Retina Display

Apple expected to increase holiday-quarter iPad screen purchases from Samsung

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

Samsung of South Korea may have gotten itself into hot water with Apple over patents and design issues, but its semiconductor unit continues to churn out unabated the Apple-designed engine which powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod devices. As for Retina screens, Apple originally sourced mobile displays from non-Samsung suppliers such as Sharp and LG Display.

Last we heard, recent yield and quality issues have reportedly prompted the iPhone maker to turn to its frenemy for help. Korea’s ETNews last Friday claimed Apple has asked Samsung for help as Sharp struggles to solve burn-in issues with IGZO panels for the iPad Air.

At the heart of the production issues is Japanese giant's malfunctioning of the thin-film transistor display technology. Corroborating the report, a display research firm on Monday said Apple's purchase of Samsung-made panels for the iPad is about to skyrocket in the fourth quarter...

iPad mini with Retina display vs iPad mini tech specs

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple quickly unveiled the new iPad mini with Retina display today. The event felt like a non event as the company didn't spend much time talking about the new device.

Prior to the announcement, I was worried that the mini, my iPad of choice, was going to get a weight and size increase, just like the iPad 3 got when it was updated with a Retina display. Turns out that my concern got confirmed as the Retina mini is indeed a tad bit bigger than its predecessor. Nothing dramatic, as you can see in the iPad mini with Retina display tech specs compared to the original iPad mini...

iPhone 6 may adopt IGZO screens as Sharp finally commercializes tech

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 21, 2013

Apple has long wanted to make a switch from the traditional LCD IPS display technology utilized on iOS devices to Sharp's cutting-edge IGZO technology.

Unfortunately, Apple's been unable to offer an IGZO iPhone because the struggling Japanese giant had been facing tremendous technical hurdles preventing mass production of these sophisticated panels.

According to the latest supply chain chatter, Sharp has now successfully commercialized production of IGZO panels for smartphones and will begin manufacturing them at its Kameyama Plant Number 2 before the end of 2013...

Another report claims Retina iPad mini inventory will be limited at launch

Cody Lee ∙ October 18, 2013

With Apple's tablet event just a few days away, speculation continues to mount on what we may see unveiled on stage. A redesigned iPad 5 seems like a given, but there are still some unknowns regarding the new iPad mini.

The biggest question on everyone's mind is if the 7.9-inch slate will get the Retina treatment this time around. According to Peter Misek, the answer is yes. The analyst fully expects Apple to introduce a hi-res mini next week...

iPad rumors: redesigned Smart Covers, Retina iPad mini could bulk up slightly

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 14, 2013

In today's roundup of the somewhat obvious Apple rumors, a new report has suggested that the upcoming iPad mini 2 will be a tad thicker than its predecessor, presumably in order to accommodate a bigger battery needed to drive Apple's power-hungry Retina display. This is newsworthy as none of the leaks to date has pointed to added bulk.

The thicker iPad mini meme isn't unexpected: watchful readers will remember that Apple's third-generation iPad with Retina display turned out to be slightly thicker than the previous iPads, due to the larger battery inside...

Why Retina display is more than twice as responsive as the competition

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2013

Say what you will, but Apple owns the most responsive mobile OS and has the smoothest multitouch implementation by leaps and bounds.

Unsurprisingly, the Retina display hardware is a major part of that accomplishment - and I'm not talking about pixel density or image quality.

No, the key contributing factor to the iPhone's multitouch immediacy is the short response time of the device’s touch panel on the hardware level. In fact, Apple's capacitive touchscreen implementation runs circles around competition, a recent barrage of tests have proven.

The iPhone 5's four-inch Retina screen is significantly faster than any of its rivals - up to twice as fast as its nearest competitor. Jump past the fold for detailed findings...

New report claims Retina iPad mini may not ship alongside iPad 5

Cody Lee ∙ September 27, 2013

Apple may not be planning to release an iPad mini with Retina display alongside its next-gen iPad 5 next month, according to a new report, which claims that there's little supply chain evidence suggesting otherwise.

The news comes from market research firm IHS iSuppi, who is reporting that while the iPad 5 looks to be on track for its expected October launch, manufacturing volumes for the Retina mini point toward a 2014 debut...

IHS iSuppli: production of iPad mini Retina display on track for fall launch

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2013

While it seems all but certain that Apple is going to launch a redesigned fifth gen iPad this fall, the fate of the iPad mini isn't quite so clear. Reports thus far have been split between the tablet having and not having a Retina display.

Well this morning we're adding another one to the 'having' pile. Well-known market research firm IHS iSuppli reports that the new mini will indeed have a high resolution screen, and that production volumes are on par with 2012...

Apple ordering Retina displays for new iPad mini, contemplating colored backs: WSJ

Cody Lee ∙ August 1, 2013

And the back and forth continues. Hot on the heels of a report this afternoon that iOS 7 contains references to an A6 iPad mini with a non-Retina display, comes a story from The Wall Street Journal that Apple has begun ordering hi-res screens from Samsung for the tablet.

Today's clash is just the latest in a long line of conflicting reports regarding Apple's next-gen 8-inch slate, which is set to debut this fall. Previous speculation has suggested that a Retina iPad mini would be nearly technically impossible, but tonight's story says the contrary...

Apple testing non-Retina iPad mini with A6 chip, iOS 7 SDK references suggest

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 31, 2013

Despite Google's recently refreshed Nexus 7 now boasting a Retina-class 1,920-by-1,200 pixel resolution screen (check out Jeff's awesome Nexus 7 vs. iPad mini video showdown), Apple's seven-inch iPad mini by contrast remains stuck with the rather pedestrian 1,024-by-768 pixel screen.

And now, seemingly corroborating a flurry of rumors pointing to a Retina iPad mini upgrade in 2014, references a developer discovered in the iOS 7 SDK suggest Apple has been testing a new iPad mini with a faster A6 chip, but without a Retina display...

As Apple misses a beat, Amazon is Retina-fying Kindle lineup

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Google event which saw, among other goodies, introduction of the second-generation Nexus 7 tablet with an improved 1,920-by-1,200 screen, the Kindle maker Amazon is now said to be refreshing its Fire tablet family around higher-resolution displays, too.

And as Apple and its Asian suppliers scramble to solve manufacturing challenges that continue to plague a second-generation iPad mini, Amazon's top-of-the-line Kindle reportedly features a significantly overhauled display that packs 30 percent more pixels than the Retina iPad, into a smaller 8.9-inch screen compared to Apple's 9.7-inch device. Ouch!

Ongoing challenges forcing Apple to buy Retina iPad mini screens from Samsung?

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 23, 2013

Run for years by the then op-chief Tim Cook, Apple's supply chain has become the stuff of the legend. Would-be watchers naively believe deciphering Apple's next move is as easy as keeping tabs on the chatter coming out of Asia's supply chain. Tim Cook, of course, begs to differ: on one of conference calls, Apple's boss cautioned investors against drawing conclusion from any one data point as the company's supply chain is a very complex beast.

So here's something for investors and fans to chew on: ET News reported Tuesday that Apple is considering tapping Samsung Display to produce low-power Retina screens for the upcoming second-generation iPad mini because AU Optronics (AUO) was unable to deliver. Samsung would presumably make the screens alongside LG Display, Sharp and perhaps Japan Display, according to a previous February 2013 report...