WP7S To Support HVGA Screens

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/first-microsoft-windows-phone-7-series-devices-to-boast-480-x-80/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/...boast-480-x-80/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Now, thanks to a post from Microsoft's Shawn Hargreaves, we know the display resolution for the first batch of Microsoft's next generation phones: 480 x 800 (WVGA) pixels at launch, with a future update that will introduce a 320 x 480 (HVGA) native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU."</em></p><p>So much for strictly controlling the hardware. Isn't this how we started down the slippery slope towards the developer nightmare of having to&nbsp;write for&nbsp;multiple screen resolutions? Image scaling sounds nice, until you realize that you're looking at two different aspect ratios (5/3 versus 3/2). Hopefully it'll stop here.</p>

[Lofty]

My guess is the 480x320 resolution is for Blackberry like devices. The width will be the same as the other device and the user will just have to scroll more through menus and web pages.

Also for gaming its not a big deal, the phones will have hardware rescaling built into it. So the game will work fine no matter what res the game renders in, be it 400x240, 640x360 or 800x480.

I like the idea of choice. Microsoft is trying to find a good balance between the single device iPhone ecosystem and the completely open Android. I'm looking forward to it the more I read about it.