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[Q] Higher Resolution Android Phones

I'm very surprised the Nexus S didn't come out with a higher resolution Super Amoled screen. Apparently, 2.3 supports higher resolution according to wikipedia. I'm just waiting for a new android phone with a higher resolution/pixel density to put the iphone 4 to shame.
Imagine, a Super Amoled screen with a 1024x768 or 1280x720 resolution would be the best mobile phone screen in the world.
When do you think we will realistically see android phones with higher resolution displays?

The current Super AMOLED screen already trades blows with the Retina Display. I'm sure there will be higher res screens at some point but whats the rush? Wouldnt a higher resolution screen be more of a burden on battery than the current screens already are anyway? I'd see resolutions that high being more relevant for tablets and PMP than phones.

Why? It will drain battery more and more, and higher resolution don't need for still small display. Just imagine, MP3 player with Desktop resolution.
Haha? Try push sensor button, wtf it's so small...
U wanna get more ability to use sensor keyboard? (sarcastic)

Well, android definitely needs to match or better the 640x960 resolution of the iPhone 4 to maintain feature parity.

The current SuperAMOLED screens are less battery consuming than old LCD and Retina, so bigger resolutions shouldn't be a battery problem.
But what's the point of having 1280x768 on a 4" screen?
I'm pretty satisfied with 480x320 on 3.2" and 800x480 on 4" looks also awesome.

The Meizu M9 have a 960x640 display, but (even if you are in china) this little boy is still difficult to find.
The next Meizu (M9ii) will have a 1280×854 or 1280×800 4" screen, and should be animated by a Tegra2 with 1Gb of RAM. They said that the release date will be on middle 2011, so maybe we will be able to grap it in the late 2011.
The two phones are running on a custom android 2.2 (the UI is very different from the classical Android).
For the battery, it's more backlight that drains power.
A higher resolution will only put a little more stress on the GPU, but if the OS is well coded, it should not consume a lot more.

DPI, its all about DPI

You can have all the DPI in the world, but all its gonna mean is LAG and Battery if we're still relying on the CPU to push pixels.

dimon222 said:
Why? It will drain battery more and more, and higher resolution don't need for still small display. Just imagine, MP3 player with Desktop resolution.
Haha? Try push sensor button, wtf it's so small...
U wanna get more ability to use sensor keyboard? (sarcastic)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have absolutely no comprehension of what resolution is. Look at the iphone going from 480x320 to 960x640. Did the icons get smaller? No I didn't think so. You simply put more pixels into an icon the same size. Because it seems you're under the impression that pixel count determines image size.

however, there is no need for a higher resolution because the display is that too small. better resolution would look like the same as the resolution looks on current phones.

I can see several reasons to be interested in higher screen resolution (but IMHO you will need at least a 3.5" display):
Games
ok, that's not for today, but with ports like the unreal engine on android, phones will become more like a mobile console (PSP phone, for example). A better resolution sounds like a better playing experience, but will still need more powerful hardware (and that's on the way with multi core SOC)
Video
isn't that obvious? and it's essential if you're watching videos with subtitles
Internet
I don't know for you, but on my 800x480 handset, i have to zoom out to have the full page, and zoom in, etc...
With a better screen resolution, the navigation will be easier
It's not interesting for everybody, but I think clivo360 and I are not the only guys looking for a higher resolution screen

Although 4.3" is probably the upper limit for what you'd consider "pocketable", I'd still be attracted to bigger screens and more powerful phones because there are things that can take advantage of them, such as video. Imagine 1080p screens on a phone!
At some point though, phones are probably going to suffer the same problem that PCs did - that hardware outdoes all user needs. Imagine a point where the hardware has reached such a point where for the average user, they don't need the most potent phone anymore. We're already well on the way there. It happened with PCs, where the average user needs office software such as word processing, a spreadsheet, and the Internet, but nothing that demands crazy hardware (the average user is not a high end gamer we're talking here).

A better resolution makes even more difference on an SAMOLED screen compared to an LCD/SLCD - due to the PenTile matrix configuration of pixels a 800x480 SAMOLED screen doesn't really have as many pixels as an 800x480 standard LCD.
Just take a close look at the screen of a Nexus One or Nexus S at some text and you'll see it's slightly fuzzy. See here for more info
Better resolutions aren't available yet because a) it's a relatively new technology and b) manufacturers are having a hard enough time making enough just to cover the existing devices that use them.
AFAIK, there is only one Android device with a larger screen resolution that, as long as you don't live in the good old US of A (and even there it can be done), can make calls: the Samsung Galaxy Tab. But not exactly small enough to fit in your trouser pocket (although it does slip easily into a jacket pocket).
PS: The Tab is fantastic for video (1080p MKV supported), games and general browsing (with plugins set to on-demand) plus the odd short book, although you do look very strange if you answer calls on it without a BT headset (very Trigger Happy).

Ugh, I won't flame people saying we don't need higher resolution, though I wanted to...
Here is one basic application where the higher resolution really does make a difference: Reading text .PDFs.
I tried reading PDFs on my 800 x 480 Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and I wish the text was a little smoother. Sure, I'd like a slightly larger screen (no more than 4.3") but if the screen was larger I'd be even more desperate for higher resolution. I'd like to see 1024 * 640 on a 4" Android.
Higher resolution does not nesc. need more battery/CPU power: it's the brightness that uses the battery most.

critofur said:
I tried reading PDFs on my 800 x 480 Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and I wish the text was a little smoother. Sure, I'd like a slightly larger screen (no more than 4.3") but if the screen was larger I'd be even more desperate for higher resolution. I'd like to see 1024 * 640 on a 4" Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't your phone's AMOLED screen use the PenTile matrix? If so, that's a huge factor. I have 2 Droid Incredibles, one AMOLED w/PenTile matrix, the other SLCD. The SLCD has MUCH smoother text despite both being the same 480x800 resolution. AMOLED w/PenTile matrix has a "screen door effect".
Anyway, Toshiba might make your dream come true, and even exceed what you'd like to see.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/16/toshiba-enters-pixel-density-fray-with-367ppi-lcds-for-cellphone/

its true about the screen door effect. texting the g2x is very smooth dispite the resolution being the same as the vibrant.

Not sure I could put larger than 4.3" in my pocket

Stupid iOS fan boys are inventing things to trash Android again

Read a post today regarding why Android phones are so much bigger than the iPhone and it makes my blood boiled:
http://www.displayblog.com/2012/01/16/why-android-smartphones-are-bigger-than-the-iphone/
If he was true, I wouldn't complain. But that guy totally made things up by himself. It's clear that he had not done research to back up his "theory" -- he just made it up himself. Any Android users who had changed the LCD density of their devices would know that it's fairly easy to change the lppi. When a manufacturer increase the physical resolution of its device, it will adjust the LCD density to accommodate the denser display. That guy could find out the truth easily by asking around.

The article makes perfect sense to me. I for one would much rather have a smaller screen with higher pixel density.

does it really matter. you have a device and it works for you, if you read every post where somebody whines about the most trivial things then i feel sorry for you. get a life

I think I'll try to rebut this.
There are four DPI levels (MDPI is baseline):
LDPI: ~120DPI
MDPI: ~160DPI
HDPI: ~240DPI
XHDPI: ~320DPI
What this means is that when resolution increases from ~120 ppi (I prefer ppi when discussing pixel-based digital displays) to ~159 ppi fonts and icons will get smaller. This applies to all three levels of in-betweens. And displays north of ~320 ppi will continue to get smaller with no reprieve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But manufacturers do not create screen sizes of EVERY possible density. They tend to aim for a certain density. And I don't see why they won't round up 159ppi up to 160. They wouldn't (with minor exceptions) create a screen perfectly at the middle between HDPI and MDPI, for example.
If displays size were kept at 3.2 inches from the G1, the corresponding resolutions (ppi) would be:
G1: 180.23
Nexus One: 291.55
Nexus S: 233.24
Galaxy Nexus: 458.94
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you want to convert the screen sizes to 3.2 inches first? This doesn't make sense! Oh, and I think you calculated the Nexus S wrongly.
But because Android renders text and graphics like desktop OSes (e.g. Windows, OS X) increasing resolution above 320 ppi means smaller UI elements. The display had to grow in size to compensate for shrinking UI elements. iOS renders the Retina display not by shrinking UI elements by one fourth but by doubling clarity and sharpness. Unless Google adds an additional “DPI level” beyond XHDPI, Android smartphones that match or beat the iPhone 4/4S in resolution will always be bigger, much bigger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android would never need to go past 320dpi, just like the iPhone, for it is at the verge of the human eye's visual acuity.
FYI for those who don't know, 4 copies of the UI elements are created, for each of the different display densities. So scaling up would simply mean swapping the element with the identical one of the higher density. Anything past the highest density is also past 320dpi, higher than the limit the human eye can distinguish.
UI elements created for XHDPI are usually purposefully created such that they are big enough for the density, allowing UI elements to be comfortably big enough for users.
Then why are 1280×720 Android smartphones much bigger? Because UI elements would get too small if they were much smaller than 4.5 inches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no point of having a screen higher than 320dpi. It would be hard for one to differentiate a screen of 320dpi and 360dpi of the same size. There is no point in google trying to compete in resolution with the iPhone at this point. And besides, a manufacturer could easily release a 3.5 inch phone matching the iPhone's screen perfectly with no problems.
So there is seriously no practical point in trying to squeeze 1280x720 into a small 3.5 inch screen. I doubt manufacturers will want to try that when a 320ppi screen could do the exact same job (which by calculations, a 960x640 screen fits perfectly), without users noticing any difference. This is when resolution does not mean everything. DPI is much more important than resolution.
Disclaimer: I am not an app developer, but this is what I understand from the documentation from the android developer website.

DirkGently said:
The article makes perfect sense to me. I for one would much rather have a smaller screen with higher pixel density.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If what he said was true, then it made perfect sense. The problem is, he's wrong, completely. An OEM will change the ro.sf.lcd_density in build.prop to adjust the LCD density so that the font size and icon size scale up as the physical resolution increase, period. That's a fact and I have not seen a single OEM who doesn't do that. In fact, if an end user roots his device, he can change the setting himself.
No offensive to the iOS fans, but I just couldn't stand for some of them who think they know everything and keep inventing new things to praise how great their OS is, when they couldn't even get the fact right. I mean, if he's saying a 3.5" screen is the perfect size, that's one thing because it's personal preference and no one can argue that. But he wasn't doing that. He just made up a theory that is just plain wrong and present it as a fact.

[Q] bigger screen effective to performance?

For example there are two devices
1) 5.9" htc one max 373 ppi 1080p
2) 4.7" htc one 469 ppi 1080p
these devices are same except screen and battery. This devices have same performance? I thought bigger screen effective to performance therefore bigger screen phones should more powerful hardware although proccess to every pixel and ppi am i right?
therefore htc one and max have same performance or no?

Xsi18 said:
For example there are two devices
1) 5.9" htc one max 373 ppi 1080p
2) 4.7" htc one 469 ppi 1080p
these devices are same except screen and battery. This devices have same performance? I thought bigger screen effective to performance therefore bigger screen phones should more powerful hardware although proccess to every pixel and ppi am i right?
therefore htc one and max have same performance or no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BIGGER isn't always better! I prefer the HTC ONE!
Yes, both phones should deliver pretty much the same performance (but One has a Snapdragon 800, whereas the Max has a Snapdragon 600)... But HTC One looks more premium and it has been proved that it can take better photos and videos than Max... On the other hand, the Max does have a "big battery" and has a finger-print scanner (Which doesn't always work)...
But I'd still go for the One..
Watch this video review for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SEAcwJeXEg
You can also watch other comparison videos on YouTube to help you decide which one to buy..

I want to say two devices, same hardware but htc one max bigger than htc one and have they same performance? bigger screen doesnt effective to lower performance?

Xsi18 said:
I want to say two devices, same hardware but htc one max bigger than htc one and have they same performance? bigger screen doesnt effective to lower performance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that the size of the display affects a device's performance.. But the GPU (and CPU) should work a little harder since it has to cover a much larger display.. but still that difference can be negligible BECAUSE surely those hardware are capable of handling it easily....

[Q] Screen Resolutions???

hi everyone
I need to ask something that i was unable to find answer on internet or Google searching. I come straight to the point. It's basically a general thing about devices that i found different in aspect of screen resolution and i couldn't find difference.
There is one Android device which gives resolution of 540*960 on a 5inch LCD and there is an Android phone which gives 1080*1920 resolution on 5.1 inch LCD like S5 AND 1440*2560 resolution on 5.1 inch LCD.
I want to ask what is the difference that these resolution gives, i am currently using 540*960 resolution phone and what difference i would note by using 1080*1920 resolution? will thing appear small on it?
For example on a home screen, i have a gadget of weather, will it appear more smaller? because i didn't get the difference of resolution and their result difference.

awaisagha said:
hi everyone
I need to ask something that i was unable to find answer on internet or Google searching. I come straight to the point. It's basically a general thing about devices that i found different in aspect of screen resolution and i couldn't find difference.
There is one Android device which gives resolution of 540*960 on a 5inch LCD and there is an Android phone which gives 1080*1920 resolution on 5.1 inch LCD like S5 AND 1440*2560 resolution on 5.1 inch LCD.
I want to ask what is the difference that these resolution gives, i am currently using 540*960 resolution phone and what difference i would note by using 1080*1920 resolution? will thing appear small on it?
For example on a home screen, i have a gadget of weather, will it appear more smaller? because i didn't get the difference of resolution and their result difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
firstly i can guess by the post that you are a noob but would like to help you change to pro so here it goes
the difference are
420*320 and below ldpi-small- 2-3inches - packed with 100 to 150 ppi screen
470*320and below IS mdpi - normal- 3 to 4.2 inches - packed with upto 200ppi
640*480and up IS hdpi- large-4.2 to 7 inches - packed with 200 to 300ppi
920x720and up IS qhdpi- extra large- more than 7 inches - packed with >300ppi
if that's unclear to you
try searching up screen support on google or api guidelines
if i helped hit that thanks meter
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

rohitarora27 said:
firstly i can guess by the post that you are a noob but would like to help you change to pro so here it goes
the difference are
420*320 and below ldpi-small- 2-3inches - packed with 100 to 150 ppi screen
470*320and below IS mdpi - normal- 3 to 4.2 inches - packed with upto 200ppi
640*480and up IS hdpi- large-4.2 to 7 inches - packed with 200 to 300ppi
920x720and up IS qhdpi- extra large- more than 7 inches - packed with >300ppi
if that's unclear to you
try searching up screen support on google or api guidelines
if i helped hit that thanks meter
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am sorry if i sounded noob but i was unaware of these things. I was just wondering what's the difference of resolutions when the screen size is same.
From your post what i got was, that it is basically the PPI thing, which makes screen more bright and colorful etc. so more PPI is based on more resolution or pixels.
I am currently using Huawei G610s and it has 640*480 with 220ppi. I thought that resolution is same as in case of computers, the more resolution the more smaller the pixel and picture size and more desktop area. I am currently using 1680*1050. So i thought in same context and was wondering and thought to ask.

awaisagha said:
i am sorry if i sounded noob but i was unaware of these things. I was just wondering what's the difference of resolutions when the screen size is same.
From your post what i got was, that it is basically the PPI thing, which makes screen more bright and colorful etc. so more PPI is based on more resolution or pixels.
I am currently using Huawei G610s and it has 640*480 with 220ppi. I thought that resolution is same as in case of computers, the more resolution the more smaller the pixel and picture size and more desktop area. I am currently using 1680*1050. So i thought in same context and was wondering and thought to ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
firstly ppi refers to the pixels per inch
it in simple words is how tightly pixels are packed in a sq inch of area on the screen . the more the ppi count the smaller each pixel gets providing you with sharper and intense quality display
also if you did not search api guidelines on google
i am here to help you
here go ahead and just go through the detailed version and i think it will solve almost all of your query
http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html
don't forget to hit thanks :good:

Now. Don't get concerned on how you sound. We were all like that at some point. The resolution that you have probably is around 200 DPI (depending on screen size) My phone (Xperia SP) has a 4.6 inch 1024 x 720 display AKA 720p display. In person, how they look actually matters. Anything above 300ppi is crisp and extremely sharp. A Samsung galaxy s5 has a PPI of around 400. These numbers don't really matter but if you see them in person, they really look nice. Hope I helped you.
Sent from my Xperia SP using XDA Free mobile app

[Q] Can the resolution of this phone be changed?

Hello! Was wondering if there was a way to change the resolution of the S6 from QHD down to 1080p. I've found the Nomone Resolution Changer, but I was wondering if there was a more trustworthy way about getting the resolution to get to 1080p. Long shot, but still! Recommendations, please?

Tythas said:
Hello! Was wondering if there was a way to change the resolution of the S6 from QHD down to 1080p. I've found the Nomone Resolution Changer, but I was wondering if there was a more trustworthy way about getting the resolution to get to 1080p. Long shot, but still! Recommendations, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mind if I ask why?

entropism said:
Mind if I ask why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I was wondering the same thing until I remembered the fact it has a small battery and a 5.1" screen that really doesn't need the QHD resolution with such a small battery + screen

There are some apps available to change the DPI, i know that skydragon roms come pre baked with a DPI changer, but this will require root.

Stevles said:
Actually I was wondering the same thing until I remembered the fact it has a small battery and a 5.1" screen that really doesn't need the QHD resolution with such a small battery + screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But that's not how it works. The phone will still have the same qHD screen, and will still have the same amount of pixels, and require the same amount of power. You're basically just changing the DPI to make everything larger, using 4 pixels to display what 1 used to.

entropism said:
But that's not how it works. The phone will still have the same qHD screen, and will still have the same amount of pixels, and require the same amount of power. You're basically just changing the DPI to make everything larger, using 4 pixels to display what 1 used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No he actually wants to change the proper resolution, not DPI.
Less resolution = Less processing power required = Less battery spent.
That being said.. OP no there isn't a way

Stevles said:
No he actually wants to change the proper resolution, not DPI.
Less resolution = Less processing power required = Less battery spent.
That being said.. OP no there isn't a way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, that's what I meant. You can't change the DPI (which would what he'd be doing) and have it magically change the physical number of pixels used.

No that's not what he's asking. He's asking this much like a TV. Instead of having it be QHD he wants it to display in 1080.
It's a clever way of thinking but that wouldn't help really. It'll still have the super pretty screen just everything would be smaller. Even if there was a way

nolimit78 said:
No that's not what he's asking. He's asking this much like a TV. Instead of having it be QHD he wants it to display in 1080.
It's a clever way of thinking but that wouldn't help really. It'll still have the super pretty screen just everything would be smaller. Even if there was a way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But that's the point: Even if you wanted to display in 1080, you still have the same amount of physical pixels in the screen, and the same amount of power needed to light them up. Unless, of course, you wanted to only use 1920x1080 pixels, at which point only 25% of the display would actually be lit up.

entropism said:
But that's the point: Even if you wanted to display in 1080, you still have the same amount of physical pixels in the screen, and the same amount of power needed to light them up. Unless, of course, you wanted to only use 1920x1080 pixels, at which point only 25% of the display would actually be lit up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're missing the point.
First of all, lowering the resolution would make everything appear larger. You have to lower the DPI setting in build.prop to scale things back down to the same size (or lower).
Secondly, lowering the output resolution will save battery power and increase performance because the CPU and GPU are working less. This is fact and just how computers work (the screen is not the only power draw in a phone). The amount of physical pixels in the screen is irrelevant because that will draw the same amount of power regardless of what the resolution is. (However, since the is an AMOLED screen, it will draw less power when displaying blacks due to the nature of the technology. Not that this has anything to do with the resolution discussion.)
Thirdly, the amount of power you will be saying varies. Mostly you will gain performance and power-savings while playing 3D (rendered) games. The GPU will be able to perform at a higher framerate as well as save you power. This is tested and true, although some applications will be glitchy due to poor coding. The amount of savings while on normal screens is subject to the efficiency of the SoC. I am not sire much will be gained here. Performance in these screens is said to be slightly increased, although I believe this phone probably has snappy speeds already.
Lastly, if you do this there may be a visual issue that could get on your nerves. Since you are altering the 1:1 resolution of the pixels, a blur will naturally occur. Since the screen is relatively small for the amount of pixels in it, the blur will be minimal and you will hardly notice after your eyes adjust to it.

Using Resolution Changer Pro (free app) you can set res to 1080 and dpi to 480 for a significant improvement in gaming performance. (phone doesnt heat up like frying pan anymore)
Difference in quality is completely unboticable.

Thoth33 said:
Using Resolution Changer Pro (free app) you can set res to 1080 and dpi to 480 for a significant improvement in gaming performance. (phone doesnt heat up like frying pan anymore)
Difference in quality is completely unboticable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes after resolution changed, everything go smoother

Thoth33 said:
Using Resolution Changer Pro (free app) you can set res to 1080 and dpi to 480 for a significant improvement in gaming performance. (phone doesnt heat up like frying pan anymore)
Difference in quality is completely unboticable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Thoth33,
I used Resolution Changer Pro, but it didn't change the resolution!
What do I do wrong? I use Android 6.0 beta on my Galaxy S6 (SM-G920F).
It even tells me that it gets root access!

Help The Peace said:
Hello Thoth33,
I used Resolution Changer Pro, but it didn't change the resolution!
What do I do wrong? I use Android 6.0 beta on my Galaxy S6 (SM-G920F).
It even tells me that it gets root access!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is required ROOT

jojoejit said:
It is required ROOT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I HAVE root...

Help The Peace said:
I HAVE root...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Resolution Changer Pro
From the description:
####### THIS APP REQUIRES ROOT AND 4.0+ #######
####### TouchWIZ launcher will behave oddly -- install an alternate launcher BEFORE trying this #######
####### Android versions LOWER than 4.2 may not fill the whole screen. #######

Theodric58 said:
Resolution Changer Pro
From the description:
####### THIS APP REQUIRES ROOT AND 4.0+ #######
####### TouchWIZ launcher will behave oddly -- install an alternate launcher BEFORE trying this #######
####### Android versions LOWER than 4.2 may not fill the whole screen. #######
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solved the problem via Android Terminal Emulator!!

i changed the resolution on my Galaxy S6 Active from QHD to just HD!! Did some graphics benchmarks and the results are more than 2 times those of QHD.
Oh, and I did this without ROOT.

Xa33M said:
i changed the resolution on my Galaxy S6 Active from QHD to just HD!! Did some graphics benchmarks and the results are more than 2 times those of QHD.
Oh, and I did this without ROOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to do it without root?

MobileTechArena said:
How to do it without root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do it via adb.
These are the 2 commands for both screen resolution and dpi
adb shell wm density (insert dpi here)
adb shell wm size (insert resolution here) && adb reboot
The reason for using both commands is that you have to use the correct dpi with your desired resolution and screen size, so that the icons and UI is neither too large nor too small, otherwise, the UI will crash
For example,
For Galaxy S6,
If you want 1080p, you have to choose 480 dpi as that is the correct dpi for a 5.1 Inch diaplay.
If you want to go back to QHD, just repeat the same commands with your stock dpi and resolution, which are
640 dpi
1440x2560 resolution && adb reboot
I did it via adb because currently there is no root for the S6 Active.