14 DAY TRIAL // A reputable source of Apple information has gone on record to claim that the next-generation iPad will have a Retina display with a 2048 × 1536 resolution.
Speaking about iPad magazines and the problems posed by their format, John Gruber, of Daring Fireball wrote (emphasis ours):
“These magazines and newspapers that render each ‘page’ as a static 1024 × 768 image are going to look like utter ass on the iPad 3’s 2048 × 1536 retina display. Plus, it’s the fact that these pages are rendered as static images that makes the issues such gargantuan downloads.”
One of the most knowledgeable pundits in Apple matters, Gruber seems to confirm rumors that Apple’s iPad 3 will be the first one to incorporate what is referred to as “Retina display.”
The iPhone 4 was the first to introduce this specification with its 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display that features a 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi (pixels per inch).
A 9.7-inch Retina display with a 2048 × 1536 resolution will translate into a slightly poorer pixel density (that is, less pixels per inch) but still able to achieve the Retina effect considering the user’s viewing distance.
Not surprisingly, the Korea Times recently reported that Apple had been working with Samsung and LG on a new LCD technology to produce screens with precisely the resolution cited by Gruber - 2048x1536.
Both the original iPad and the iPad 2 have screens with 1024 x 768 resolution.
A source close to the talks reportedly said: "Apple's upcoming iPad 3 will feature an improved display to support quad extended graphics (QXGA), a display resolution of 2048×1536 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio to provide full high definition (HD) viewing experience.”
This person added that "Apple has traditionally preferred to use the same providers of the same parts for the same device, even as they evolve to different versions.”