The
iPad mini is quickly becoming a key component of Apple’s product lineup, and
according to some sources, might even be the best-selling tablet Apple makes at
this point. The smaller tablet hit shelves in early November last year, and
likely had a huge impact on Apple’s record tablet sales last quarter, which
topped 19.5 million devices. It’s impossible not to see a Retina update in the
mini’s future, and new reports (via MacRumors) claim we’ll see production begin for that
device this summer.
NPD
DisplaySearch analyst says we should see display panel production begin for a
Retina iPad mini beginning in June or July, which will be sourced primarily
from LG Display, and specifically not from Samsung, Apple’s sometime partner,
but not a display supplier for the current iPad mini. The iPad mini with Retina
Display should have a 2,048×1536 pixel, 7.9-inch screen, which makes for a PPI
of 324, or just about the same as that of the iPhone 5. That would make it
fully compatible with apps designed for the full-sized iPad’s Retina screen,
but give it an even higher pixel density at the same time thanks to the smaller
screen dimensions.
This
production start date would fit with an anticipated ship date of between July and September for a Retina iPadmini, thought we’d be much more likely to see such a device
arrive in the fall according to recent statements by Apple CEO Tim Cook. During
the most recent Apple investor call, he told people to look to fall and 2014
specifically for exciting new product launches from Apple, which seems to
indicate we might have to wait at least that long for something as exciting as an
iPad mini refresh.
A
Retina screen on the iPad mini would help Apple address the only real
shortcoming reviewers and critics have identified on the tablet thus far. When
the first reviews hit the web, mention of the lack of a Retina display was
almost universal, though few cited it as a dealbreaking oversight. Even so, the
addition of that capability will likely bring at least as much praise as its
absence brought raised eyebrows.
Early
rumored case leaks have shown that the next generation might be slightly thicker than the existing version, which would be
in keeping with what happened between the iPad 2 and the first Retina Display
iPad, which gained both girth and weight over its predecessor. I’m personally
hoping that this is an early prototype; the size and weight change between the
iPad 2 and 3rd gen device was very noticeable, and took away from the benefits
of having a better screen.
Apple isn’t
hurting in the tablet game, but some competitors are starting to show stronger
numbers than they have in the past, including Asus, which reported earnings
this week. Those included 3 million tablets sold for the quarter, a larger portion
of which are likely the Nexus 7 Android devices it makes for Google. NPD
DisplaySearch says that the Kindle Fire line of tablets will get 300 ppi or
higher displays in the next generation, too, so Apple bringing the
best-of-breed display in its next-gen device makes sense in terms of helping
keep its dominating lead. [Source]
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