716 ppi. You have to hold it out 18 inches before it falls to 318 ppi.

So the iPhone has significantly lower resolution than the retina.

Sure, it’s a good screen, but your eye is still a far better camera - and there’s nothing that Steve Jobs’ reality distortion field can do about that!

[UPDATE: I got this interesting email in from Gavin Stern, a medical student from NYMC that I thought would be interesting to share with you:

Overall, while technically the number of "pixels" for the new iPhone doesn't match what's on the retina itself, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING they probably tested what people could actually discriminate and those are the numbers they got.

There are many reasons why the number of receptors on the retina does not equal actual resolution:

-Convergence: cells in the retina converge and inhibit one another. You lose resolution there.

-Center-surround properties: those retinal ganglion cells inhibit one another. This increases contrast but you lose info.

-The layer of cells that overlies the photoreceptors causes chromatic aberration, mostly for blue-violet light. Subsequently, there are little to no blue cones in the center of the eye because of this.

-The eye is constantly moving to prevent photoreceptor cells from bleaching. You lose visual acuity here, but don't notice because the brain fills it in.

-There is more convergence of cells as visual information proceeds to the back of the brain, and then back up again for higher level processing

So maybe the iPhone screen is better than the human retina ... thanks for that Gavin!]

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Resolution, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Pete "athynz" Athens 15th Jun 2010
@kon3ko It's not defense so much as the correction of incorrect information. Some of us are here to counter lies and FUD that others enjoy spreading.
View in thread
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I like you Adrian, but that seemed awfully petty
jgpeters 9th Jun 2010
I know you aren't an Apple fan but this really seems like you ran off to find some way to criticize the best screen in the world. So, maybe SJ was wrong. I'm just not sure I would have wanted to be the one to post this. I doubt that anyone is going to be disappointed with the screen. From what I hear, those who have seen it are hard pressed to make out any pixels. But if it makes you feel better...
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Adrian is not criticizing but exposing bull.
hamobu-22333136139518773481685514128812 9th Jun 2010
If you read the actual article you would see that Adrian says that it's a pretty good screen.
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HAAAHAAA.. turns out the doctor doesn't know what he's talking about..
doctorSpoc 10th Jun 2010
@hamobu - A he's WRONG and B) he makes VERY bad assumptions.. C) this is the guy's field how can he not understand this.. unless Adrian just didn't understand what the doctor told him or just took the part that he like and disregarded the part that comfirm what Jobs said..

the doctor assumes a better that 20:20 vision (0.6 arc minutes instead of something like 1.0 arch minutes).. BAD ASSUMPTION! assumes that a human eye can resolve a pixel for each and every light receptor.. WRONG!..

what the foolish doctor forgets is that in front of that retina is a lens that in most, doesn't perfectly focus on the retina, may be clouded, or imperfect in shape etc, vitreous body, there is even blood vessels and epithelial cells that are also in front of the retina..

for a doctor to think that there is a one to one relationship between the number of light receptors in the retina and the resolution that the retina can resolve is laughable.. this guy is a complete quack! and Adrian, in desperate attempt to criticize Jobs and the have something exciting and controversial to write.. is all over it.. at least he has the courage to do update.. but c'mon man.. try to get it right in the first place.. there is this thing.. it's called critical thinking.. another thing.. called fact checking.. there's multiple sources etc, etc...
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
JC74 9th Jun 2010
@jgpeters
The point of the article is to point out the FACTS. SJ went out of his way to state that iphone 4 has Retinal display, which is WRONG.

Having said that, it is the best screen among all the phones out there, so, you get no arguments from me about iphone 4 having the best resolution.

FACTS are FACTS and he should not spread wrong FACTS
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Vitaminpower 9th Jun 2010
@JC74

Well I guess you will have to accept the fact that the expert quoted in the article uses a standard of human vision significantly better than 20/20.

If going by 20/20 vision (which is 1.0 arc minutes per pixel, not 0.6 the expert claims) Apples claims stands.

The only thing proven here is how desperate Apple haters are grasping at straws to throw at Apple. Funny how you leap at questioning Apple, but you don't question the questioners.
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4GS and Steve Jobs didnt have much to offer
Uralbas 10th Jun 2010
So they had to come up with something to say that Apple is better than Android. This time around Apple didnt even catch up with Android its behind, sales numbers of Android and 4GS will prove me right or wrong.

Apple 4GS does offer games, movies and music for a hefty price, external bluetooth keyboards have been around for Android for two years now, since the G1, Apple just got it with the 4GS as much as cripple multitasking.

In contrast Android will have multicore, multi screen, eye driven operation (talked about this before, sci fi like), hdmi and many other useful things like GPS, Hot spot, Flash, Google Navigation, voice to text, text to voice, auto translation between many languages, streaming music, Google voice works better than Skype as it is transparent for the user who wants to make calls internationally for under 15c/min. and many other things that Apple has nothing to offer.

So yeah, Steve Jobs and Apple needed to come up with something to say there better at, unfortunately its nothing.
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Facts are facts, and Jobs was right...
vulpine@... 10th Jun 2010
@JC74: Even the doctor said that the eye could not resolve better than about 319ppi at 18", and that's almost exactly what Jobs himself said.
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vulpine@ Still no reason to buy a 4GS with ATT service
Uralbas 10th Jun 2010
you'll never get service most of the time. and when you use WIFI like Jobs did during his demo..,. 4GS doesnt work either... The G1 gives it a run for the extra money you spend.

Now an N1 with Froyo or Evo with Froyo makes a world of difference compared to a 4GS.. its got more than would want. Battery life? No probs .. use a Samsung Galaxy more hours than 4GS and a better/faster display.
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Marketing spins deserves to ve called out
Richard Flude 9th Jun 2010
with the facts.

Should be much more of it.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
doubleOseven 10th Jun 2010
@jgpeters
why not criticize? you may think everything apple makes is 100% perfect but every technology has flaws and drawbacks...unless you're an apple sheep.
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One has to wonder
honeymonster 9th Jun 2010
Does Steve Jobs actually believe the BS he is floating, or is he just being deliberately "innovative" with the truth?
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Actually if you read Dr. Seneria's response and...
jgpeters Updated - 9th Jun 2010
@honeymonster listen to SJ's description you see that there is little exaggeration. Jobs said at 12" pixels are indistinguishable. Using Dr. Seneria's math you might have to move to 17". Damn, that liar Steve Jobs.
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And it really is indistinguishable
AllKnowingAllSeeing 9th Jun 2010
if held behind your head or viewed with your eyes closed.

Was there aything untrurthful about that statement?
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Great investigative work "Adrian Kingsley-Hughes"
Mr FVA 9th Jun 2010
Would you like your medal now or later?
How about a cookie?
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'marketing' is merely the art of suggestively lying in an alluring fashion
HypnoToad72 9th Jun 2010
Actors and politicians tend to do the same thing.

Good fields, if you can get into them. They are the ones rewarded the most.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Helio99000 9th Jun 2010
@HypnoToad72

Too ture. The screen is great I'm sure but the "retina" name is better because of course the fanboi's pick it up as a out of nowhere innovation but there have been +300 ppi screens around since 200+. The real comedy is it highlights how rather middling the ppi has been in the iPhone. Almost every higher end android phone has been in the 260 ish range which is 100 better than the 3gs.
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Please provide some reference for your claim
jgpeters Updated - 9th Jun 2010
@Helio99000 I quickly googled (actually binged) to verify your claim and did not find any such phones. The closest was the Touch HD with a 800 x 480 pixel in 3.8 inches which is double the current iPhone, but unless my math is off is not as high a 960 x 640 in 3.5 inches. Please show me where "almost every" android phone is higher than this.
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@jgpeters: reread his post
NonZealot 9th Jun 2010
Please show me where "almost every" android phone is higher than this.

He didn't say almost every android phone had a higher ppi than the iPhone 4 (which, btw, isn't out yet), he specifically compared it to the only ppi you can get in an iPhone. The current iPhone has a terrible ppi when compared to almost every smartphone out there. When iPhone 4 comes out, Apple will have remedied this and I say good for Apple! I'm glad that Steve Jobs has admitted to the world what all of his little apologists could not, you will never be able to go back to a screen as bad as the iPhone currently has once you use a better quality screen. I've been saying that for a year and a half now, ever since getting my beautiful HTC Touch Diamond (285ppi). I couldn't stand looking at the iPhone screen. Ugh.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Helio99000 9th Jun 2010
@jgpeters

I actually said almost every "higher end" Android not "almost every" (though it is true that "almost every" android has a higher ppi than the 3gs just not markedly so). Anyway, Nexus One - 252, HTC Desire, 252. Also as nonzealot notes, the HTC Diamond's have all had much higher than 3gs ppi for years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_displays_by_pixel_density

Also on the list are the Tosh and Sony screen's from 2007 that were 312 ppi and lesser android phones which cluster around 200. Not on the list is the motorola droid (another high end android) which clocks in at 267 and actually exceeds the 200 ppi at 10"-12" inches Jobs mentioned.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
rynning 9th Jun 2010
@NonZealot
You're still using Windows Mobile??? Wow. Talk about "little apologists." I think you've had it more than 1.5 years, by the way. Surely you've moved on to the EVO, except that it's way too big right?
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@rynning: Thanks for the inquiry
NonZealot 9th Jun 2010
You're still using Windows Mobile???

I am. The phone still works so why not?

Surely you've moved on to the EVO

Can't get it in Canada.

except that it's way too big right?

It is. It is too bad that no one is making a full screen touch screen phone in the form factor of the Diamond any more.

Maybe I'll just get an iPhone 4 when it comes out. I hear they've fixed the horrible resolution and added multi-tasking.
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@Helio and NZ So, if I use your logic...
jgpeters Updated - 9th Jun 2010
I should be perfectly fine bagging on the crappy screen of all these android phones since the new iPhone is better? Right? Unless you weren't saying that recently released android phones were much better than the crappy iPhone 3g. I imagine that after I look at my beautiful new iPhone 4 screen I won't be able to stand looking at the name your android phone screen. Ugh
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
rynning 10th Jun 2010
@NonZealot

Too bad ... you don't abandon the platform since Microsoft did. Don't worry, it looks like the company is able to put efforts towards three mobile platforms now, and I'm not even counting their tablet OS. One of them is bound to be successful, right?
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Helio99000 10th Jun 2010
@jgpeters

I doubt you are capable of using logic at all. First you misquote my post and are strangely unable to find easily available information about various phone ppi's. Then when it is presented to your response is some sort of incoherent "nya nya" totally unrelated to anything I have said or a single factual statement.

I never said anything about not being able to look at any of these screens. What I said was the that indeed the iphone has had a middling to poor ppi up until now. Jobs has told you to now care about this feature and so you do. The funny thing is, as I noted, the droid screen is effectively "retina" by Jobs own definition so you should not have too hard a time looking at it and actually, now that you mention it, the Motorola Droid's screen has a much wider ppi advantage over the 3gs than the new iphone does over it. Thanks for pointing that out.
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@jgpeters: Go nuts!!
NonZealot 10th Jun 2010
I imagine that after I look at my beautiful new iPhone 4 screen I won't be able to stand looking at the name your android phone screen. Ugh

Knock yourself out, seriously! If you honestly find that Android screens suck after looking at your iPhone 4 screen then sure, tell us how you feel. I hold no double standards here.
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@rynning: Successful for who?
NonZealot 10th Jun 2010
One of them is bound to be successful, right?

I don't care how successful something is for MS as long as it is successful for me. My Diamond has been (and continues to be) a fantastic phone. Only a zealot would base their decision on what product to use based on how much money that product is making for the manufacturer. You know, like how Apple zealots think! happy
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@ Non Zealot
jgpeters 10th Jun 2010
In all honesty, I think most the android phones are outstanding pieces of technology and I do envy some things about them (not quite as much since I jailbroke my iPhone). I have a good friend who is constantly showing me the cool things on his HTC phone and it really is cool, not to mention that I hate being locked into AT&T. I do sometimes feel like I have to respond in kind when it appears to me that people aren't being open minded, which I guess makes me vulnerable to being called a fanboy. I like my Apple products, but I have several PCs that I still use and quite a few that I maintain (wife, daughter, parents). So, I actually like the fact that there are a number of strong competitors in the smart phone market. It will be good for all of us, regardless of which side we land on.
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Dr.Soneira is troll and manipulator; ***read*** this:
DeRSSS 9th Jun 2010
In the term "20/20 vision," the numerator refers to the distance in feet between the subject and the chart. The denominator is the distance at which the lines that make up those letters would be separated by a visual angle of 1 arc minute, which for the lowest line that is read by an eye with no refractive error (or the errors corrected) is usually 20 feet. The metric equivalent is 6/6 vision where the distance is 6 meters. This means that at 20 feet or 6 meters, a typical human eye, able to separate 1 arc minute, can resolve lines with a spacing of about 1.75mm. At 12 inches, the normal visual acuity of the human eye is 0.00349 inch.

As MDN says, where the good doc is getting "0.6 arc minutes per pixel" unless he's using Superman as his baseline?
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You're calling a troll?
Sleeper Service 9th Jun 2010
LOL!

Back in your cage, fanboy.
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Adrian, don't fall into troll's trap: read those who saw iPhone4: NO PIXELS
DeRSSS 9th Jun 2010
visible.

This is to your statement: "Sure, it?s a good screen, but your eye is still a far better camera"
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Oh no!
Sleeper Service 9th Jun 2010
They insulted my favourite uncaring multinational company! I must slander them to protect my beloved!

You don't have a girlfriend, do you? No-one could love you, you repulsive little man.
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The iPhone 4 is not that hot I tell you. **NOT** that hot!.
OS Reload 9th Jun 2010
It's just the Apple fan base that's too horny about the hyperbole that surrounds it and are vocal enough to spread their word everywhere.

That's all there is to it, really, everything else is just noise and does not have any real meaning.
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Love that sarcasm
vulpine@... 10th Jun 2010
@OS Reload: How can you possibly make that claim unless you're being sarcastic? I'm practically certain you were not an attendee at Moscone and even more certain you've not laid hands on an iPhone4 as yet.

Ok, so maybe other devices have 'features' the new iPhone doesn't--how reliable are they? How many times do they have to reboot on a daily basis? How many times has your favorite app crashed?

As yet, my iPhone has been 100%/0/0. As of yet, my iPad has been 100%/0/0.

I don't care what platform you like; I happen to like what I have. What you have is your own problem.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Pete "athynz" Athens 15th Jun 2010
@OS Reload Keep saying that enough times and you might actually be able to convince yourself...
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Nice spin AD...
trrunner 9th Jun 2010
He never said the screen was a higher resolution than the retina. Steve only pointed out the amount of pixels the screen had to have before the human eye could no longer distinguish between the pixels at a given distance. Way to spin a sentence and make a big deal out of nothing....

p.s. - I'm no fanboi, I don't even have an iphone, I still use windows mobile, but I know how to pay attention and listen.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
rossdav@... 9th Jun 2010
Any more zingers you want to attack Apple with, Adrian?
Geez dude - take a valium.
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Agree with trrunner
joey.y120 9th Jun 2010
Steve Jobs said that 300 is the magic number because the human retina cannot differentiate the individual pixels anymore when held 10-12 inches away from the face. He never compared the display directly to the human retina.
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Apple Introduces "Metala" Case
tricktytom 9th Jun 2010
Our case is made of an amazing silver material which is mined from deep within the earth. It is extruded from iron, purified by fire, and rolled into sheets as thin a a piece of paper!
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Too exaggerated.
joey.y120 9th Jun 2010
@tricktytom Dude...it's just hardened stainless steel. Chill.
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I was joking...
tricktytom 9th Jun 2010
@joey.y120 Wow..are you ever dumb!
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
dc84 9th Jun 2010
@tricktytom hahaha this is awesome grin
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You realize, of course, that you're all pissing your lives away...
tricktytom 9th Jun 2010
You know why you don't see many women on these threads? It's because they're out partying with guys who don't spend their lives defending their cellphone-of-choice. You people remind me of those hillbillies who sit around defending their "Chevy", like it was their Mother.

You've pissed your lives away pouring over the minutiae of a cellphone!

Do any of you ever get laid? I can't imaging that you do. I can just hear you on a first date:

YOU: "So, what kind of phone do you have?" I rock an iPhone 3GS" I can't wait to get a "4"! The resolution is supposed to be awesome!

GIRL: "Really?...Listen...I'm going to go talk to anyone but you".

It's a cellphone, people! It makes calls and does some useful stuff, but you shouldn't base your life on it. Holy ****! I mean, do you all live in your parents' basement?

This bordline-creepy infatuation some of you have with your phones is wierd.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
DeRSSS 9th Jun 2010
@tricktytom: And since as example of "ironic"/"creepy" relation to phone you name iPhone you doing the same thing, advocating for your lovely Googlephone (RIM, Windows Mobile phone, etc.) ;)))))))
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The first screen in a phone to have laser printer resolution
frgough 9th Jun 2010
and you go on a rant about how your were mislead on the clarity and crispness.

Unreal.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
dc84 9th Jun 2010
@frgough 326dpi does not make it laser printer resolution, make that claim when phones get to at least 600dpi
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Why do you LIE about these things?
NonZealot 9th Jun 2010
@frgough
Seriously, stop with the lies. This is not the first phone to have laser printer resolution. The Sony Xperia X1 (with Windows Mobile, of course) had a 311 ppi screen in 2008.

Unreal.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
jonjon711 9th Jun 2010
Anyone who is interested in trying out iPhone 4.0 gm.
I can register your devices udid and a $10 payment via paypal

Iam currently a developer and have a few spots open
without being registered you can not activate 4.0 until it is released officially

you can reach me at: jonselectric@yahoo.com
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
seriously3456 9th Jun 2010
Does it really matter? I was pretty fine with the screen I have now on my current iphone. I'll appreciate the new one, but until then, its really not a problem for me.

I also like how people bag on the iphone for having a lower resolution than a phone that came out a year after it.
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No, that isn't right
NonZealot 9th Jun 2010
@seriously3456
I also like how people bag on the iphone for having a lower resolution than a phone that came out a year after it.

We are bagging on the iPhone for having a lower resolution than phones that came out 4 years ago.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
hill60 10th Jun 2010
@NonZealot

Is that the Touch Diamond with it's 65k colour screen like the phone I had eight years ago?

Ugh, how can you stand looking at such a pitiful screen, the banding must be terrible unless you are colour blind.

16 million colours has been the standard for five years.
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RE: iPhone 4 does not have a resolution higher than the retina
Pete "athynz" Athens 15th Jun 2010
@kon3ko It's not defense so much as the correction of incorrect information. Some of us are here to counter lies and FUD that others enjoy spreading.

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