Display with Multiple Operating Modes

An electronic device, comprising:

• a display panel comprising an array of display pixels;
• a liquid crystal cell configured to selectively rotate a polarization of light from the array of display pixels;
• a geometric phase grating that is interposed between the display panel and the liquid crystal cell;
• a quarter wave plate that is interposed between the geometric phase grating and the liquid crystal cell;
• and
• a linear polarizer, wherein the liquid crystal cell is interposed between the quarter wave plate and the linear polarizer.

A method of operating a display comprising physical pixels, wherein each physical pixel has first and second corresponding virtual pixels with different footprints and wherein the method comprises:

• operating the display in a first mode, wherein, in the first mode:
• the display has a first effective resolution;
• the display has a first effective refresh rate;
• and
• the first and second virtual pixels have the same luminance magnitudes for each physical pixel in the array of physical pixels;
• and
• operating the display in a second mode, wherein, in the second mode:
• the display has a second effective resolution that is double the first effective resolution;
• the display has a second effective refresh rate that is half the first effective refresh rate;
• and
• the first and second virtual pixels have different luminance magnitudes for at least some of the physical pixels.