iPhone 5 rumors of a 16:9 display – benefits and downsides

The guys at Gizmodo have come up with a list of the benefits and drawbacks that such a resolution would bring.

Firstly, a 16:9 display is regarded as the “format of the future,” with HD videos, TV shows, home videos standing as proofs.

It is argued that the entire screen of the iPhone will be used with a 16:9.

Supporters of this format also say that more pixels and more information will be added this way. However, Gizmodo believes that a 4-inch screen with more pixels and a 3:2 format is able to offer the same advantages.

As for disadvantages, the site writes that such a change would greatly affect the battery life of the iPhone because of the increase in graphic power demands, pixel activation, and backlighting.

The new screen would also bring fragmentation into a platform that doesn’t have any at the moment, something that they believe would make Apple lose ground to Android.

In this case, developers would have to redesign their apps to fit the new screen, and consequently increase the costs of production.

In addition, the idea of a 16:9 ratio was disliked by Steve Jobs, who believed that such a change didn’t make sense in terms of design of the smartphone.

The site notes that users seem to be comfortable with the current format, despite the multitude of Android devices boasting various formats and the popularity of big screen smartphones.

What do you think? Would a new 16:9 display bring benefits or drawbacks?