Are you sure? I think iOS is resolution-independent, they just chose to do this since a 3x scale factor is more convenient.
EDIT: It also sounds like it was originally going to be the correct resolution, they just couldn't get the yields. If that's the case, perhaps they made it downscale at the last minute and used a 1080p panel?
> It also sounds like it was originally going to be the correct resolution, they just couldn't get the yields.
I strongly assume that the lower resolution was indeed Plan B, and that it's the result of another twist in the saga of Apple's relationships with the mobile component suppliers.
Why should 3x be any more convenient than 2.5x or 2.2x in a properly designed system? It's not any more difficult in Android (although images are prescaled in size buckets for efficiency and IQ reasons).
EDIT: It also sounds like it was originally going to be the correct resolution, they just couldn't get the yields. If that's the case, perhaps they made it downscale at the last minute and used a 1080p panel?