OS X Mavericks Wallpaper Hints at 5K Retina iMacs and Monitors

Looks like once again we can figure out what Apple is up to by looking at the resolution of their images. Before the iPhone 4 initiated the high-resolution high-density pixel craze, people started to notice Apple doubling the icon and artwork resolution - and the same thing happened when the retina displays arrived on the iPad and MacBooks. Now, it looks like the retina displays are going really, really big.

With the announcement of their upcoming OS X Mavericks (and their new Mac Pro capable of supporting up to three 4K screens using Thunderbolt 2) Apple also released a wallpaper that has a "curious" resolution of 5120x2880. That's precisely double the one we get on current generation 27" iMacs and Thunderbolt Displays (2560x1440) and hints that 27" retina iMacs and screens should be expected sooner rather than later.

So, if you were considering investing in either device in the coming months, maybe it will better to wait a little bit longer to see what will pop up. Truth be told, considering the push TV manufacturers are doing da brings us 4K TVs as quickly as possible, it would be really sad to have computer screens having less resolution than our TVs. A 5K resolution display would trump even the upcoming 4K screens, making it ideal for video editing and photo work and... well... just about anything else. Now that we were getting used to have nice framerates in games at FullHD resolutions, well once again be back to square one in order to get graphic cards capable of running games at these insane resolutions (and I mean "affordable" ones).

iPad 3 with 2048x1536 Retina Display

In the upcoming iPad 3 (expected to be presented in the coming weeks) Apple is expected repeat the same formula already tried on the iPhone 4: a bump in screen resolution with a retina display, that will double its  screen resolution with 4x more pixels - to which there seems to be more and more proof....

With four times as many pixels on screen, and everything moving with Apple's well known fluidity, the iPad 3 is certain to be more impressive than any other tablet to date - even though other manufacturers are also pushing forward with "Full HD" tablet at full speed, so they don't get left behind.

For all those thinking it's obscene to have a 9.7" screen with the "insane" resolution of 2048x1536, I leave just a couple of pre/post retina display icons on the iPhone:

Still think it's overkill... I don't think so. ;)

But there's still one other advantage Apple will have over any (or every) upcoming FullHD tablet.

We're talking about the inevitable 1920x1080 Full HD resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio, versus the 2048x1536 iPad 4:3.

Not only the 4:3 aspect ratio makes it a lot more usable in both portrait and landscape orientation (I still think 16:9 lack enough vertical resolution in portrait mode for anything other than watching videos; and in vertical format, is becomes strangely "thin")... but the iPad gets roughly 50% more pixels to show info on screen.

It's enough to show a full FullHD movie running unscaled... and still have lots of room to spare.

iPhone 4 - Retina Display

Although not a secret, one of the most innovative things about the iPhone 4 (besides the gyroscope) is the new high resolution, high density screen: the Retina Display.


No, it's not an OLED screen like the ones in high-end Androids; but don't let that put your down. It's a brand new LCD IPS with 960x640 resolution, four times the resolution of previous iPhone models. (Besides, the pentile OLED pattern still isn't "quite there" in some aspects.)

It's the highest resolution screen used in a smartphone this size, and beats the 800x480 resolution used in most "high-end" models out there today. Should also be enough to remain untouched during the coming years.

To put it simply, it's like going from standard definition to HD "High-Definition" Television!

This isn't the kind of thing you can truly appreciate in images and is better seen "live", but let me try and show you the differences:

Just like a 3GS user now finds previous models unbearably slow, playing around with a iPhone 4 for a while will be anough for you to wonder how you were able to look at that "lowly" screen resolution on the previous models for so long!

The touchscreen is now part of the display itself, no more "separate" panels - also meaning the screen looks like its closer to the surface, instead of "behing a glass panel".

[Easier reading with much sharper text! video here]

You can simulate the difference by opening the next two images each in its own tab, and switching back and forth between them:

Another way to put it, if you were to visit a webpage on a 1:1 scale resolution, see just how much more you can see with the iPhone 4.

[Yep, that's what 4x more resolution means]

Just think of all the Apps that will become much more useful with the extra screen real estate: remote desktop, VNC... it will be amazing!

Though I'm sure there's still a lot to do to improve display technology, as far as resolution goes we're reaching the limit where "more" won't be significantly better. The 326 pixels per inch in the iPhone 4 screen is getting close to what we can actually perceive - though I won't mind replacing it for a 600dpi screen three years from now. :)

So, I believe the next step will be to improve brightness, color accuracy, power saving, contrast in the screen (maybe even OLEDs... with 3 subpixels per pixel instead of the pentile pattern?)
But until then, iPhone 4 users can rest assured they have one of the best displays around!

iPhone 4 WWDC Keynote

The new iPhone is here, and here's the short list of what's new - with more being detailed over the next few days.

Update: check the quicktime video here.

iPhone 4

It's official, forget the iPhone HD, the new iPhone is the: iPhone 4.
The design is the one that was floating around with the leaked prototypes - not exactly the world's best kept secret :)
Super slim, super tight device, with everything highly integrated and packed into a small format.

As for those odd groves everyone was complaining about, it looks like I was right in my assumptions: it indeed is to serve as enhanced antenas.

It also has the same A4 CPU as the iPad, two microphones (noise cancellation), WiFi N, HSDPA/HSUPA, etc.

HD Retina Display

The screen indeed get a much needed upgrade. It has 4 times the resolution (960x640) uses an IPS panel, 4x better contrast 800:1.
The 326ppi density is very close to what the human eye can actually resolve, hence the Retina Display title. I'm sure we won't be able to live without it once we've seen it.

Battery

Excellent improvements, considering the enhanced CPU and screen: 7h 3G talk, 6h 3G browsing 3G, 10h WiFi, 10h video, 40h music, 300h standby.

Cameras

Beside the extra frontal camera, the back camera gets a bump to 5Mp and uses a backside illuminated sensor, offering a much better light sensitivity. You also get 720p HD video recording at 30fps, and in-phone video editing with iMovie on the iPhone.

You also get videochat capabilities with Facetime.

Although it works only over WiFi for now (more to do with operators than the hardware itself) Apple wants Facetime to become a standard and gets used by other developers.

Gyroscope

Just like what Nintendo did with their Wiimote, improving it with the Motion Plus (which is a gyroscope) Apple also pushed the envelope in motion detection forward. This gyroscope allows Apps to better track movement through space (instead of just accelerations.)


iOS4

The new iPhone OS update, now called iOS4 will be available June 21st, for free for all!
Multitasking, folders, selectable search engine (Yahoo, Google, Bing), and lots lots more.

Launch date

The iPhone 4 will be available June 24th in 5 countries: USA, France, Germany, UK, Japan.
In July it will be available for some more, and in September to 88 more.
Unfortunately for me, the new iPhone 4 is only coming to Portugal in September... still a long way off. :(

The price seems to be the same as before, $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version (with 2year contracts.)

In Europe I expect we'll get the same 599€ and 699€ prices as before.


[Photos via GDGT e Engadget, data via Apple iPhone 4 PR]