As Apple prepares to refresh its flagship iPhone with a Retina display that packs the same pixel density as the panel that started the resolution wars back in 2010, rival smartphone makers are getting ready to launch phones with better-than-1080p resolution. DisplaySearch analyst Shawn Lee said in a recent blog post that chip makers are developing application processors that will support WQXGA resolution in upcoming smartphones. The chips are seemingly set to begin rolling out in 2014 and Lee says we’ll likely see 5.5-, 6- and 6.5-inch handsets with 2,560 x 1,440-pixel displays in the near future. At those sizes, pixel densities on these new displays will run from 452 ppi to 534 ppi. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone Retina displays on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 feature a pixel density of 326 ppi. Lee believes the first round of WQXGA smartphones will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress this coming February, though he notes there may be production capacity issues in the early days.
Forget full HD – displays with even higher resolution coming soon to smartphones
Published Jul 17th, 2013 2:25PM EDT
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.
Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
