While a higher screen resolution doesn't necessarily mean better quality, smartphone makers keep adding pixels to their flagship models, for which QHD (1440 x 2560) is now basically standard. Here are the latest stats showing which smartphone screen resolutions are the most popular in 2016 based on real web traffic.
Smartphone screen resolutions used in 2016
The world of smartphones in 2016 is highly fragmented in terms of both screen sizes and screen resolutions used by the most popular phone makers. The screen resolutions vary from as little as 240x320, up to a massive 2160x3840 (4K) used in the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.
Interestingly, the DeviceAtlas mobile web statistics show that even the smallest screen resolutions still get some share of web traffic in local markets. This is caused by several factors, including differences between regions, user habits, and a longer lifespan for some devices.
Here is the list of smartphone screen resolutions that generated a substantial amount of web traffic in 2016 including some example devices to give you an idea of what types of phones use them.
| Screen resolution | Example devices |
|---|---|
| 240 x 320 | Nokia 230, Nokia 215, Samsung Xcover 550, LG G350 |
| 320 x 480 | Alcatel pixi 3, LG Wine Smart |
| 480 x 800 | Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016), Samsung Z1, Samsung Z2, Lumia 435, Alcatel Pixi 4, LG Joy, ZTE Blade G |
| 480 x 854 | Huawei Y635, Nokia Lumia 635, Sony Xperia E3 |
| 540 x 960 | Samsung Galaxy J2, Moto E 2nd Gen, Sony Xperia E4, HTC Desire 526 |
| 640 x 960 | iPhone 4, iPhone 4S |
| 640 x 1136 | iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone SE |
| 720 x 1280 | Samsung Galaxy J5, Samsung Galaxy J3, Moto G4 Play, Xiaomi Redmi 3, Moto G 3rd Gen, Sony Xperia M4 Aqua |
| 750 x 1334 | iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7 |
| 1080 x 1920 | iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, Huawei P9, Sony Xperia Z5, Samsung Galaxy A5, Samsung Galaxy A7, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy A9, HTC One M9, Sony Xperia M5 |
| 1440 x 2560 | Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Samsung Galaxy S6, Huawei Nexus 6P, LG G5 |
| 2160 x 3840 | Sony Xperia Z5 Premium |
Screen resolutions in flagship models
The trend of adding more pixels to the latest releases hasn’t stopped in 2016 although it seems that it’s slowing down. A year ago it seemed that we may see many 4K phones hitting the shelves in 2016 but in fact it didn't happen. It means that Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is still the only mainstream 4K phone. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 is rumoured to come with a 4K screen for VR purposes although we need to wait at least until February 2017 to find out.
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In our 2015 report on screen resolutions we noticed that QHD (1440 x 2560) was gaining ground but it wasn't really a standard yet. We can say that in 2017 QHD is more of a standard given that it was used in many flagship devices.
However, while some phone makers jumped on the QHD bandwagon, such as Motorola and HTC, others stuck with the Full HD (1080x1920). For mid-range phones either Full HD or HD (720x1280) are acceptable.
The following table shows the most popular new phones released in 2016 (or soon to be released) including their diagonal screen sizes and screen resolutions.
| Smartphone | Screen size | Screen resolution |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 7 | 4.7-in | 750 x 1334 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 | 5.1-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| Sony Xperia X | 5.0-in | 1080 x 1920 |
| HTC 10 | 5.2-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe | 5.7-in | 1080 x 1920 |
| Huawei Nexus 6P | 5.7-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| Huawei P9 | 5.2-in | 1080 x 1920 |
| Motorola Moto Z | 5.5-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| LG G5 | 5.3-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| LG V20 | 5.7-in | 1440 x 2560 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5 | 5.15-in | 1080 x 1920 |
| OnePlus 3 | 5.5-in | 1080 x 1920 |
Screen resolutions used for web browsing in 2016
Sales statistics don't always relate directly to the amount of web traffic share generated by particular phone models. Actual usage is what matters when it comes to optimising websites to make sure that they look and work great on all mobile phones.
The following statistics are based on web traffic to a global network of partner websites using the DeviceAtlas device detection solution. Feel free to check out which smartphone screen resolutions are the most popular across selected local markets in 2016.
Most used smartphone screen resolutions 2016 part 1
Most used smartphone screen resolutions 2016 part 2
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All statistics represent the share of web traffic in selected countries based on mobile visits tracked by DeviceAtlas.