back to article Sharp punches out über-retina phone screen

Japanese smartphone screen makers keep packing in the pixels. The latest to do so is Sharp. Today it said it will put a 5in, 1920 x 1080 LCD into production later this month. A quick tap or two on the calculator reveals that's 441 pixels per inch - rather more than the 326ppi the iPhone 5 delivers. Sharp said the display is …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apple Patent

    I'm afraid that Apple already has a patent on having more pixel density than you need in a handheld device

    (RETINA - Redundant Eyecandy technology In Nerdy Appliances)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Downvotes?

      My, aren't the fanbois sensitive this morning...

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Downvotes?

        >>My, aren't the fanbois sensitive this morning...

        I think it's more the fact that this joke is several months past its sell-by date.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Apple Patent

      Sharp makes the screens for Apple. If anyone is likely to get sued it will be Samdung again.

      But if the screen in my fathers Samsung 3D TV is anything to go by then the world wouldn't miss Samdung screens if they did sod off. It has failed twice now and the engineer said he was doing 5 or 6 a week.

    3. h 6
      Stop

      Re: Apple Patent

      FFS give it a rest now.

  2. Anonymous Custard
    Coat

    So where do I get my aging and decrepit eyes (or i's perhaps) upgraded for all this new technology?

    Mine's the coat with the glasses case in the pocket.

    1. jai

      Retina quality eyes? now there's a novel idea...

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    Rubbish

    I won't buy anything that doesn't have 9600x5400. Especially not something as large as a 5 inch display.

  4. Mark C Casey

    Ridiculo(TM) resolution!

    Honestly, I would like a higher screen resolution on my S2 than 800x480 like 720p or 1080p.. but for me the S2 screen size is the perfect size. I can just reach all parts of the screen without the use of my other hand, hence mobile.

    To be fair, I'm pretty fond of it. If I could have an upgraded S2 with the same shape, size etc along with the 2000mah battery (it's an official thing samsung sell for the S2) I'd be perfectly happy.

  5. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    It will put 1920 x 1080 pixels into a 5in LCD, great, but

    What the hell for???

    None of the punters who would look at it will notice a slightest difference comparing with a VGA-resolution screen at that same size unless they stick it with duct tape to their noses (and then they won't be able to focus on it anyway).

  6. Mage Silver badge
    Coat

    Nice photoframe?

    A real 35mm print is about 5M pixel, at about postcard size

    Many photo frames are only about 640 x 272, (0.175 M pixel) or 800 x 480 (0.384M pixel) at best.

    1920 x 1080 is just over 2M pixels which isn't bad.

    I wonder what the power consumption is and can they do a 6" but 3:1 format 3600 x 1200 (21:9) which I think will fit in the pocket better than 5" 16:9

    I wonder what it will be in?

    Apple can trademark "Retina Display" as a name (if someone else didn't first). No way can they prevent anyone making any display they want and calling it something different.

    Also Apple didn't design or develop the "Retina Display" in the iPhone. They buy a finshed product from Foxconn with the display developed and made elsewhere.

    Mine's the one with the gadget showing very realistic photographs. Some dithering could be applied to increase the tonal range...

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Nice photoframe?

      Is Retina trademarked or anything? It doesn't seem to have a specific definition but does that prevent it being trademarked - I assume not?

      1. JetSetJim

        Re: TM

        http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85056807&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

        Not granted yet, but it was filed in mid-2010

    2. ThomH

      Looks nice on my Fuji X-Pro1

      The back screen is 3 inches, 4:3 (to include some metadata below the photo and to allow you to shoot 4:3 if you desire) and packs 1.23 megapixels. So by my arithmetic that's a resolution of 1280x960 with real screen dimensions of 2.4x1.8 inches. Or slightly more than 533 pixels per inch.

      And, to make the point, the photos look like real photos, light emittance versus light reflectance aside.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Useless specsheet box ticking tech

    Does it come with the necessary head mount to wear it close to your face?

    Only point of a screen of that resolution.

  8. JDX Gold badge

    Hurrah

    Now games and video can suck the battery dry even faster. Soon we'll be looking back upon having to recharge every night as "the good old days".

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Retina"

    Can we stop pandering to the marketing men by using the word "retina" in relation to screens? it doesn't mean *anything*.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Retina"

      Neither does 3G in relation to phones, but when did you last hear someone talk about their UTMS phone?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Retina"

        "but when did you last hear someone talk about their UTMS phone?"

        Never, but UMTS on the other hand... And I think your statement that 3G doesn't mean anything might be argued with by the people in charge of the standards, the 3GSM congress.

        /pedant

    2. the-it-slayer
      Happy

      Re: "Retina"

      If you can find a marketing term less annoying than retina (no high-res or other techy words), then I'll give you a whole two pound.

  10. S.G.

    I ♥ science

    I really do!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

    And in a private message from Samsung to Apple:

    "And YOU CAN'T HAVE IT NYAN-NYAN-NA-NYAH-NYAH! <raspberry/>"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Huh?

      What does Samsung have to do with Sharp's display technology? They're not even in the same country.

    2. dogged
      Meh

      Re: And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

      Apple are already getting beaten on ppi by the Lumia 920.

      That just means they'll keep marketing "Retina" and stop publicizing the actual figures.

      1. RICHTO
        Mushroom

        Re: And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

        And Apple are beaten by Nokia on screen brightness, black depth, refresh rate, contrast, colour range, and touch sensitivity with the 920....

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

        Not until it is released which will be in November. But the 920 beats the iPhone 5 is so many other ways like the camera.

        The iPhone 5 camera is probably the second best around and much better than the Samdung Galaxy S3.

        Nice test of the cameras here, the test was done in "auto" mode on all cameras. So it really illustrates how optimal the camera software and processing is in the 920:

        http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/26/lumia-920-low-light-shootout/

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @dogged

        What? You mean *that* phone that isn't released yet beats currently available handsets.

        You don't say? Wow! That's amazing!

      4. TelluricSine
        FAIL

        Re: And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

        Why would the Lumia figures matter? The Rezound has been out over a year and has a higher PPI (342) than the iPhone or Lumia!

    3. Big_Ted
      Facepalm

      Re: And in a private message from Samsung to Apple

      read the story, its Sharp not Samsung...........

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Buy Lumia 920/820. and you get your über-retina phone already this year.

    1. Frank Bough
      FAIL

      I see

      that MS astroturfing is still part of IT culture.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I see

        I see calling astroturf is still the last resort of the insane fanboi

  13. Piro Silver badge

    Ah christ

    How is this useful in a phone screen? Just something to add cost, lower yields, increase battery drain.

    Sometimes there is such a thing as too much.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. jonathanb Silver badge

        Re: Ah christ

        Mid quality print is 600 dpi in 2 (monochrome) or 16 different colours (for colour prints). These displays are > 300 dpi in many more colours than that so they are already better than high quality 1200 dpi prints.

  14. RAMChYLD
    Boffin

    Honestly, I wish they'd combine this technology with their mastery in autostereoscopy and punch out a 3840x1080 (1920x1080 effective resolution) 22-inch glass-free 3D display and build a TV around that tech. Not everyone wants 3D games on large screens (heck, not everyone has space for 42" or larger screens).

  15. Reg Varney

    I would be rather more interested...

    ... if they spent the effort improving the resolution of a 20+" monitor rather than a 5" screen. It's ludicrous that resolution increases have stopped at 1920x1080 all the way up to 27" (except a few like Dell U2711), when the same resolution is available on a 5" phone screen.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: I would be rather more interested...

      I think higher resolution "4k" TVs are in the pipeline built with this technology. Yields for phones are higher, margins probably better (they are notoriously shit for tellies) and there is a lack of 4k content so it's a bit of hard sell to punters at the moment who are already underwhelmed by the 3D bollocks the industry had unloaded on us over the last year, but there is still demand for higher pixel densities across a plethora of handheld devices. Tellies will get the panels are as part of the factory lifecycle. A bit too late for this year but we can expect announcement at next year's CES. Thinking about it I suppose 4k would be a reason for Apple to release its own TV.

  16. Richard 120

    Off Topic, regarding "Retina"

    Everyone here knows Retina is marketing bullshit for the terminal consumer.

    It makes sense for Apple to introduce a new marketing phrase, marketing is what they do best, and god help anyone who tries to use the word to describe anything other than an apple device.

    They know that they're not going to be able to keep up and constantly compete on technical specifications so they'll hide them, trademark whatever word they choose to describe them. They've done this at a point when their screen technology was at the head of the game, or near enough, I wouldn't expect improvements/innovation coming from Cupertino with regard screen tech any time soon.

    Consumers won't be able to perform meaningful comparisons, consequently "Retina" becomes a de facto standard, other manufacturers won't be able to say "better than Retina" because of the threat of Apple legal division (second only to their marketing division).

    Apple can't really lose doing things this way.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Off Topic, regarding "Retina"

      Apple have arguably pushed it (DPI) to the level beyond which improving further is a bit pointless. And remember it's only on the phones others have caught up, which Apple brought in ages ago. iPad3 and new MBP DPI still smash the competition (I don't know it's particularly useful but it's one area Apple have a clear lead, still)

      1. Richard 120

        Re: Off Topic, regarding "Retina"

        I'm not sure I buy that argument.

        This is essentially the argument being made there - "when we (Apple) improve DPI it's a vast improvement compared to all others and this technology does not ever need to be surpassed"

        It sounds to me like you've truly bought into the marketing hype.

        Also missing is the next part which is "remember we said that this technology didn't need to be surpassed, well we've found out that it does, here, buy our new overpriced technology with a much improved display, but it won't need to get any better than this one, this time, promise"

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: Off Topic, regarding "Retina"

          I haven't bought into the hype... I think the retina resolution on the iPad3 and MBP is already TOO HIGH. So while Apple probably did well to raise it higher than it was, trying to beat Apple isn't worthwhile... focus on adding more visible features.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Off Topic, regarding "Retina"

      "Everyone here knows Retina is marketing bullshit for the terminal consumer. ... It makes sense for Apple to introduce a new marketing phrase,"

      False. The concept of a "retina screen" and "retina resolution" was around long before Apple started its "Retina Display" push. You can't really be angry at Apple for making you aware of a term/concept that you didn't know about.

      "They know that they're not going to be able to keep up and constantly compete on technical specifications so they'll hide them"

      Also false. I don't know what presentations you've been watching or what reviews you've been reading for the iPhone 5 but it's all been color spaces, aperture sizes, megabits, and other technical specifications. The only things they arguably "obscure" are core counts, clock speeds, and amounts of RAM--all information that's discovered easily and quickly by others and published on Wikipedia once the devices are released.

      "I wouldn't expect improvements/innovation coming from Cupertino with regard screen tech any time soon."

      Hello? iPhone 5? They (well, their partners, obviously) dramatically increased the color space of the display and dramatically cut glare. Or do you mean we shouldn't expect improvements "anytime soon" because they just made huge improvements 2-3 weeks ago, so we'll have to wait until next year?

  17. Alan Denman

    Lowering standards to bigger profits?

    So is this another compromise to give multi supplier sameness to Apple?

    You obviously get best profits using multi suppliers.

    Good for Apple, but not so good for those with the best quality goods.

  18. GitMeMyShootinIrons
    Meh

    Too big...

    As already pointed out, it would make a nice photoframe screen, but other than that, it's a bit of a lame duck size.

    It's too small to be worthwhile as a tablet screen (perhaps 7" at a minimum), but too big to be useful on a phone - Around 4" - much bigger is too cumbersome for a phone, which is what puts me off many high-end Android handsets and may put me off the Nokia 920.

    We do need better resolutions on cheaper 12"-15" - too many laptops with 1366x768 out there.

  19. Nexox Enigma

    Sounds good to me

    Put this in an N810-style tablet, throw in some decently powerful hardware, load it with a nice, open OS, and I'm sold. Too bad the chances of that are... slim.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    300dpi or...

    as professional printers have been calling it for decades "draft mode".

    1. ThomH

      Re: 300dpi or...

      That's not the same sort of DPI. On a screen 300DPI usually means 300 RGB triplets per inch, in printing it usually means 300 single coloured dots. That's why some people prefer PPI for pixels-per-inch.

  21. Periquet dels Palots
    Thumb Down

    Saying über is so 2000's...

    Über x Retina = Cliché^2

  22. Christian Berger

    Has applications for viewfinders and head-up displays

    There you need a high resolution (>Full-HD) in a limited space. Unless of course you are working with 2 displays per eye and use one for the "background" and one, with variable focus, for the point of sharpest seeing. You'd need some optics to move the image of the "sharp" display around.

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