I’m in front of a dilemma about how should I design my iPhone/iPad apps with the retina display. For example the new iPad 3 has a retina display with a resolution that is actually 1536x2048px. So I started creating the interface based on that resolution. I wonder if I’m doing it right, or should I just design in higher density of dots per inch?
Ok, I think I found my answer, so I’ll just post it so that other can see it:
I was doing it right. What’s important is the resolution of 1536x2048px, while DPI is irrelevant.
That is correct - don’t think in terms of dpi (that’s for print), but pixel width.
For the iPhone screen width, which is 640px, use that as a reference for iPhone and iPod touch devices. It’ll scale down for the earlier generation, and be just right for the later generation. If they turn the device, the graphics will still be acceptable.
It’s so important to design your graphics with the highest size you can, such as 2000px. Then you can use them for iPad and other tablet devices later down the road.