What is a Super Retina XDR Display?
Did you know that your iPhone’s display has more pixels than your eye can even detect? Every iPhone, from the 11 Pro to the iPhone 15, uses Apple’s Super Retina XDR display—and no, it’s not because they’re slacking! The truth is, making a “better” screen just isn’t necessary.
Check out our quick Youtube video or carry on reading below for more info!
What Makes the Super Retina XDR So Special?
Apple’s Super Retina XDR display is an OLED screen (pronounced oh-led), which stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. Think of it like millions of tiny, coloured lightbulbs that turn on and off individually. This differs from older LCD screens, which use a white backlight that shines through colour filters—less advanced and less vibrant.
Most flagship phones, including Samsung’s AMOLED and Google’s Actua displays, now use OLED technology for its superior colour accuracy and contrast.
Why Higher-Resolution Screens Aren’t Worth It
Your eye works a bit like a camera—your retina has millions of tiny light-sensitive cells that pick up light from different pixels. But here’s the thing: for you to see two separate pixels, the light from each one needs to hit different cells in your retina. When pixels are too close together, they blend into one.
At a typical viewing distance of 12 inches, your eye can only detect about 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Now, Apple’s Super Retina XDR display packs an impressive 460 PPI, which means you’d have to hold your phone just 8 inches from your face to notice any individual pixels!
So, What Does “XDR” Mean?
XDR stands for “eXtreme Dynamic Range”, which refers to the massive contrast between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. Apple’s latest XDR displays, like on the iPhone 15 Pro, can reach up to 2,000 nits of brightness—that’s as bright as the sunrise!
Cheaper LCD screens, with their constant backlighting, struggle to show true blacks, making dark areas appear grey. But since OLED displays don’t need a backlight, they can deliver deep, inky blacks that make bright colours pop.
The Takeaway
Apple’s Super Retina XDR display is at the limit of what the human eye can actually perceive. So, next time someone tries to sell you on a phone with a 4K screen, remember—you probably won’t notice the difference!
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