iPhone Screen Size Affects iOS Developers

Affect Of iPhone Screen Size of iOS Developers

Apple may have challenged iPhone developers to figure out how best to support the different screen dimensions of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, something that Android developers have been doing for years.

Pixel-perfect screen designs have been a trademark of native iOS development from day one. A tradition that with the introduction of new iPhone screen sizes may have to give way to adaptive screen design across the platform. Native iOS developers tend to cater to specific devices mores than mobile web and Android developers. But when the number of variances in screen sizes gets out of control, all you can do is gravitate more towards an adaptive or responsive approach in your app’s design. Prior to the iPhone 6, there have been very few screen size differences to contend with in the iOS world compared to Android.

It is the iPhone 4S that is irregular, not the iPhone 6 Plus

When looking at the screen dimensions for each of the different iPhone models supported by iOS 8, only the iPhone 4S supports a 3:2 aspect ratio. The iPhone 5, 5C, 5S as well as the new iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus all support a 16:9 aspect ratio. Moving from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5, Apple kept the pixel width of the different screens constant at 640. It was the pixel height that changed from 960 to 1136, which transitioned the iPhone from a 3:2 ratio to 16:9. With the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, both the width and the height changed keeping the aspect ratio fixed at 16:9 across all iOS 8 supported iPhones, except the iPhone 4S.

The shorter dimensions of the iPhone 4S compared to the other iOS 8 supported iPhones makes it more difficult to support when it comes to screen design. Simply put, designs don’t scale well when crossing over to a different aspect ratio. But this is not a new challenge for iOS developers to contend with; this has been a part of iOS 7 development all along. As a result, there are still some iOS 6 apps out there that do not conform to the 16:9 screen dimensions of the iPhone 5 and center themselves on the screen, leaving blank black bars of dead space across the top and bottom of the device.

The good news about the screen dimensions on both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is that all of the effort put into redesigning apps to take full advantage of the iPhone 5 screen size will, for the most part, scale nicely on both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.

Designing screens specific to a device

Out of the gate, Apple has made every effort to keep apps that were specifically redesigned in iOS 7 for the iPhone 5, 5C and 5S to look as good as possible in iOS 8 on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The auto-scaling capabilities built into iOS will look better than the letter-boxing effect app owners had to deal with as developers redesigned their screens from the 3:2 aspect ratio inherent to the iPhone 4 and 4S to the taller, more slender 16:9 ratio of the iPhone 5. Meaning, if you buy a device with a larger screen, you will actually get to use the larger screen.

That does not mean that similar to the “Designed for iPhone 5” app updates of 2012 and 2013 we will not start seeing “Designed for iPhone 6” updates to our favorite apps. There is more screen real-estate to potentially design for. In particular, icons, graphics and other UI elements will now need to support the @1x, @2x and the recently introduces @3x pixel sizes, otherwise things might start to look a bit blurry. Mostly iOS developers will have to learn to take advantage of some of the new Adaptive Layout features in iOS and keep their screen designs more flexible rather than pixel perfect. Designing apps that adapt will likely be the standard for apps targeting the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 screen sizes, but the iPhone 6 Plus may prove to be a bit more of a challenge.

What is likely to prompt developers to redesign some of your favorite iPhone apps will be the changes introduced by the iPhone 6 Plus and its enhanced support for landscape mode. Many iPhone specific apps lock their orientation to portrait mode. You may have noticed that these particular apps do not rotate when you told your screen. This is primarily because in many scenarios on the iPhone, landscape mode just does not have enough space to design a decent app.

With the iPhone 6 Plus’s larger screen, Apple has started supporting the home screen in landscape mode as well as a more iPad-like split view for iPhone 6 Plus apps. This will likely require some major updates to customize the user experience on the iPhone 6 Plus, especially when designing app extensions. The time it will take to redesign portrait-only screen layouts of an iPhone only app could equal that of transition to a universal app that also supports the iPad.

So how does Android handle it?

While supporting a wider variety of screen sizes may be new to iPhone developers, it certainly is not new to Android developers. The latest information from Open Signal shows that as a platform, Android has become increasingly more fragmented each year when it comes to the number of manufactures, different devices, OS versions and variances in screen sizes. There were 18,796 distinct Android devices this year compared to 11,868 last year and only 3,997 in 2012. Keeping track of all of the different screen resolutions on Android can in itself be a full-time occupation.

An interesting dynamic that was added to Open Signal’s analysis of the fragmentation data this year was the discovery of a correlation between the market share of the top five devices in a give market segment and that country’s gross national product per capita (GDP/Capita). The data shows that the higher the GDP/Capita, the less fragmentation there is in that country. As an example, here in the U.S. the top five Android devices represent forty-five percent of the market. That drastically cuts down on the number of devices one has to consider supporting compared to Madagascar where the top five devices represent only eight percent of the overall Android market.

Apple may have just introduced a third category for asset densities within in an iPhone project (@3x), in contrast Android supports six generalized screen densities (dpi, mdpi, hdpi, xhdpi, xxhdpi, and xxxhdpi). The goal for Android developers is to achieve what is referred to as density independence, basically avoiding situations that make graphics, buttons and icons appear oversized on different screens.  And that’s a situation that iPhone developers will now have to contend with.

Apple's website collapsed under increased traffic

Website Crash Due To iPhone 6

Apple's website collapsed under increased traffic last night after eager customers waited until midnight to order the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Users logging on to the online Apple Store at midnight as the iPhones went on sale reported slow load times, and a lengthy delay in the devices becoming available.

Some service appears to have been restored after about 30 minutes. But this morning, the store was down for some users. Its availability appears to be intermittent.

Some customers reported that the iPhone was available on carrier websites and the Apple Store app, but not the desktop site. There were reports that the iPhone 6 had sold out through some carriers.

The delays in the iPhone 6 becoming available in the online store frustrated many customers, as they had waited until the early hours of the morning to order the new phone.

The non-functional online store is the third glitch in a row to plague the launch of iPhone 6. At the launch event, the live stream failed for 25 minutes, leaving viewers staring at a fuzzy test-card and listening to commentary in Chinese. Then Apple delayed the iPhone 6 launch in China after failing to get regulatory approval on time (or, as conspiracy theorists would have it, the company wanted to punish its wireless carrier partners for leaking pictures of the new phones on their web sites prior to the launch).

Apple iPhone 6 Leaked

iPhone 6 Leaked photos show larger screen and rounded edges

Pictures leaked to technology website TechRadar add fuel to the rumours that Apple's forthcoming smartphone will have a larger screen

New leaked photos of the iPhone 6 reinforce rumours that Apple's forthcoming device will have a larger screen, slimmer frame and rounded edges.

The photos, leaked to TechRadar, were reportedly taken by an Apple beta tester, but the site claims it cannot verify their authenticity.

However, the appearance of the device in the pictures is in line with other leaked photos and renders of the iPhone 6, suggesting that they may indeed be genuine.

Apple will unveil its eagerly-awaited iPhone at a "big" media event on September 9, according to reports. Judging by past releases, the iPhone 6 could then go on sale to the public from Friday, September 19.

The iPhone 6, Apple's ninth iPhone model, is expected to be released in two different sizes – 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches – with the smaller of the two to be made available first.

Both versions are expected to use in-cell touch panel technology – built into the screen and allowing for thinner construction than with standard touch panel films – that was introduced with the iPhone 5.

Like its predecessor, the new model is expected to come in silver, gold and space grey.

Galaxy Tab S Vs iPads

8 things Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablets can do that iPads can not

 

There are tons of Android tablets out there, but few are equipped to take on the iPad. Samsung's recently released Galaxy Tab S series, however, may offer the best Android tablets you can buy.

Other than their super-slim design and gorgeous display, the Tab S models come with a handful of software features that allow you to do more than you can with an iPad.

Here's a quick look at the 8 things you can do with a Galaxy Tab S tablet that you can't do with an iPad.

1. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Make payments and open apps using fingerprints. Both Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Tab S 8.4 come with Samsung's fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button. Since Samsung has partnered with PayPal, you can use your fingerprint to verify purchases rather than typing in a password.

2. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Run more than one app side-by-side
Thanks to Samsung's Multi Window mode, you can open two apps and run them alongside each other on the home screen of the two Samsung Galaxy Tab S models.

3. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Control your Samsung smartphone
Samsung's Side Sync feature, which lets you control your phone from the Galaxy Tab S tablets, only works if you have a Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Note 3. The feature is designed to make it easier to transfer files between your phone and tablet, but you can also use your tablet to make or answer phone calls. Making calls from your tablet seems a bit awkward, but the idea is that if your phone is in another room, you can still answer the call immediately without having to run to get it.

4. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Control your PC remotely
After logging in with your Samsung account and installing the Remote PC app on your computer, you can control your PC using the Galaxy Tab S. This means you can access files stored on your computer directly from the tablet.

5. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Galaxy Tab S display 'knows' what you're doing. Samsung claims that its new tablets under the Galaxy Tab S series can adjust color gamut, sharpness, and contrast depending on how you use them. For example, if you're watching a movie and then decide to read an eBook, your tablet will supposedly adjust display settings automatically.

6. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Enable Kids Mode when children use Galaxy Tab S. There's a Kids Mode on Samsung Galaxy Tab S that allows parents to add additional controls while their children use the tablet. The interface is also more kid-friendly than the standard Android UI.

7. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Automatically pause videos when your aren't looking. The Smart Stay feature under the Display section in the Settings menu will tell the Galaxy Tab S model to pause a video when your eyes are looking away from the screen. This feature was introduced last year with the Galaxy S4.

8. 8 Things Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets Can Do That IPads Can’t: Access bunch of settings by swiping down. Samsung's software offers a whole bunch of Quick Settings options, which means you can adjust screen brightness and turn Bluetooth on or off among other things, by swiping down from the top of Galaxy Tab S's screen.
 

Apple offers similar settings by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, but Samsung offers way more options.

Apple will set the world on fire with iPhone 6

Apple will set the world on fire with iPhone 6

Apple will "set the world on fire" with "unbelievably massive" sales of the next iPhone, analysts said this week.

"As well as they did with the iPhone this quarter, with all the rumors of a new iPhone [this fall], I was impressed with the results," Van Baker of Gartner said about Apple's second-quarter earnings released on Tuesday. "That tells me when the next generation comes out, they're going to set the world on fire."

On July 22, Apple reported it sold 35.2 million iPhones in the second quarter, a 13% increase over the same period the year before. The number was under Wall Street's expectations of 35.8 million, but still surprising to some, Baker included, because sales have tended to droop in the quarter prior to the debut of new models.

Virtually everyone expects Apple to unveil at least one new iPhone, possibly several, in September and the following months, if only because of a rising tide of component leaks from sieve-like Asian suppliers. That smartphone, dubbed "iPhone 6" by outsiders in lieu of any formal acknowledgement by Apple, will reportedly boast a larger 4.7-in. screen, with an even-bigger second model sporting a 5.5-in. display possible at the same time, or more likely, later this year or early in 2015.

Pent-up demand for a larger screen from Apple will trigger a buying spree, analysts have predicted. Smartphones with bigger displays are increasing their share of the total market, and are especially important in countries like China, where they serve as both phone and tablet substitute. Apple boosted the size of the iPhone's display from 3.5-in. to 4-in. with 2012's iPhone 5, but contrary to some expectations, used the same-sized screen for last year's iPhone 5S and 5C.

And China, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly said, is the company's best growth opportunity.

"But there's a lot of pent-up demand among developed economies for a bigger iPhone, too," Baker contended. "I think [the iPhone 6] is poised to do extremely well."

Other long-time Apple watchers were on board, too. "I am extremely bullish about the iPhone 6," said Ben Thompson, an independent analyst who covers the technology field from his Stratechery website. "It's going to be unbelievably massive."

Apple seems to be expecting the same: In the second quarter, it committed a near-record $21 billion to third-party manufacturers for components and equipment as they presumably geared up for a string of new product announcements this fall.

Those commitments, as Apple has regularly laid out in its quarterly filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, are pre-payments for outsourced manufacturing and the components those companies use to assemble products. As of the end of June, Apple had $15.4 billion in such commitments.

Also off the balance sheet was an additional $5.6 billion in obligations, mostly for acquiring manufacturing and tooling equipment put in place by Apple's component makers and product assemblers.

The $21 billion total, then, is an indication of Apple's own build forecasts for the coming quarters, and thus its expectations for sales. The $21 billion is 46% higher than the same period the year before, a quarter prior to the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C. The $15.4 billion in manufacturing/component commitments is 18.5% higher than that line in the second quarter of 2013.

Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, after agreeing that the numbers are big, cautioned against reading too much into the data, which some have used to bolster opinions that Apple will introduce at least one new product category, probably a wearable line, this year.

Really Weird Thing About The Facebook For iPhone

The Weird Thing About The Facebook Page For Apple's iPhone

There is a Facebook page for iPhone, and it has nearly 3.5 million fans. But it's not run by Apple.

It's a fan page. Apple doesn't actually have a Facebook page for iPhone.

In fact, Apple's presence on Facebook is inconsistent. There is a page for the App Store. And a (barely updated) page for Apple Inc. There is also a page for iTunes. The iTunes page has 32 million likes. But iPhone, the biggest consumer electronics brand in the world, has no official presence in the largest social media venue on the planet.

I was talking with a social media marketing executive recently, and he regarded this as madness. Facebook fanbases can become a huge asset to a company. They can be used for customer relations, or to show users how to do new things with existing products.

A Facebook page would be perfect for the iPhone - there are a gazillion functions on iPhone that most consumers don't even know exist. And yet, Apple lets this vast reservoir go to waste.

There are two theories about this:

The first is that Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller doesn't "get" social media. When Apple's marketing division went through a crisis in 2013 - and the company began the process of looking beyond its longtime ad agency, TBWA Media Arts Lab - TBWA suggested that maybe Apple should at least begin monitoring social media, to see how its brand stacked up against rivals like Samsung over time.

Schiller saw no need for it. He told TBWA in an email:

I think paying money for social media tracking tools is nuts. It is easy to track social media, I do it every day, there are lots of summary feeds, groups, and notification tools built right in to the social networking sites, all free.

(i think the guys at samsung sat around a coffee table watching Twitter and Facebook feeds and didn't need to pay for anything in the example below)

One might also say the idea of Schiller personally tracking Apple's social media mentions himself is also kinda nuts. That would be a huge undertaking.

Social media is the most powerful new marketing tool of the current century. It can make or break companies and brands. Samsung launched the Galaxy SIII on Facebook, for instance. Most large companies have social media teams consisting of dozens of people, even when they're only tracking consumer feedback.

From this perspective, Apple appears to be ignoring one of the best assets it has - its loyal army of fans. (And it's not clear that Apple's advertising has emerged from its own crisis, either.)

The second explanation is best summarized in this CNBC story about why Apple doesn't have a Twitter account either. "Apple has nothing to gain by creating an account," Belus Capital analyst Brian Sozzi told CNBC. "Apple isn't going to be like Starbucks and run promoted tweets offering dollars off a product for a limited time. Apple is a premium experience all around, you go to Apple, they do not go to you."

CNBC pointed out how disinterested Apple is in social media feedback by pointing to this YouTube video for one of its recent ads for iPad, which asks, "We're humbled and inspired by what people do with iPad. So we set out to capture some of their stories. What will your verse be?"

Is it true?????

Apple offers 13-15% discount to iPhone 5s: Need to check on this......

Apple is offering record margins to retailers and resellers for its flagship iPhone 5s as it looks to hit the 1 million mark for its smartphones in India in the year ending September, trying to buck the overall slump in expensive handsets that has seen prices being slashed by rival Samsung.

Passed on as trade subsidy by Apple, this amounts to a 13-15 per cent margin, or up to Rs 7,500 of the price of an iPhone 5s, the 16GB version of which is listed at Rs 53,500.

Retailers may pass on some part of this to buyers to bolster demand as sales of highend smartphones dropped for the first time ever in India this year. The margin offered by Apple is much higher than the norm, which is 6-10 per cent.

"There is huge pressure from Apple's Cupertino headquarters on distributors to sell iPhones to trade and reach the 1 million sales mark in India," said a senior executive with a leading trade partner of Apple. "This unprecedented margin is offered to retail .. 

Happy selling retailers....:)