2048x1536 resolution
2048 × 1536
Tablet 4:3 · 4:3 · 3,145,728 pixels · 3.15 megapixels · Tablet
What 2048x1536 is
Twice 1024×768 in each direction, which is why an interface drawn for the older tablet renders on it unchanged at 2× scaling. Tablets kept 4:3 while phones and laptops went wide, because a page of text and a photograph both fit it better than 16:9 does.
The numbers
| Width | 2,048 px |
| Height | 1,536 px |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Total pixels | 3,145,728 |
| Megapixels | 3.15 MP |
| Compared with 1080p | 1.52× the pixels |
| Compared with 4K UHD | 0.38× the pixels |
What 2048x1536 costs to move and to store
A frame is width × height × three bytes of colour, before any compression touches it. At 2048 × 1536 that is 9.44 MB per frame, and video is frames per second:
| Frame rate | Uncompressed | An hour of it |
|---|---|---|
| 24 fps | 226 MB/s | 0.82 TB |
| 30 fps | 283 MB/s | 1.02 TB |
| 60 fps | 566 MB/s | 2.04 TB |
| 120 fps | 1.13 GB/s | 4.08 TB |
Nobody ships that. It is the number codecs exist to get away from — a streamed 2048x1536 feed runs at a few tens of megabits, which is a compression ratio of several hundred to one, and it is why a still frame from a stream looks worse than a photograph of the same scene.
How close you have to sit for 2048x1536 to be worth it
The eye resolves about one arcminute of detail. Past a certain distance the pixels merge whatever the panel does, and a higher resolution stops being visible rather than stopping being better. That distance is the pixel pitch divided by the tangent of one arcminute:
| Screen | Pixels merge beyond |
|---|---|
| 13.3 in monitor or laptop | 0.45 m (1.5 ft) |
| 15.6 in monitor or laptop | 0.53 m (1.7 ft) |
| 24 in monitor or laptop | 0.82 m (2.7 ft) |
| 27 in monitor or laptop | 0.92 m (3 ft) |
| 32 in monitor or laptop | 1.09 m (3.6 ft) |
| 43 in television | 1.47 m (4.8 ft) |
| 55 in television | 1.88 m (6.2 ft) |
| 65 in television | 2.22 m (7.3 ft) |
| 75 in television | 2.56 m (8.4 ft) |
Sitting further back than the figure for your screen, 2048x1536 and the next resolution down look the same. That is the whole argument about 4K televisions in ordinary living rooms: the resolution is real and the seating position usually is not close enough to show it.
Pixel density at common screen sizes
A resolution on its own says nothing about sharpness — the same 2048x1536 panel is dense on a laptop and coarse on a television. Density is the diagonal in pixels divided by the diagonal in inches.
| Diagonal | Pixel density | |
|---|---|---|
| 13.3 in | 192 PPI | Sharp |
| 15.6 in | 164 PPI | Sharp |
| 24 in | 107 PPI | Comfortable at native size |
| 27 in | 95 PPI | Coarse — individual pixels are visible at desk distance |
| 32 in | 80 PPI | Coarse — individual pixels are visible at desk distance |
Other tablet resolutions
| Resolution | Name | Ratio | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2360×1640 | Tablet 10.9-inch | 59:41 | 3.87 MP |
| 2732×2048 | Tablet 12.9-inch | 4:3 | 5.60 MP |
Closest in total pixels
- 1170×2532 — Phone 19.5:9
- 2560×1080 — UW-FHD
- 1284×2778 — Phone large 19.5:9
- 2560×1440 — QHD (1440p)
- 1080×2400 — FHD+ phone
- 2360×1640 — Tablet 10.9-inch
- 1920×1200 — WUXGA
- 2048×1080 — DCI 2K
Frequently asked questions
What is the aspect ratio of 2048x1536?
4:3.
How many pixels is 2048x1536?
3,145,728 pixels, or 3.15 megapixels.
Is 2048x1536 higher resolution than 1080p?
2048x1536 has 1.52× as many pixels as a 1920×1080 frame.
What size screen suits 2048x1536?
Pixel density is what decides that. 192 PPI at 13.3 in, 164 PPI at 15.6 in, 107 PPI at 24 in, 95 PPI at 27 in, 80 PPI at 32 in. Below roughly 110 PPI text starts to look coarse; above about 200 the operating system will usually scale the interface rather than render it at native size.