iLoungeiLounge
  • News
    • Apple
      • AirPods Pro
      • AirPlay
      • Apps
        • Apple Music
      • iCloud
      • iTunes
      • HealthKit
      • HomeKit
      • HomePod
      • iOS 13
      • Apple Pay
      • Apple TV
      • Siri
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
      • CES
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Font ResizerAa
iLoungeiLounge
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • News
    • Apple
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Follow US

How-to › Ask iLounge

ArticlesAsk iLoungeiPhoneiTunes

Photo resolution on the iPhone

Last updated: May 16, 2021 5:21 pm UTC
By Jesse Hollington
Photo resolution on the iPhone

Q: I was hoping you could help me with a query I had about the photos application on the iPhone. I’ll be buying one in about a week, but I’d heard that iTunes resizes all photos to fit the iPhone screen. At first I was hugely disappointed in what seemed like a ridiculous idea by Apple, particularly since there wasn’t a ‘Don’t optimise images’ checkbox in iTunes. However reading your story about photos on iPods and iPhones I learned that iTunes actually transfers 3 versions including 1 sized specifically for TV output.

Advertisements

Is this larger version also used on the iPhone screen as well? Thinking about it, having a 320×480 photo only on the iPhone would make zooming in a bit pointless seeing as no extra pixel information is there. So basically, I’d like to ask… does this TV version get used on the iPhone when zooming in?

Photo resolution on the iPhone

– Patrick

A: In the case of the iPhone and iPod touch, there is only a single image in a 640×480 resolution that is used for both TV Output and on-screen display. The other image sizes are for thumbnail display purposes and sending photos via the e-mail application on the iPhone. Although the native screen resolution of these devices is 320×480, as you have surmised the “zoom” feature necessitates the larger-sized image.

Photo resolution on the iPhone

In fact, the iPhone did not offer any TV output options until the v1.1.1 firmware was released in late September. Therefore, originally the 640×480 image was stored and used only for on-screen display. When TV output capabilities were introduced, the existing 640×480 image was simply used for this purpose as well.

More information can be found in our article, The Complete Guide to Displaying Photos on the iPod and iPhone.

Advertisements

Latest News
The Apple Watch Series 10 is $100 Off
The Apple Watch Series 10 is $100 Off
1 Min Read
AirPods Pro 3 May Debut in 2026
AirPods Pro 3 May Debut in 2026
1 Min Read
Oakley Smart Glasses Announced
Oakley Smart Glasses Announced
1 Min Read
The Apple Watch Series 10 is $100 Off
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Might Arrive Soon
1 Min Read
AirPods Pro 3 May Debut in 2026
The AirPods Pro 2 is $80 Off
1 Min Read
tvOS 26 Apple Music Sing Adds iPhone Karaoke Feature
tvOS 26 Apple Music Sing Adds iPhone Karaoke Feature
1 Min Read
Photos Tabs to Make a Comeback in iOS 26
Photos Tabs to Make a Comeback in iOS 26
1 Min Read
tvOS 26 Users to Have Automatic Sign-In for Apps
tvOS 26 Users to Have Automatic Sign-In for Apps
1 Min Read
The Beats Pill is $50 Off
The Beats Pill is $50 Off
1 Min Read
iOS 26 Users Will Have Storage Reserve Option for Software Updates
App Store Developers May Soon Offer Redemption Codes on iOS
1 Min Read
Apple Silicon Support Added to Steam Client Beta
Apple Silicon Support Added to Steam Client Beta
1 Min Read
M2 Mac Mini Gets Repair Program
M2 Mac Mini Gets Repair Program
1 Min Read

iLounge logo

iLounge is an independent resource for all things iPod, iPhone, iPad, and beyond. iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

This website is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
iLounge © 2001 - 2025. All Rights Reserved.
  • Contact Us
  • Submit News
  • About Us
  • Forums
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?