Yeah, this is one of the least surprising rumors you’ll hear all day. But it’s sure to delight those who are holding out for an iPad mini with a Retina display. According to industry sources in Taiwan, Apple will indeed be “enhancing” the display resolution of its second-generation iPad mini, introducing a 2058×1536 panel with 326 pixels-per-inch.
We’re not so sure those specifications are quite accurate; that’s the same resolution employed by the third- and fourth-generation iPads. And the rumor does come DigiTimes, which is notoriously bad with Apple rumors. But a Retina display does seem like a logical step forward for the iPad mini the second time around. What’s more, the lack of a high-resolution display is seen as one of the tablet’s few downsides right now.
But that Retina display could come at a cost. It is believed that Apple chose to leave out the Retina display for the first iPad mini in an effort to make it as thin as possible. You see, a Retina display would eat more of your battery power, and therefore the device would require a larger battery — making it thicker.
There could be a way around that, however.
Sources also claim that Apple will restructure the display lighting of the fifth-generation iPad to employ one LED light bar rather than two. The Cupertino company has been gearing up to use Sharp’s IGZO display technology for some time, according to reports, which could provide the same display quality and brightness levels we’re used to from our iPads while using less energy.
If Apple could do the same thing with the iPad mini, it may be able to introduce a Retina display without changing the battery.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see. It’s likely to device is a long way off yet, so I’m sure we’ll hear more during the weeks and months ahead.
Source: DigiTimes
