Just a day after debuting a new Game Center commercial for the iPhone 4, Apple has rolled out its fifth ad in the "If You Don't Have an iPhone" series since its debut last week. The new ad, entitled "Retina", focuses on the high-resolution Retina display found in the iPhone 4.

If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have the Retina display, the highest resolution screen on any phone. So movies aren't this dramatic, maps aren't this clear, emails aren't this detailed, and memories aren't this memorable. Yup, if you don't have an iPhone, well, you don't have an iPhone.

The new ad is not the first to highlight the iPhone 4's Retina display, as Apple released a somewhat similar commercial last October.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

toddybody Avatar
194 months ago
If you don't have an iPad 3, you don't have the Retina display, the highest resolution screen on any tablet. So movies aren't this dramatic, maps aren't this clear, emails aren't this detailed, and memories aren't this memorable. Yup, if you don't have an iPad 3, well, you don't have an iPad 3.

Damn you APPLE!!!!!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
194 months ago
I wonder why no one else has come up with a smartphone screen to match the Retina Display's resolution? ...or has it been done and I'm just not aware of it?

No one else has had the bizarre need to exactly double an old resolution to get around the lack of app resolution independence, such as Apple did.

However, the Sharp IS03 Android phone does also have a 960x640 screen (see comparison here (http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/07/sharp-is03-asv-display-vs-iphone-4-ips-display-fight/)).

As for denser, LG designs and makes the iPhone4 screen. Their first high res IPS phone display was in a 2008 LG TV phone called the LU1400. It had 333PPI, more than the later iPhone's 326PPI. This likely helped LG get Apple's business.

As for "retina" (aka "print" ~300PPI at a foot away) quality... back in 2007,
both the Toshiba Portege G900 and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 had 311PPI. They were advertised as the first "print quality" phone displays. Which is probably why Apple felt they had to come up with another catch phrase.

The HTC Diamond2, from early 2009, was 298PPI, which is almost 300PPI.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
elppa Avatar
194 months ago
This. The voiceover guy sounds like a smug little douchebag. Apple has got to stop that. The Mac vs. PC ads were bad enough, and overstayed their welcome by many years, and now we have these. Someone at TBWA/Chiat/Day needs to wake up and realize that tone matters.

But the PC Mac ads were a huge success and spawned a number of copycats (//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KmfXupi9cg&feature=relmfu).
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siurpeeman Avatar
194 months ago
the commercial is kind of meh. while i agree the retina display is amazing and deserving of all its hype, it isn't something that can be demonstrated on someone's television or computer screen. it really is one of those things that has to be seen in person to be wowed.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...