Apple will make its iPad 3 official in just a few hours’ time, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from turning this morning. Having had confirmation from one iOS hacker that the tablet will be the first iOS device to get 1GB of RAM, one report claims that it will also feature a new “E-Sense textured touchscreen” that allows you to feel your display like never before.
We’re now just hours away from Apple’s iPad 3 — or iPad HD — unveiling, which looks set to become the Cupertino company’s first iOS device to boast 1GB of RAM. Chronic, the iOS hacker behind the Chronic Dev Team, has confirmed that Apple’s third-generation tablet will get double the RAM of its predecessor.
Today’s pre-event rumors say that there may be a version of iPhoto announced for the iPad 3, and it certainly makes sense. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber and Panic’s Neven Mrgan both argue that iPhoto is an obvious candidate for an iPad with a beautiful Retina display, and Gabe Glick, writing at MacStories, makes the case for Aperture. I think at least some of them may be right.
Is it wishful thinking on our part or subtle brilliance on Apple’s part? We won’t know until March 7th.
As I’ve argued before, there’s a good chance the third-gen iPad will be called the “iPad HD.” The rumored tablet is expected to feature a pixel-packed Retina display as its flagship feature, and the “HD” suffix could help differentiate it as a newer, higher-quality device.
Two separate reports have been published today stating that Apple will indeed call Wednesday’s tablet the iPad HD.
The iPad 3 is going to have an amazingly sharp screen. Like the iPhone 4S, users won’t be able to see the individual pixels of the iPad 3’s retina display because all 3,145,728 pixels will be densely packed together at 264 pixels-per-inch.
Ok, that’s cool, but what does that actually mean? Well, it if you wanted to get the same amount of pixels into the iPad 2 using its current technology you’d have to use a 19inch screen. The iPad 3 packs more pixels total than a 42inch LCD TV.
Here’s a couple other visual comparisons:
We all can’t wait to get our hands on a Retina display-equipped iPad in the coming weeks, and many developers are starting to get their current iPad apps ready for the rumored 2048×1536 resolution.
One developer in particular decided to share and compare Retina display screenshots of his iPad game. The differences between the new and current resolution are pretty stunning.
It seems pretty likely that the invitation to Apple’s iPad 3 event includes a shot of the new model.
The display is particularly sharp and smooth – just like the anticipated retina display for the device.
The spacing of the icon’s on the iPad 3 pictured on the invite clearly indicate that it’s in portrait orientation rather than landscape. But there’s no sign of a home button, a design change that Apple has been allegedly been toying with for some time.
With the announcement of the iPad 3 lurking in the shadows, the web has been buzzing with rumors and leaked parts as everyone tries to solve the puzzle of what the next iPad 3 will look like, and what new hardware it might have. Some have claimed the iPad 3 will sport a new quad-core A6 processor, while others claim it will merely get an improved A5 dual-core chip. It appears the confusion over which processor will actually be included in the iPad 3 stems from the fact that Apple is working on BOTH processors at the same time.
If there’s one thing we know for sure about the iPad 3, it’s that the upcoming tablet will have a breathtakingly-awesome screen. After months of building speculation, it’s been repeatedly confirmed that the iPad 3 will follow in the iPhone’s footsteps with a super high-resolution ‘Retina’ display.
In conjunction with MacRumors, iFixit has gone hands-on with an alleged iPad 3 display to reveal the changes and improvements we can expect. Now if only they could get the thing turned on!
James Thomson, developer of esteemed iOS calculator PCalc, posted an interesting image on Twitter earlier today.
He mentioned that he was working on iPad Retina artwork – “just in case” – and the results were, well, big.
The image above has been resized to 640 pixels to fit inside Cult of Mac’s layout, so make sure you click here to see the original at full size.
Chances are James isn’t the only iOS developer trying out a little Retina-scale artwork at the moment. There’s still nothing official from Apple, but speculation about the likely resolution of the iPad 3 screen is hotting up since last week’s MacRumors story that claimed to confirm the device’s resolution at 2048×1536.
Yet another rear panel for Apple’s iPad 3 has surfaced, refueling rumors that claim the third-generation tablet will feature a new camera and a slightly modified design to accommodate its new components.
Following widespread speculation that Apple will introduce a super-hi res display in the next-gen iPad, MacRumors has been able to confirm that the iPad 3 will indeed have a ‘Retina’ display with a 2048×1536 resolution. The site got ahold of one of the displays that has been floating around for the last several weeks.
Apple has been introducing high-resolution artwork in preparation for Retina Display Macs since last July, when the company released OS X Lion. And it continues to do so, with artwork from its new Messages beta available at double its normal size.
Apple has reportedly ordered a whopping 65 million high-resolution 264 ppi Retina Displays from Samsung and LG Display for its upcoming iPad 3. The device is expected to make its debut early next month, and its production is now well underway, according to the report.
We’ve heard a lot about how the iPad 3 will finally get a 2048×1536 Retina Display, but it’s easy to forget exactly how many pixels that is. The scientific answer is “a gajillion.” Heck, when the Retina Display iPad 3 ships, it will actually pack more pixels than everything short of Apple’s 27-inch iMac!
Following yesterday’s leaked image of a high-resolution Sharp display purportedly making its way to the iPad 3, an Apple employee has reportedly confirmed the third-generation device will boast a “truly amazing” display and a faster processor.
According to Japanese blog Macotakara, this is the iPad 3’s new Retina Displayl: a Sharp XQGA panel running at a resolution of 2048×1536. Yup. Looks about right. We believe it.
Images of leaked iPad 3 components hot off the factory floor have been provided to Cult of Mac. They reveal that the internal components of Apple’s third-generation iPad are significantly different to those features in its first- and second-generation tablet. However, its design seems to remain almost the same.
Apple sent out an interesting message to third-party developers today. iOS devs are now required to submit Retina display screenshots for their iPhone and iPod touch apps to the App Store. All updates to existing apps must also meet the 960×640 resolution requirement.
Not only does this new policy signal the death of 480×320 resolution apps, but it also indicates that the iPhone 3GS may not be around much longer.
Some updated UI elements in the latest version of OS X Lion hint at the possibility of higher-resolution, Retina display-like Macs. If you’re the kind of person that notices the resolution of your mouse pointer, you will have observed that the hovering icon in OS X 10.7.3 has been upgraded to a HiDPI resolution.
What does that mean? You could be able to get your grimy hands on a Retina display Mac in the near future.
We’re all hankering for Apple to announce its iPad 3, but some lucky so and sos already have their hands on the third-generation device. One of whom has revealed photographs of its internal specifications, which confirm it will feature a quad-core processor and global LTE capabilities.
Aside from last year’s predictions for an all-new iPhone 5, case manufacturers have traditionally been a good source of information for forthcoming Apple devices. Take the iPad 2, for example. We had a good idea what the device would look like before it launched thanks to cases produced by several Chinese manufacturers.
It’s no surprise to us, then, that manufacturers are already building cases for the third-generation iPad, but what do they say about Apple’s next device? Well, it’ll be called the “iPad 2S,” rather than the “iPad 3,” according to this particular manufacturer. And it’ll look much the same as the iPad 2, only 1mm thicker.
The iPad 3 is widely anticipated to hit store shelves in March, about a year from the date that the iPad 2 first debuted. Apple’s next-gen tabled it expected to pack a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, an A6 SoC and (possibly) 4G LTE support. Now a new report suggests that we’re just a few short weeks away from getting our first look at the iPad 3.
Apple’s iPad 3 is expected to make its debut early this year, but it may not be the end of the much-loved iPad 2.
According to the company’s plans for display panel shipments, the iPad 2 is certainly not about to meet its demise. Instead, Apple may follow the same steps it has taken with the iPhone 4 and offer its second-generation iPad alongside the new model as a cheap $299 alternative — allowing it to compete with Amazon’s budget Kindle Fire tablet.
