Discovering Various Device Pixel Densities
Since the introduction of the first Retina screen, device manufacturers have been in an arms race to create increasingly higher density screens. There are far too many devices and dpi resolutions for a sane person to keep track of.
Below is a chart of devices that you're likely to run in to for this class (admittedly Apple biased).
| Name | Diagonal | Resolution | DPI | dppx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 1, 3G, 3GS | 3.5″ | 320×480 | 163 | 1 |
| Apple iPhone 4, 4S | 3.5″ | 640×960 | 326 | 2 |
| Apple iPhone 5, 5S, 5C | 4″ | 640×1136 | 326 | 2 |
| Apple iPhone 6 | 4.7″ | 750×1334 | 326 | 2 |
| Apple iPhone 6 Plus | 5.5″ | 1080×1920 | 401 | 2.46 |
| Apple iPad Air 1, 2 | 9.7″ | 2048×1536 | 264 | 2 |
| Apple iPad mini | 7.9″ | 1024×768 | 163 | 1 |
| Apple iPad mini Retina | 7.9″ | 2048×1536 | 324 | 2 |
| Apple iMac (classroom) | 21.5″ | 1920×1080 | 102 | 1 |
| Apple MacBook | 12″ | 2304×1440 | 226 | 2 |
| Apple MacBook Pro Retina | 13.3″ | 2560×1600 | 227 | 2 |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 | 5″ | 1920×1080 | 441 | 3 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 | 5.1″ | 1920×1080 | 432 | 3 |
| Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge | 5.1″ | 1440×2560 | 577 | 4 |
Important Points
- The classroom iMacs have a dppx of 1.
This means they have a 'standard' resolution or non-retina display. You should not notice much difference on these computers when working with high resolution images. - iPhones 4–6s all have a dppx of 2 while the iPhone 6 Plus is slightly higher. You should notice some difference with high resolution images although it may be hard to tell on the smaller screen sizes.
- Some new mac laptops like the new MacBook Pros have a dppx of 2. You should notice some difference with high resolution images
- All recent iPads except the original Mini have a dppx of 2. You should notice some difference with high resolution images
- Some newer Samsung Galaxies have dppx of 3 or 4. You should notice some difference with high resolution images