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Next iPad Mini to Have Retina Display – Duh

top-reads-ipad-mini-01[1]Digitimes is back again with a new rumor about the iPad Mini. According to their sources,  Apple’s next not-a-7-inch tablet is going to have a much higher resolution screen. They’re not speculating yet as to the resolution, though:

The sources have yet to specify whether the device will use Apple’s Retina Display technology to enhanced resolution, but market observers said it is highly likely based on the development of past Apple products such as the iPhone and 9.7-inch iPad series.

Given how heavily the iPad Mini has been ridiculed in the press for its current screen, unimpressive specs, and high price, this comes as no surprise. Also, it was more than little silly of Apple to launch 2 devices with Retina Displays and then follow them with the current iPad Mini. They set themselves up for ridicule.

It’s my guess that Apple will try to repeat past successes and double the resolution of the screen on the iPad Minito to 2056×1536. This would give the iPad Mini a DPI of 320 pixels per inch, and that is about the same as the Retina display on the iPhone.

I’m sure that some are thinking that that this is obvious, but until I compared the resolutions of the hypothetical iPad Mini screen to the one on the iPhone 5 I didn’t know for sure that Apple even could squeeze in that many pixels on the 7.9″ screen.

The math must come first. Sometimes that alone is enough to debunk a rumor.

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Comments


Paul December 14, 2012 um 11:34 am

I just think they couldn’t get the weight down with a retina display and needed to do something to retain market share. Saying that, everyone I know has one, likes it.

Nate Hoffelder December 14, 2012 um 11:38 am

That could be it, yes. Also thinness. The extra batteries would make it thicker and heavier.


Daniel December 14, 2012 um 11:45 am

Wow, so much anger against a product. But I think you got some things wrong. First the iPad mini has indeed been ridiculed. BUT it has been done so by the never-satisfied tech press and apple haters, and even then, after all the hate, every relevant tech site on the web still gave the iPad mini rave reviews and people (the most important reviewers of all) are buying it like hotcakes because, guess what? It is an excellent device with an unparalleled ecosystem. But you seem to have forgotten to mention all these of course.

Second: "Given how heavily the iPad Mini has been ridiculed in the press for its current screen, unimpressive specs, and high price, this comes as no surprise."

Really??? Do you really think Apple is working on a Retina iPad mini BECAUSE some people in the tech press are mad about its display? Of course not, I can bet you Apple he has been working on it since long ago, simply because they are always improving their product lines. What we have now is just some sort of confirmation via a few rumors, which you just used to have an excuse to complain and get some clicks.

cookie December 14, 2012 um 11:52 am

It is not possible for it to be an excellent device with that screen resolution. Henceforth, it shall be considered a mediocre device.

Nate Hoffelder December 14, 2012 um 11:57 am

I had one. An excellent device it is not, and that goes double when you consider the price.

And yes, I think Apple was stung by the heckling. Even Apple blogs were complaining about the iPad Mini.

fjtorres December 14, 2012 um 12:07 pm

Apple did not build and rep (and ability to get 40% margins) by shipping trailing edge technology.
So a consensus of "yes the screen is dated tech but the appstore makes up for it" is not something Apple can allow to endure. Even *their* brand loyalty has limits and they know it.
The Mini they shipped is the Mini they could build but it is not a product they are going to keep around for long.
The form factor will remain but the screen will be gone by next fall.
Of course, to get there they need IGZO and if Sharp fails…


Isles December 14, 2012 um 3:06 pm

There is "so much hatred" against this product because it truly sucks. The iPad Mini is an overpriced, smaller version of the iPad 2 with a deplorable screen resolution (when compared to other new tablets on the market today); there is no upside to that.

I was just looking at the Mini again on Monday, and I just can’t get over how horrible the display looks when compared to my iPhone 4S and Nexus 10. Text looks blurry and faded, and colors look dim. As I have stated before on this blog, it was Apple—not a cabal of tech pundits and bloggers—who raised expectations with regards to standard resolution for a display. Apple set the bar, and the rest of the market rushed to catch up. Accordingly, Amazon, B&N, and Google have responded with beautiful high-resolution screen upgrades. The Nook HD+, the Kindle Fire HD, and best of all, the Nexus 10, just crush the iPad Mini when it comes to displaying text. I would never want to return to a lesser option.

It seems that Apple fans are in denial when they attempt to excuse the poor quality of the latest gadget they are supposed to buy. It is inconceivable, to them, that Apple would knowingly put out a sub-par device with a bloated price tag. All I would say is that you can’t expect perfection (let alone superiority) from every generation of a device or new release. Technology history has proven that a dud OS or hardware design pops up now and then, even from the top developers. They made a mistake with the Mini, perhaps rushing to get a smaller tablet option on the market, but as initial reports say, they will make up for it in the future.

Face it, the iPad Mini sucks. Don’t feel bad though, you already have a great product, the iPad 4. Just wait around until the 'real' iPad Mini gets released, one that has a better display than the first generation Kindle Fire . . .

Chuckj December 17, 2012 um 5:22 am

Apple completely disrespects their customers. They arbitrarily add and remove desirable features on their products so they can proclaim so-called new features at each new product announcement.

Apple withheld a retina display on the first iPad Mini because they expected that people would buy it anyway. Now they can add a retina display to the iPad Mini 2 and all the people who bought the iPad Mini 1 will buy their second iPad Mini.

Apple treats their customers like fools, and unfortunately for everyone, they seem to be justified in doing do. Apple no longer has to innovate, and other truly innovative products struggle for market share, because people do not demand more from Apple.


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