Galaxy S5: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

B. Diddy

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One of the rumors of the upcoming S5 is that it will have a super-HD 2560x1440 screen. That sounds great, but realistically, do you think you'll be able to tell the difference? How much better will it be compared to a full HD 1920x1080 screen, if you're limited to a 5" screen?
 
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verymadworld1988

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

I don't think so. The iPhone's screen (at aprox. 326 ppi) is called "retina" because at that pixel density, your eyes can no longer distinguish individual pixels from any distance greater than about an inch away from your screen. I think 1080p is the sweet spot for right now. The more pixels you have to push to the display, the greater the strain on the phone or computer's processor. I'd rather have a phone with 1080p screen that focuses on accurate color rendition and good viewing angles rather than a UHD screen that is just going to tax my phones processor and battery. If the rumors of this high res screen on the S5 are true, I don't know how they're going to be able to get any kind of battery life out of that phone. Guess we'll see in a few weeks =)
 

Kylecore

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

Based on todays rumours from NYT the screen will stay at 1080 and not be UHD
instead they'll be focussing on optics and various other design updates.
As far as i'm reading its going to be even less of a leap then moving from S3 to S4
 

ab304945

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

Based on todays rumours from NYT the screen will stay at 1080 and not be UHD
instead they'll be focussing on optics and various other design updates.
As far as i'm reading its going to be even less of a leap then moving from S3 to S4

the biggest thing the S5 need is a design change, change the material.
 

Golfdriver97

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

I'm inclined to agree that 1080 is about as good as it should get. Anything more will be a strain on a 5 inch screen

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UJ95x

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

I think we'll be able to notice in some situations, particularly when streaming videos at 1440p or Netflix's Super HD. Not being able to distinguish pixels doesn't mean it can't look any better.
MKBHD explained it perfectly. With a 1080p TV at around 10 ft, you can't see any pixelation. With a 4K TV at the same distance, you still can't see any form of pixelation, but you can tell that it looks a lot better. We'll see how that stands at such a small distance and on such a small screen.

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charlee08

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

1080p is enough.

720p looks great to me.

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vtpmt81

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

People said that 720p was enough when it came out in 2011.

You will be able to tell the difference - just like you can tell the difference when you place a Moto X or Nexus 4 next to SGS4, HTC One, or Nexus 5. However the screens on the Moto X and Nexus 4 are very good and are more than good enough for regular everyday use.

Samsung is doing the right thing with the SGS5 update - improve the software and improve the design. The Moto G shouldn't open apps faster than the SGS4 - that is unacceptable. Samsung already offers top spec-ed feature rich phones. Now they can improve battery life, improve Touchwiz, etc.
 

Golfdriver97

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

The Moto X 720 was to help keep the price a little lower. Sooner or later we are going to have some type of critical mass here. At what point will the human eye no longer distinguish the difference?
 

Aquila

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

I wonder about the cost in terms of power consumption and wear/tear on the screen, gpu, etc as a trade-off... especially given the degree of advantage being presumably very small.
 

Kevin OQuinn

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

You will absolutely notice it when browsing web pages. More content will be able to be displayed. Your own personal visual acuity will determine if that makes a difference for you or not.
 

UJ95x

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

At what point will the human eye no longer distinguish the difference?

This is the big question. What Apple advertises as Retina display is the point at which you can no longer see pixels, but that doesn't mean you can't tell the difference between that and something with higher pixel density. My guess is somewhere closer to 500.

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JHBThree

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

You will absolutely notice it when browsing web pages. More content will be able to be displayed. Your own personal visual acuity will determine if that makes a difference for you or not.

Not necessarily. Even though the screen will have more pixels it will be scaled to be similar to 1080p screens. You may be able to read more when you zoom out, but its not going to be a huge difference.

Also, Samsung better lighten up touchwiz, or the GPU and processor will not be able to handle that crazy screen.

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Kevin OQuinn

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

Not necessarily. Even though the screen will have more pixels it will be scaled to be similar to 1080p screens. You may be able to read more when you zoom out, but its not going to be a huge difference.

Also, Samsung better lighten up touchwiz, or the GPU and processor will not be able to handle that crazy screen.

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People said that with the move to 1080p from 720p. View them side by side. It's noticeable. This is the same conversation with different resolutions. Personally, I can read perfectly fine zoomed out all the way on my Nexus 5 and HTC One.
 

Kevin OQuinn

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

But yes, the higher resolution will absolutely put more strain on the SoC, so that point is totally valid. Touchwiz being "heavy" looking won't do it, but they will need to lighten up the animations. Those will make a proc chug.
 

JHBThree

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

People said that with the move to 1080p from 720p. View them side by side. It's noticeable. This is the same conversation with different resolutions. Personally, I can read perfectly fine zoomed out all the way on my Nexus 5 and HTC One.

No, people didn't. They said that if you had the 720p screen alone you would be fine, but when you saw them next to each other you may be able to tell. When you're getting to 400-600 PPI though, you just won't be able to tell the difference. Not because there isn't a difference, but because your eyes will be physically unable to see the difference.

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Kevin OQuinn

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

No, people didn't. They said that if you had the 720p screen alone you would be fine, but when you saw them next to each other you may be able to tell. When you're getting to 400-600 PPI though, you just won't be able to tell the difference. Not because there isn't a difference, but because your eyes will be physically unable to see the difference.

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Except when talking about text.

And yes, people did. Go back and read the stuff written back when the One X came out.

And then when the first 1080p phone came out. People said it, and then ate their words.
 

JHBThree

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

Except when talking about text.

And yes, people did. Go back and read the stuff written back when the One X came out.

And then when the first 1080p phone came out. People said it, and then ate their words.

What actual reviewers said was that you couldn't tell a difference unless they were side by side.

Regardless of what you may think, there is actual science that says that no, a human eye cannot see the difference at these PPI levels. If you disagree, provide scientific evidence to support your opinion.

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Kevin OQuinn

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

What actual reviewers said was that you couldn't tell a difference unless they were side by side.

Regardless of what you may think, there is actual science that says that no, a human eye cannot see the difference at these PPI levels. If you disagree, provide scientific evidence to support your opinion.

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Put the devices next to each and view a webpage. See which one displays more information. They're both also perfectly readable.

You're really stuck on the PPI, which is fine. I'm not disagreeing with that. Above a certain point you can't make out individual pixels. But you CAN display more information on the display.

Maybe all we needed was 4" qHD displays. :p
 

Nairolf De

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Re: 2560x1440 screen--will you be able to tell the difference?

The new smartphones shouldn't get more sharp screens but much better batterys. I don't want to use an ultra slim and sharp phone with the newest soc and the fastest gpu if the battery sucks and I couldn't work a full day or longer with the device. I really would like to see a Galaxy S5 with great battery life....

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