iPad 3 Retina Displays in Production, Says Analyst
Apple has begun to produce new a retina display for its upcoming iPad 3 tablet, according to DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim.
Shim told CNet that the company’s production on QXGA 10-inch 2048x1536 retina display “has started.”
There are currently three suppliers working on manufacturing the part for Apple.
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Production will go to the manufacturers known as ODMs within a couple of weeks, and following that, they will put them in housing.
After housing, they go off to shipment and finished iPad 3s could appear as early as December, according to CNet.
There could be some issues when manufacturing a high-resolution display; however, Apple should be able to meet targets, because its ODMs, such as Samsung, LG and Sharp, have proven to be reliable in the past.
Shim pointed out that retina display would most likely be based on LCD technology with in-plane switching and not AMOLED.
The QXGA display’s aspect ratio on the iPad will allow for scaling up applications the same as it does on other Apple devices, such as the iPhone and iPod, with minimal intervention.
An earlier DigiTimes report stated that Apple was exploring a dual LED-bar system for powering the iPad 3’s high-resolution display.
The Korea Times also recently mentioned the company was working on a 7.85-inch iPad.
Shin commented on the smaller version citing there’s “no reason why" Apple would not build a smaller iPad if it could see the demand for one.
With the popularity of Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire Tablet, there is a good chance Apple will attempt to create a smaller, cheaper iPad to compete with them.
Apple has confirmed no official information at this time regarding the next generation iPad.
