iPhone Zoomed Display mode on iOS 12: Supported on XS Max (and possibly XR) but not XS or X.

[EugW]

I started a different thread related to this in the 2018 model iPhone forum, but I thought I'd ask here about the 2017 X.

I know that the iPhone 6s and friends have Zoomed Display mode in iOS 11, but for some strange reason they left out the X in 2017. Does iOS 12 bring Zoomed Display mode to the X? If not, I would assume the XS wouldn't get it either, and it would also make me wonder about the XS Max and the XR.

What about changes to other pre-2017 phones in iOS 12?

 

[onepoint]

No it does not.

 

[itsmilo]

no just the XR and XS Max

 

[EugW]

Yes thx. I see that the XR and XS Max get Zoomed mode, here:

https://twitter.com/filipekids/status/1040133138557677568

However, there is no mention of the status of the XS.

I wonder if the XR's Zoomed mode will have the anti-aliasing issues my wife's 6s has in Zoomed mode, or if Apple will somehow adjust the scaling on the XR to look better (if possible). My gut feeling is it would be hard to do without going overly big font sizes.

 

[EugW]

Yes thx. I see that the XR and XS Max get Zoomed mode, here:

https://twitter.com/filipekids/status/1040133138557677568

However, there is no mention of the status of the XS.

I wonder if the XR's Zoomed mode will have the anti-aliasing issues my wife's 6s has in Zoomed mode, or if Apple will somehow adjust the scaling on the XR to look better (if possible). My gut feeling is it would be hard to do without going overly big font sizes.

Hmm... After a complete reboot, the 6s no longer has the more obvious anti-aliasing artifacts I had seen. Something must have gone awry after my switching back and forth between modes.

This bodes well for the XR.

 

[GGJstudios]

From: https://help.apple.com/iphone/12/#/iph3e2e367e

 

[EugW]

From: https://help.apple.com/iphone/12/#/iph3e2e367e

View attachment 783835

Uh oh. No mention of support for the XR?!?

iOS 12 has references to the XR supporting this. Here’s hoping they don’t list the XR just because it’s not out yet.

https://mobile.twitter.com/filipekids/status/1040133138557677568

This is of interest because I want to order an XR for the wife. Fortunately, my wife says she’s fine with Standard Display even though lately she’s been using Zoomed Display. However, for me, the lack of Zoomed Display would be a deal killer.

 

[onepoint]

Uh oh. No support for XR?!?

iOS 12 has references to the XR supporting this. Here’s hoping they don’t list the XR just because it’s not out yet.

I was thinking the same thing - perhaps just because it’s not available for pre-order yet? Seems strange - need someone to chime in with more knowledge of the screen resolutions etc.

 

[Natya Sadella]

The XS isnt out either

 

[EugW]

The XS isnt out either

FWIW, the embargo on XS reviews is already over.

 

[EugW]

From: https://help.apple.com/iphone/12/#/iph3e2e367e

View attachment 783835

It turns out we cannot use this list to assess availability of the Zoomed Display feature on the Xr. The Apple iPhone Help Guide linked above only covers the 5s, SE, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s+, 7, 7+, 8, 8+, X, Xs, and Xs Max. The Xr is completely omitted.

https://help.apple.com/iphone/12/#/iphe3fa5df43

At this point I'm about 85% sure the Xr will get Zoomed Display, but we shall see.

 

[apolloa]

Sorry to drag yo an old thread on this topic, but does anyone know if iOS 13 will at last bring zoomed screen mode to the X and XS?

 

[EugW]

Sorry to drag yo an old thread on this topic, but does anyone know if iOS 13 will at last bring zoomed screen mode to the X and XS?

It will not. There is no pre-established screen size to which to properly zoom. Zoom exactly converts:

iPhone 6 —> iPhone 5
iPhone 6 Plus —> iPhone 6
iPhone XS Max —> iPhone X
iPhone XR —> iPhone X

To implement zoom on the X and XS would mean having to introduce another completely new resolution, so they’re not going to do it.

 

[apolloa]

It will not. There is no pre-established screen size to which to properly zoom. Zoom converts:

iPhone 6 —> iPhone 5
iPhone 6 Plus —> iPhone 6
iPhone XS Max —> iPhone X
iPhone XR —> iPhone X

To implement zoom on the X and XS would mean having to introduce another completely new resolution, so they’re not going to do it.

So have you used iOS 13?

 

[EugW]

So have you used iOS 13?

Yes, but not with an X. Nonetheless, nobody has reported Zoomed Display mode for the X/XS in iOS 13. That should not come as a surprise, as the math simply won’t support it.

However, I have tried iOS 13 with an SE, and that doesn’t get Zoomed Display mode either, which makes sense since there is no pre-established resolution to which it can zoom.

 

[apolloa]

Yes, but not with an X. Nonetheless, nobody has reported Zoomed Display mode for the X/XS in iOS 13. That should not come as a surprise, as the math simply won’t support it.

However, I have tried iOS 13 with an SE, and that doesn’t get Zoomed Display mode either, which makes sense since there is no pre-established resolution to which it can zoom.

I’m sure they can make one. Your comparison makes no sense also, instance the XR has no resolution link to the X? Yet the XR has zoomed screen.

 

[EugW]

I’m sure they can make one. Your comparison makes no sense also, instance the XR has no resolution link to the X? Yet the XR has zoomed screen.

XR zooms exactly to show the display points of the XS. It is effectively identical to the XS Max in this regard. In terms of number of display points shown on screen, the XR and XS Max are exactly the same. The only difference it’s a 2X resolution as opposed to the 3X of the XS Max.

 

[apolloa]

XR zooms exactly to show the display points of the XS. It is effectively identical to the XS Max in this regard. In terms of number of display points shown on screen, the XR and XS Max are exactly the same. The only difference it’s a 2X resolution as opposed to the 3X of the XS Max.

What do you mean display points? And it’s still poor when a 4.7” iPhone fan have a feature a 5.7” phone costing a lot more does not. I’m sure Apple could come up with a way for it to work.

 

[EugW]

What do you mean display points? And it’s still poor when a 4.7” iPhone fan have a feature a 5.7” phone costing a lot more does not. I’m sure Apple could come up with a way for it to work.

There is no way to make Zoomed Display on the X/XS work without either creating a new iPhone display resolution or else using black bars. It would be appear that neither is an acceptable solution for Apple. Unfortunately, the math simply doesn’t work.

Display points are the rendered elements on screen. Both the XS Max and the XR can display 414x896 display points. The XS Max uses 3X rendering for a resolution of 1242x2688. The XR uses 2X rendering for a resolution of 828x1792. Both have a screen ratio of 9:19.5.

The XS displays 375x812 display points at 3X rendering, for a resolution 1125x2436. You’ll note this is also a screen ratio of 9:19.5.

Therefore the math works for both the XS Max and XR to zoom, to exactly contain the display point data of the smaller XS, as all have a 9:19.5 aspect ratio.

There is no matching smaller iPhone that corresponds to this exact aspect ratio, so there is no Zoomed Display mode for the XS.

The iPhone 6 Plus, 6, and 5 are all 16:9. The iPhone 4 is 3:2.

What this means is the 6 Plus can zoom to exactly show the data of the smaller 6, and the 6 can zoom to exactly show the data of the smaller 5. However, the 5 cannot have Zoomed Display since there is no smaller resolution with the same aspect ratio.

 

[onepoint]

Can confirm. There’s currently no display zoom on iOS 13 Public Beta with the iPhone X.

 

[apolloa]

There is no way to make Zoomed Display on the X/XS work without either creating a new iPhone display resolution or else using black bars. It would be appear that neither is an acceptable solution for Apple. Unfortunately, the math simply doesn’t work.

Display points are the rendered elements on screen. Both the XS Max and the XR can display 414x896 display points. The XS Max uses 3X rendering for a resolution of 1242x2688. The XR uses 2X rendering for a resolution of 828x1792. Both have a screen ratio of 9:19.5.

The XS displays 375x812 display points at 3X rendering, for a resolution 1125x2436. You’ll note this is also a screen ratio of 9:19.5.

Therefore the math works for both the XS Max and XR to zoom, to exactly contain the display point data of the smaller XS, as all have a 9:19.5 aspect ratio.

There is no matching smaller iPhone that corresponds to this exact aspect ratio, so there is no Zoomed Display mode for the XS.

View attachment 850263

The iPhone 6 Plus, 6, and 5 are all 16:9. The iPhone 4 is 3:2.

What this means is the 6 Plus can zoom to exactly show the data of the smaller 6, and the 6 can zoom to exactly show the data of the smaller 5. However, the 5 cannot have Zoomed Display since there is no smaller resolution with the same aspect ratio.

Thank you for your explanation, so they could of made the resolution double that if the 6 and be sorted? If they wanted the zoomed screen mode on it.

 

[EugW]

Thank you for your explanation, so they could of made the resolution double that if the 6 and be sorted? If they wanted the zoomed screen mode on it.

No. The iPhone 6 and XS have the exact same 375 display point width already. The only way to make them match is simply cut the top and bottom off the XS screen, and you get no zoom at all so that’s pointless.

They could theoretically zoom to the iPhone 5 rez, and you would get a decent amount of zoom, but you’d again have the top and bottom cut off, as black bars.