iPad 3 Retina Display Leaked in Photos by Chinese Site

A generally accurate source of hardware leaks, Apple.pro greets us with a shiny new iPad 3 display believed to be Retina-grade. The size of the panel is identical to that of the one found in the iPad 2.

There is some debate as to how dense the pixels really need to be in order for Apple to lawfully market a Retina-grade display for the iPad 3.

This Mac-centric blog saves everyone the trouble of doing the math by confirming that a 9.7-inch display with a 2048-by-1536 resolution at 264ppi (pixels per inch) held 15-to 18-inches away from your face is, indeed, Retina-quality.

Apple never said there was a requirement on the number of pixels per inch. Instead, the company mentioned the viewing distance at which the human eye is no longer able to discern individual pixels.

With that out of the way, the manufacturer of this alleged iPad 3 Retina panel is said to be Samsung - not LG Display, and certainly not Sharp, who has to pull its act together and improve yield rates for IGZO displays if it wants to get on the iPad 3 bandwagon.

Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies, is quoted as saying that “LG and Samsung have both claimed to have 2048×1536 LCD panels ready for the iPad 3.”

“Lots of rumors have Sharp as the principal supplier for the iPad 3. I think it’s pretty clear that will not be the case, at least initially. LG is the principal supplier for the iPad 1 and iPad 2. Samsung and CMI are also suppliers for the iPad 2. They will again be the suppliers for the iPad 3 – until (or if) Sharp begins producing iGZO panels in sufficient quantity for the iPad 3,” added Soneira.

Apple is expected to unveil its next iPad at an event scheduled in early March.

Posted in: Preview, Tablet