Retina vs non-retina HD

[rmoliv]

My iMac's display is non-Retina HD (1080p). Only today at a store I noticed the huge difference between a Retina and a regular HD! I can't notice the individual pixels on a Retina display even at the closest distance my eyes can see before blurring whereas if I'm really close to my screen (like 8'') I can see the pixels. Now my iPhone's screen resolution is lower than my iMac's yet it is Retina hence I don't see the pixels on it as well. Is this because of its screen size, there are more pixels per inch? If only I could turn back time... I'd definitely spend a few more €€€ and buy one with a Retina display.

 

[SecuritySteve]

My iMac's display is non-Retina HD (1080p). Only today at a store I noticed the huge difference between a Retina and a regular HD! I can't notice the individual pixels on a Retina display even at the closest distance my eyes can see before blurring whereas if I'm really close to my screen (like 8'') I can see the pixels. Now my iPhone's screen resolution is lower than my iMac's yet it is Retina hence I don't see the pixels on it as well. Is this because of its screen size, there are more pixels per inch? If only I could turn back time... I'd definitely spend a few more €€€ and buy one with a Retina display.

The difference is in pixel density. There are more pixels per inch on a Retina display than on a non-Retina display. When considering things like resolution you have to also consider screen size. For example, a typical 1080p (HD) resolution is 1920x1080. If you spread this out over a large screen, you get bigger pixels. But if you have a 1920x1080 resolution on a small screen, like an iPhone, those individual pixels are much smaller.