Apple put up a new page on its website yesterday touting the iPhone's features and explaining why it's better than any other phone.
It was clearly another defensive move following Samsung's Galaxy S4 launch last week. In fact, Apple also emailed the page to many of its customers.
The timing is suspect not only because of the recent Galaxy S4 launch, but also because Apple won't have a new iPhone for several more months. (Most estimate late summer or early fall for the next iPhone launch.) It seems like Apple doesn't want its customers to get too excited and switch to an Android phone.
The site makes some great points, but one part of the new iPhone page bothered us. It's where Apple talks about the iPhone's high-resolution Retina display.
Here's what it says:
The Retina display on iPhone ushered in the era of super-high-resolution displays. Its pixel density is so high, your eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. The images and words are amazingly vivid and crisp. Everything just looks so real. In fact, once you see a Retina display, you’re never satisfied with anything less. Yet it remains a feature found only on iPhone and other Apple products.
Now that is technically correct. Only the iPhone and other Apple products have a Retina display. But that's also because Apple is the only company that calls its displays "Retina displays." There are plenty of non-Apple mobile devices and laptops now that actually have higher resolutions than Apple's Retina display.
For example, the Galaxy S4 has a higher pixel density. So does the HTC One and Nokia Lumia 920. For tablets, Google's Nexus 10's screen has a higher resolution than the iPad. And Google's new Chromebook Pixel laptop screen has a higher resolution than the one on the MacBook Pro with Retina display.
So while technically accurate, Apple's statements on its displays can be a bit confusing to those unfamiliar with competing products. Apple isn't the only company that makes displays with resolutions so high you can't see other pixels. It's the only company that has a branded term for that feature.
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