It’s a feature I’ve been struggling with recently.
We’ve quickly stepped up through higher resolution displays, with higher PPI (pixel per inch) counts, and now it’s pretty common to hold pocketable computers which have the same resolution screens as the super large TV’s we enjoy mounting in our living rooms.
Higher resolution screens provide a more pleasant visual experience. Text is crisper. Photos are more detailed. It’s easier on the eyes, and stepping back to lower resolution screens can make you feel like you need to visit an optometrist.
However, after we started building out smaller 720p screens, I worry that we’re starting to see diminishing returns on packing more dots into a phone display.
Comparing the two 5.5″ screens on the LG G3 (2560×1440) and the LG Optimus G Pro (1920×1080), it’s difficult for me to see much of a difference in clarity when held a couple feet away from my face. I have to hold the phones inches away from my nose to detect the advantages of QHD, and I just don’t often use my phone that way.
The move from qHD (quarter HD was 960×540) to HD (1920×1080) was a revelation. It was like moving from VHS on a CRT to DVD on a flat screen. The move from HD to QHD (Quad HD) just doesn’t seem to have the same “WOW” factor.
Manufacturers aren’t sold on the specs war either. In a recent interview with TrustedReviews, Sony’s Director of Xperia Marketing Calum MacDougall had the following to say about the launch of their newest flagship, the Xperia Z3:
“If we think of this size of screen, even up to 8-inches, they are relatively small screens and it is very difficult for the human eye to discern the difference between 2K and Full HD.
If we believe that a key part of the user experience for consumers is to have a longer term battery, and if we believe we can deliver a great screen with Full HD and our Sony technologies, we don’t believe the trade-off between having a 2K screen and battery consumption is the right trade-off for a consumer.”
Those of your shopping a new flagship phone, is a QHD screen one of the features on your list? Drop us a comment below on what you’re looking forward to in a new phone.