Outlining the Case for 1334 x 750 and 2208 x 1242 iPhone 6 Retina Displays

Throughout the past few months, a number of rumors have suggested many different resolutions for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, giving a variety of reasons as to how Apple will best optimize a larger screen size for both users and developers.

Prominent Apple journalist John Gruber has now given his in-depth take on the subject, suggesting that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will likely feature a resolution of 1334 x 750 with 326 pixels per inch, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 would most likely have a resolution of 2208 x 1242 with 461 pixels per per inch. While Gruber insists that he has no specific knowledge of these resolutions for the iPhone 6, he makes a strong case for why they make the most sense for Apple.

iphone_5s_6_grass

4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 mockups compared to iPhone 5s

Gruber notes that keeping the current "2x" Retina resolution at 326 ppi on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 would be consistent with Apple's previous patterns on iOS devices:

At 4.7 inches, 1334 × 750 works perfectly as a new iPhone display, addressing problem #1, showing more content. With point dimensions of 667 × 375, this display would show 1.38 times more points than the iPhone 5. At 326 pixels-per-inch, everything on screen would remain exactly the same physical size. There would just be 38 percent more room for content.

Gruber also adds that moving to a "3x" Retina resolution at 461 ppi for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 would display an even greater amount of content while being able to render the same Retina pixels on a larger scale:

Everything works at these dimensions for a 5.5-inch display. With an increase in area of 68 percent and a scaling factor of 1.06, this display would address both reasons why someone might want a very large iPhone: it would show a lot more content, and it would render everything on screen, point-for-point, a little bit bigger. And at 461 pixels-per-inch, everything would be amazingly sharp.

In both of those examples, existing apps would still be able to run at such resolutions, as optimizing current apps would be made easier considering the scaled nature of the displays.

The given 1334 x 750 resolution of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 contrasts with information shared by luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk earlier this week, which came with a photo showing the display of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 under a microscope with a pixel density higher than 326 ppi, perhaps 1704 x 960. That resolution has also been cited in previous rumors, but Gruber claims in his post that an iPhone 6 with a resolution of 1704 x 960 would only work well for 4.0-inch displays, as it would not show any additional content compared to the iPhone 5 when measured in touch points.

Gruber also comments on the possibility of both a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 with a resolution of 1472 x 828. The claim states that such a resolution on the 4.7-inch device would render UI elements and text about 10 percent smaller, while such a resolution on the 5.5-inch device would equal out to be 307 pixels per inch, or only marginally better than Apple's original definition of the Retina display as being at least 300 ppi.

The iPhone 6 is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday, September 9 at a media event. It is likely that the 4.7-inch version will go on sale about a week after the announcement, but the 5.5-inch may be held back due to production issues. In addition to a larger display, the iPhone 6 will likely feature a thinner design, a faster A8 processor, an improved camera, a more durable Touch ID sensor, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
146 months ago
I won't be happy until Apple crams 'em so full of pixels that they need to store some in extra dimensions!

And, please, for the love of my precarious sanity: GET. THE. PHONES. OFF. THE. GROUND.

Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
146 months ago
The retina iPad mini has 326 ppi compared to 264 ppi for the iPad Air. Does that mean the retina mini is the flagship iPad?
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrX8503 Avatar
146 months ago
So 5.5" is the norm now for a phone? That's quite ludicrous.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Markiie Avatar
146 months ago
4.7 = the new 5c
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robjulo Avatar
146 months ago
Again with the "Apple Journalist"?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
146 months ago
Again with the "Apple Journalist"?

He writes and hosts a podcast about Apple products, software, and strategy. If you read this page (http://daringfireball.net/feeds/sponsors/), you'll see that he grosses almost $500K/year for website advertising sales. He also gets significant chunk revenue from his podcast, although I'm guessing it's significantly less the website revenue.

He's a professional that writes about Apple. You don't have to like it, clearly there are thousands of people who value his writing highly. His compensation is north of the 95th percentile for traditional journalists.

What alternative descriptor would you use for someone who writes and discusses the tech industry -- and has a viable business model for his writing? Unless you can suggest some alternative that makes sense, "journalist" sounds just fine to me.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)