Screen Resolution

[Exomondo]

So I've been wondering what the deal is with screen pixel count on WP7 and if it would be easy for them to issue an update for pixel doubling in apps that won't support the high resolution (so for bitmap-based areas of applications) but allow apps like the camera and IE or anything else to utilize the additional pixels.

There's 2 reasons for this, firstly with the competitors are going to higher resolutions and they look amazing, the new Nexus device android now has an effectively 720p device and the iphone has a high resolution screen, it would be nice to have a high resolution screen on a WP7 device. Secondly with devices like the HTC Titan the screen resolution is dropping pretty low, down to under 200ppi, i love the idea of a 4.5"+ screen but it's pretty pointless if it can't display any more information than say the Omnia W that 3.7" screen.

A 4.5"+ screen with the same resolution as the Omnia W would be awesome!

 

[Judge_Daniel]

Fragmentation. One of Microsoft's advantages over Google's Android is that they have chosen to take precautions against fragmentation of the OS. One of the methods is to make ever Windows Phone have the same resolution (WVGA). If you ever use different Android devices, you'll see that not every app is available on every device and not every app looks good (or even legible) on every device. One of the reasons for this is that the Android phones have different resolutions. My guess for Microsoft's reasoning behind this is that because it is a new ecosystem, they knew that developers wouldn't want to create multiple apps for a system that they weren't sure of. I am going to make a bet that Apollo (WP8) is going to have an increase in resolution--leaving all current phones without an update.

 

[starblade876]

I am going to make a bet that Apollo (WP8) is going to have an increase in resolution--leaving all current phones without an update.

I am going to bet all current phones will get WP8 and that, either MS will give developers an easy way to convert higher resolution apps to the lower/original resolution and vice versa and/or the OS will be able to handle upscaling and downscaling.

 

[scottcraft]

I would like to see a windows 7 phone with resolution like the iphone 4. I love my trophy but that retina display is very nice.

 

[jrdatrackstar1223]

It's funny....

I was just looking up the PPI of my Arrive and it has more than my Nexus 4G....

 

[Exomondo]

Fragmentation. One of Microsoft's advantages over Google's Android is that they have chosen to take precautions against fragmentation of the OS.

This wouldn't fragment the OS, just like the upgrade of the screen from the iphone 3GS to iphone 4 didn't cause any fragmentation.

If you ever use different Android devices, you'll see that not every app is available on every device and not every app looks good (or even legible) on every device. One of the reasons for this is that the Android phones have different resolutions.

I don't think so because you'll see that doesn't happen on iPhones regardless of whether they are the 3GS or the 4 with regard to screen resolution. Anyway we already see certain apps not available on other platforms, like the DLNA apps.

It's funny....

I was just looking up the PPI of my Arrive and it has more than my Nexus 4G....

That's because it has a smaller screen but the same number of pixels. But compare the new HTC Titan to the new Galaxy Nexus or iPhone 4/4S and you'll see it falls far behind.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Would Apollo be considered WP8? If so, I agree, if not. I disagree.

I am going to bet all current phones will get WP8 and that, either MS will give developers an easy way to convert higher resolution apps to the lower/original resolution and vice versa and/or the OS will be able to handle upscaling and downscaling.

 

[dtboos]

Windows Phone OS uses a scaler, so in theory they can use any resolution they want. But a direct doubling would be 960x1600. Who knows whats in the future, but I bet it won't all be 480x800.

 

[power5]

apple uses the installer developed by NExT. Unified installer basically. It determines the hardware and installs the correct version. iOS 3, iOS4, iOS5... retina or 3gs unnamed lcd. Devs still have to design for all different version I would assume, but the installer does the work of picking a version for the user.

 

[Exomondo]

apple uses the installer developed by NExT. Unified installer basically. It determines the hardware and installs the correct version. iOS 3, iOS4, iOS5... retina or 3gs unnamed lcd. Devs still have to design for all different version I would assume, but the installer does the work of picking a version for the user.

Only if they want to target high resolution applications, which is why all the applications that worked on the 2G, 3G and 3GS worked on the 4 without re-compile or any modifications at all.

 

[smartpatrol]

According to the rumors today, Tango (the WP update that's targeted for low cost phones) will bring support for 480x320. Apollo (WP8) will bring support for 1280x720 and dual-core processors in late 2012.

It's a bummer that they're basically a year behind Android hardware-wise. I do agree with the decision to limit WP7 to only 800x480 for the time being, though. WP7 is still in its infancy. Fragmenting the platform this early would likely make WP app development more trouble than it's worth for devs.

 

[power5]

Only if they want to target high resolution applications, which is why all the applications that worked on the 2G, 3G and 3GS worked on the 4 without re-compile or any modifications at all.

4 has the high resolution retina display. 2g, 3g, 3gs have the same low resolution of 480x320. Seems like a bad idea to make tango work on iphone 2g screen resolution. Makes absolutely no sense to me. Do any full touchscreen phones even come with that screen resolution any more?

 

[smartpatrol]

4 has the high resolution retina display. 2g, 3g, 3gs have the same low resolution of 480x320. Seems like a bad idea to make tango work on iphone 2g screen resolution. Makes absolutely no sense to me. Do any full touchscreen phones even come with that screen resolution any more?

We will probably never see a 480x320 Windows Phone in the USA or Europe. That res is targeted squarely at developing markets.

 

[Judge_Daniel]

I was right about Apollo bringing a higher res! Yay! I think the Tango resolution is nifty, although I have to wonder if it is a waste of time, since I can't imagine that making a slider is significantly more expensive than one of those phones.

 

[lumic]

I'm very skeptical of the 480x320 and 1280x720 choices. Both are different aspect ratios to WVGA and unless Microsoft has some killer scaling, all we will see is either incompatibility, letterboxing or weird stretching.

Microsoft was foolish to choose WVGA. They should have gone with 16:9 to start with, as it would have offered a clear upgrade/downgrade path:

854x480 for launch hardware
1280x720 for future high-end
640x360 for future low-end

 

[Judge_Daniel]

I'm very skeptical of the 480x320 and 1280x720 choices. Both are different aspect ratios to WVGA and unless Microsoft has some killer scaling, all we will see is either incompatibility, letterboxing or weird stretching.

Microsoft was foolish to choose WVGA. They should have gone with 16:9 to start with, as it would have offered a clear upgrade/downgrade path:

854x480 for launch hardware
1280x720 for future high-end
640x360 for future low-end

This is exactly why I think there will be fragmentation between WP7 and WP8. I doubt Microsoft will bring Apollo to current phones...or at least in the same form as new releases. My ideal scenario would be that they will continue to update WP7 phones, but branch WP8 off of them, giving them more priority and focus. That seems fair, right? That's how Windows works, isn't it? I just don't see them continuing putting focus on current WP7 phones because the change to 8 is going to be such a big shift in the entire Microsoft ecosystem.

 

[power5]

I would rather have 16x10 for a phone. 16x9 would be pretty narrow in portrait. Instead of 1280x720 we would get 1280 x 800. Problem is that there would have been no low resolution to start with.

 

[lumic]

I would rather have 16x10 for a phone. 16x9 would be pretty narrow in portrait. Instead of 1280x720 we would get 1280 x 800. Problem is that there would have been no low resolution to start with.

I severely doubt anyone will bother to manufacture screens specifically for Windows Phone, and Android is carving the way with 16:9. I personally think 16:9 is better, since Windows Phone is set out for lots of vertical content.

 

[KingCrimson]

What impressed me about the HTC Titan user review on Youtube was when he pinched-to-zoom on text in IE9 mobile the text was super sharp. So whatever scaling algorithms MSFT implements using the GPU are really working well. Now imagine WP7 on a 720p screen - will probably be the sharpest looking UI you've ever seen.

 

[power5]

I guess 16x9 works fine since the buttons are moving to the screen real estate.