Retina iPad Minis Experiencing Image Retention Display Issues

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retina-ipad-mini-image-retention

Do you remember how last week, the iPad mini with Retina Display was said to have been delayed to November because of LCD burn-in issues with Sharp’s IGZO display panels? It appears the rumor was true, because the iPad mini does have image retention issues.

Over on his blog, Instapaper creator Marco Arment writes:

Last week, a rumor came out that many Retina iPad Mini LCD panels manufactured by Sharp were suffering from image retention.

This problem was also present in many first-generation 15” Retina MacBook Pros, including mine, which I discovered by making a test page that first shows a large black-and-white checkerboard pattern for a few minutes…

If the LCD panel has an image retention issue, a faint impression of the checkerboard will still be visible on the solid gray image, usually fading over the next few minutes.

Well, I picked up my Retina iPad Mini tonight, and it failed…

As Arment points out, it’s possible that not all iPad minis suffer from these issues, since Apple uses multiple suppliers. It’s also possible this is only an issue that will affect early adopters, who may be able to trade-in their iPads later on. In casual use, it’s not the kind of issue you’re likely to notice, so if you do have an image retention issue on your iPad mini, don’t panic… just wait until supply improves, and try an exchange.

To figure out if your iPad mini is having burn-in issues, try leaving this page up on the browser for a few minutes.

Source: Marco.org

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