Apple’s next iPhone is reportedly to have a bigger 4-inch screen with a 16-by-9 ratio, but the upcoming iPad may become smaller in screen size. The new Auto Layout feature stated in the SDK of iOS 6 can make developers easier in adjusting the screen change in their apps to keep the image suited.
iPhone 5 is widely anticipated to have a larger screen as now many Android smartphones have already equipped 4-inch displays. While all the released iPhone versions were 3.5-inch with a 3-by-2 ratio. The size change will affect the image displayed in the screen, which means all the existing apps will need to be adjusted to fit the bigger and elongated screen of iPhone 5.
Some pointed out that the screen size change can make developers concerned about the apps and therefore affect the streamline of the iPhone 5.
Actually Apple gave answers to solve this issue in its software development kit of iOS 6. Not noted by many, perhaps because the public pays too much attention on the high-profile features such as Apple’s Maps, Siri enhancements, and Facebook integration.
Auto Layout lets developers set up parameters for how UI elements appear on a screen. With the screen resolution changed from iPhone 4S to iPhone 5, developers can just set corresponding parameters which can move the UI elements to the right place, therefore provide a consistent UI experience across all devices.
According to a poll conducted by Piper Jaffray’s Analyst Gene Munster, developers do not consider adjusting the screen size for their apps as a big issue. On average, 100 developers attending Apple’s WWDC chose 3.4 of 10 as the difficulty index of solving the problem with one be the least difficult.