Resolution
Resolution refers to the number of pixels on display or in a camera sensor.
Higher resolution means more pixels, which provides the ability to capture or display more visual information (more detail and clarity.)
See: Pixel
For example, a display with 720 x 1280 pixels is much higher resolution than a display with 480 x 800 pixels.
Similarly, a camera with 12 megapixel (12 million pixel) resolution can capture more detail than a camera with 3 megapixel resolution.
See: Megapixel
Resolution does NOT determine physical size. For example, one 480 x 800 display might measure 3.0 inches diagonally, while another 480 x 800 display might measure 4.5 inches. Similarly, a 3 megapixel photo could be printed out at 4 x 6 inches just as easily as 8 x 10 inches.
However, in those examples, the display (or photo) with the larger physical size would not look as crisp as the physically smaller one. The crispness of a display or photo is more closely determined by a measurement called DPI or PPI.
See: PPI
Last updated Jul 14, 2012 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
