Running Retina-Resolution iPhone Apps on iPad
By Charles Starrett
Contributing Editor
Published: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tips Categories: Apps + Games, iPad
Got a third-generation iPad? Well, the handful of apps that have been updated for the device’s gargantuan 2048 x 1536 display aren’t the only apps that can get in on the Retina iPad fun. If you have any Retina-ready iPhone and iPod touch apps installed, the new iPad allows those to appear in all their glory — something that’s supported on no other iPad thus far. It’s even noticeable when running the apps in 2x mode, making those few small-screen apps you can’t live without that much more enjoyable.
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1
This has been something that should have been in place from day one of the first iPad. Once again, Apple follows their long tradition of using a trivial software feature as a selling point for hardware. Irrationally, Apple crippled iPhone/touch aimed apps on the iPad 1 & 2 where it was *more* work to cripple them since the retina assets could have been displayed as-is, and only now frees them when it’s equal extra work due to the retina iPad screen.
The only thing I can figure is with new heads in charge somebody pointed out the naked Emperor: intentionally stretching and upscaling a 480x320 image onto a 9.7” screen that costs several hundred dollars looks pretty cheap when everybody knows there’s 960x640 assets, and looks even cheaper on the latest iPad and, this is the shocking part, somebody listened.
Posted by Code Monkey in Midstate New York on March 20, 2012 at 6:16 AM (PST)
2
If I understand this correctly, the new iPad allows iPhone-only apps to display at 960x640?
Way to go Apple, you’re only about 12 months behind the jailbreak community. This feature has been available as a tweak called RetinaPad for a while now.
Posted by Paul on March 20, 2012 at 12:16 PM (PST)
3
Sigh. Ah, well. I still love my iPad 2, even if it didn’t get the retina-iphone-apps-running-awesomely treatment. But then, that’s what my iPhone 4S is for…
Posted by Daniel S. on March 20, 2012 at 2:18 PM (PST)