Retina display

Apple is sure to pull down the app Display Recorder any second, however you can download it now for $1.99 if you act fast. Although its video quality is inferior to the jailbreak app with the same name, this knockoff app will provide a useful feature for iOS users who aren't interested in jailbreaking their devices to capture screen video.

Display Recorder rips off the name and many of the features of developer Ryan Petrich's app that has been available on Cydia for some time. Basically you open the Display Recorder app and press record. As you navigate back to the home screen everything you do on the iPhone is recorded, along with a soundtrack from the microphone.

Rumors of Apple considering OLED technology for the iPhone display have been floating around for years. Now a report from The Korea Times has rekindled the notion that Apple might switch over to the power-sipping display technology in a future iPhone.

An unnamed Samsung executive explained that Apple has questions over "an output commitment and product volume as Samsung’s OLED business isn’t on full track. But chances have risen to break the wall." Samsung Electronics launched an affiliate company, Samsung Display, which will focus solely on the LCD and OLED display business. The segment currently brings Samsung over $26 billion in annual revenues.

According to the Japanese website Macotakara, Apple is developing a mysterious 5-inch Retina display device for 2013. There have been many reports about Apple releasing a 7.85-inch iPad mini, or even increasing the screen size of the iPhone this year, but this is the first time we've heard anything about a 5-inch device.

The Japanese blog , citing “reliable Chinese sources", said "Apple LCD is developing a 5-inch Retina display with a screen resolution of either 1,600-by-960 pixels or 1,280-by-960 pixels." It's unknown if the device is a tablet, phone, or combination of both like the Samsung Galaxy Note.

The iPhone 5 rumor machine is starting to warm up with obvious reports about 4G LTE and October launches. However, the biggest debate this year will probably be the size of its display. Will the next generation iPhone go big to compete with the current Android models, or will it keep the same 3.5-inch screen?

iMore claims that the iPhone 5's display will be closer to 3.5-inches. Meaning, Apple could decide to go a little bigger, but not Samsung Galaxy S II (4.65-inch) big.

Reports of Apple considering a larger display size on the next generation iPhone are nothing new, but according to a South Korean newspaper, suppliers have already taken orders for the components. Apple is said to be moving forward with a whopping 4.6-inch screen on the iPhone 5.

This would be a significant jump from Apple's iPhone-standard 3.5-inch Retina display. Competing smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung already offer models with 4.3 and 4.6 inch diagonal screens, while Apple has yet to bump up this dimension on the iPhone.

Apple told third party iOS developers that they can only submit Retina display screenshots for their iPhone and iPod apps. This not only signals the end of the 480×320 app, but it could be the first sign that Apple plans to discontinue the iPhone 3GS when the next generation iPhone is released.

It's safe to assume that the iPhone 4 will eventually replace the iPhone 3GS as the low device on the totem pole. This will make 480×320 resolution apps obsolete. Many believed the iPhone 3GS was going to be discontinued last year, but the delay of the iPhone 5 allowed Apple to keep it around to compete in the low-end smartphone market for the holidays.

Most of the hype surrounding the iPhone 5 display has been centered on its size, with industry observers predicting that Apple will increase the next generation display to 4 inches. New information points to an even more intriguing possibility, that the iPhone 5 will feature Sharp's IGZO display technology in a cutting-edge mobile touchscreen.

The diagram above from Semiconductor Portal illustrates the advantage of IGZO transistors. These indium, gallium, and zinc (IGZO) transistors replace standard amorphous silicon thin-film transistors in the Sharp components, which provide higher electron mobility. This means display pixels can be smaller and more light passes through the IGZO display.