In yet another projection, DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET today that the second version of the amazing iPad Mini will indeed have a retina display, and that LG will be the main supplier of the pixel-packed screen, instead of Samsung.
“Samsung is currently not in the iPad Mini and they won’t be in the next generation. LGD is becoming a much bigger supplier than before,” said Shim, continuing that other manufacturers are slated to make the new screens, but they won’t have as prominent role.
While the production timeline Shim is predicting flies directly in the face of earlier predictions, Shim could be accurate, as a summer 2013 production run would make better sense for getting supplies ready for a holiday demand.
Shim told CNET that the almost 8-inch iPad Mini Retina will have a resolution of 2048 X 1536, giving it about the same pixel per inch display of the iPhone 5, one of the highest pixel densities for any tablet out so far. When tablets like the iPad do start to head into the above 300 pixels per inch realm, though, will anyone even notice?
“We’re going to start to see a bunch of tablets with a pixel density over 300. At a certain point it will be hard to discern that improved image quality,” Shim said, making us wonder if he has specialized knowledge of the human eye.
Whether that future will exist as Shim thinks, or folks will notice much higher resolution than the magic 300 PPI number is a moot point, however, as we all will definitely notice a Retina display in the current iPad mini form factor. The iPad mini is a fantastic device, even now. With the number of pixels similar to an iPad 2 stuffed down into its diminutive case, it looks sharper than the iPad 2 itself.
While all the analysts have their opinion, I’m kind of hoping Shim is correct, with a new iPad mini coming down the pike sooner than expected. What do you think?
Source: CNET
