iPhone 5 hardware tests underway 'for high-res screens'

iPhone 5 hardware tests underway 'for high-res screens'
iPhone 5 being tested

If you are someone who looks at their iPhone screens and cries because the Retina display isn't crystal clear enough to play Angry Birds on, then you're in luck as it is being reported that Apple's working on some new components to pack into its upcoming iPhone 5 which will be able to cope with a higher-res screen.

The GPU drivers that are being tested can achieve higher resolutions of 1280 x 720 and 1440 x 800.

Given that the current crop of iPhones managed a 960 x 640 display, this is a sizeable chunk of quality difference if the traditional 3.5-inch display is kept.

Screen situation

All this is according to German site Macerkopf.de, which believes it has on good authority that Apple is keeping its engineers busy with component testing, but it is not known whether a dual-core or quad-core chip is being put through Apple's exacting standards..

There are a few caveats to this information, however, and it is to do with the sizes mentioned not actually being scalable to the current iPhone 4/4S display.

As MacRumours points out, if these are indeed the new display details then devs will have a bit of a nightmare scaling their apps to the pixels on the screen – this is because the pixel count is not neatly doubled like it was for the iPhone 4.

There's been rumours for some time that the size of the iPhone screen is set to change, with many believing that the iPhone 5 is set to get a 4-inch display.

As this isn't a site that's known for breaking solid news about Apple products, we are pegging this as It's Possible on the TechRadar Rumour Meter.

Rumour meter

Via Mac Rumours

TOPICS
Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.

Latest in iPhone
iPhone 16 Pro Desert Titanium in hand
I think the rumored iPhone 17 Pro redesign looks great – but is it Apple enough?
Apple iPhone 16 Review
New iPhone 17 report lends weight to rumors of major display and camera upgrades, and a pricey Apple foldable
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold main display opened
Apple is rumored to be prioritizing battery life on the foldable iPhone – which could also feature a liquid metal hinge for added durability
The home screen on an iPhone 16e smartphone
I think the iPhone 16e is too expensive – and as it turns out, so does nearly everybody else
Apple iPhone 16 on orange background with big savings text overlay
You can get a free iPhone 16 Pro Max without a trade at Verizon right now - with one minor catch
Latest in News
An Apple Music pink/pixellated poster advertising DJ with Apple Music
DJ with Apple Music lands, allowing subscribers to build and mix DJ sets directly from its +100 million-song catalog
The Meta Quest 3 and controllers on their charging station which is itself on a wooden desk next to a lamp
Forget Android XR, I've got my eyes on Vivo's new Meta Quest 3 competitor as it could be the most important VR headset of 2025
Samsung Galaxy S25 from the front
The Now Bar on Samsung One UI 7 is about to get a lot more useful – and could soon match Live Activities on iOS
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals will get two new hero skins for Moon Knight and Black Panther this week meaning I'll now need to farm even more Units
An iPhone running iOS 18 on a purple and blue background
iOS 18.4 could launch soon with a major upgrade to your iPhone’s notifications
Netflix Ads
Netflix adds HDR10+ support – great news for Samsung TV owners, but don't expect LG and Sony to do the same any time soon