iPad 2 resolution will stay the same

[saving107]

As far as I'm concerned we're getting a retina display, simply for these three reasons:

1) 2x size images for iPad found in iBooks app in iOS 4.3 Beta
2) SGX543 drivers found in iOS 4.3 Beta
3) GlobalDirectParts had a 2048x1536 resolution screen listed for sale @ ~$220 titled something like "iPad 2 LCD Screen"

1. iBooks is not part of iOS 4.3, it is an App that is available in the App Store and it's not part of the OS. This x2 size bookmark was released in the 1.2 update back on December 15, 2010, but was just recently discovered.

Also, images that are being found in the iOS 4.3 beta (like the camera shutter and icons) are said to be the same resolution as the current iPad.
http://www.9to5mac.com/47248/is-this-the-ipad-2s-camera-app

These screenshots are 1024 x 768 which indicate the same screen resolution as the current iPad. That might upset those hoping for more a retina-ish display in iPad 2.

2. I have no opinion of the faster GPU, but it just seems like a natural evolution for the GPU to only get better.

3. GlobalDirectParts has no mention of the resolution of the screen being 2048x1536, and neither does the article that was posted on MacRumors over the weekend, the article only says that the screen was discovered only after rumors of a high res iPad broke.

but the image appears to have been uploaded this weekend after the 2048x1536 rumors broke.

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/16/ipad-2-lcd-for-sale-already-ipad-2-to-include-vibrating-motor/

 

[fertilized-egg]

Actually his sources said no super high resolution:

But my sources are pretty sure that it’s not 2048 × 1536 or any other “super high resolution”.

Precisely. It could be a "high" resolution but not a "super" high resolution. Obviously we have no idea what is a "super" high resolution and not just a "high" resolution but there are still chances that both could be correct. The iPad announcement should be very interesting!

edit: i must add though, Gruber's reasoning about the display resolution staying the same if not 2x is solid and I do agree with him that it's probably the best course of action for Apple to wait for the 2X display to be available

 

[Bytor65]

Precisely. It could be a "high" resolution but not a "super" high resolution. Obviously we have no idea what is a "super" high resolution and not just a "high" resolution but there are still chances that both could be correct. The iPad announcement should be very interesting!

Then you get into the resized, blurry apps problem. Really you are just deep into wishful thinking because you want more resolution.

Wishing won't make it so.

One of the bigger reasons for me, is that Apple didn't spend years getting the iPad ready for market and planning to only use the original screen one year. Apple plans long term. Part of creating a custom screen for the iPad, would have had them planning to use it at least 2 years (if not three). It is long term thinking that lets them custom order these parts in the first place.

 

[kdarling]

I think we all know why. Apple is really the only tablet maker who can order and afford exotic parts before they become available for others at a realistic price.

Apple doesn't make most of what they use.

They have to buy from companies like Samsung and LG, who also make their own phones and tablets... and who have already demonstrated that they will withhold parts for their own use before selling them to others. (E.g. SAMOLED for HTC.)

 

[fertilized-egg]

They have to buy from companies like Samsung and LG, who also make their own phones and tablets... and who have already demonstrated that they will withhold parts for their own use before selling them to others. (E.g. SAMOLED for HTC.)

Most times the semiconductor and display departments work separately from the people who make consumer devices such as phones and cameras. Apple is such a big customer it'll be folly for LG or Samsung to pass up an opportunity to supply whatever Apple wants.

Samsung willingly sold Apple a ton of Flash memory at a very low price back in 2005 despite having a big aspiration for the MP3 market themselves (back then anyway) In fact I've heard Samsung MP3 developers complained that Apple got those Flash chips far cheaper than they did. LG developed the high resolution display production just for Apple's request and willingly sold them the Retina display even though they had their own phones. With different departments working as profit centers in today's business you just won't see anyone denying Apple's request as long as the price is right.

 

[LondonCentral]

The only way I'll upgrade is if it has a retina display... otherwise I'll way until iPad 3.

Me too. This years big expenditures will be the iPhone 5, a car and perhaps a MBA in lieu of a high res ipad. Looks like 2012 is going to have to be the year I get a tablet.

Unless another new development/rumor makes iPad 2 worth going for this year.

 

[kokesh]

Gruber's track record on iPad

Articles by and about Gruber regarding the first generation iPad from late 2009/January 2010.

Basically, he was

• correct about the App Store being the only way to download apps
• wrong about the name (though he had no sources)
• correct about there not being a camera
• correct about lack of Flash support

Also, FWIW, he was pretty accurate on iPhone 4 rumors, including the Retina display.

I had a more exhaustive post but stupid MR forum logged me out while I was writing it and I lost it.

 

[F@lloutboy]

Think twice

I think there's no reason to worry : The iPad is definitely getting a "retina-like"-Display, because it would fit Apple's 4th generation product line perfectly. After the iPod touch, why not giving a higher resolution display to the iPad? The dual core processor is also possible, because the company, apple was said to have bought dual cores, makes processors especially for mobile devices. A thinner lighter and design, a front- and a rear camera are certainly within the iPad 2 and to handle everything new and run applications taking full advantage of the new display, more RAM is necessary. Possibly 512 MB, 1GB is too much in my opinion. The storage question is open, but i guess that they going to eliminate the 32 GB model( just like they did with the 16GB iPod Touch) and replace it by the 64 GB and a new 128 GB version. The mentioned sd-slot or USB port are also interesting: USB 2.0 is too old to be used in a "ultra-futuristic gadget" like the second generation iPad. SD-slot is possible and would replace the camera connection kit. And last but not least: Apple has never before raised up a product's price after dating it up, so they're possibly not going to drive prices to new highs, rather new depths. But for now, everything is possible, let's sit back, relax and wait for the announcement of the next keynote...

 

[spotlight07]

One of the bigger reasons for me, is that Apple didn't spend years getting the iPad ready for market and planning to only use the original screen one year. Apple plans long term.

Agreed. However, if the iPad 1 did better than anyone thought it could, including Apple, then there is a reason for them to change the strategy. You don't just make a play because that's the way you planned to do it from the beginning. You have to move with the market or someone like Microsoft comes along and steals all your marketshare.

It was the success of iPad that unleashed a flood of tablet announcements over this year span since the introduction of iPad 1. If it had just done OK, things might have played out more like Apple TV.

To ignore the other tablets would be foolish right now, since all other tablets are going to have higher resolution screens than iPad 1. Also, Android's UI is catching up, they finally hired a designer. If Apple moves today, all other tablets die. If Apple moves next year, Android gets a good chunk of the Apple Pie.

 

[Bytor65]

It was the success of iPad that unleashed a flood of tablet announcements over this year span since the introduction of iPad 1. If it had just done OK, things might have played out more like Apple TV.

Just like the iPhone started a flood of competitors. Apple just kept building the same screen for 3 generations, even when they had the lowest res screen for a couple of years, they just kept using it. And it really didn't affect them at all.

This time they aren't even behind, there is no solid competitor at all a this point.

We have beta playbook running a 1024x600 screen. From HP all we have is Vapor, a couple of computer renders for their 1024x768 tablet.

Android, we have only seen video of their beta tablet OS.

What Apple is doing is Advertising like crazy. I can't get away from iPad ads, they have flooded TV. By the time a competitor actually ships something, Apple will have firmly established mind-share to the point, that for most people Tablet == iPad. Everything else is just an iPad knockoff.

Apple doesn't need a super high res screen as they have a massive upper hand, so they will be deliver the same screen (which was likely frozen design for iPad 2 by the time the first iPad 1 shipped) and keep margins and profits high.

Because that is the name of the game after all. Making profit. Not fulfilling nerd wet dreams.

This discussion will happen again next year and even then I only give it a 50/50 shot of happening. But this year it is ZERO chance.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

No higher resolution display, none of my coin to simple as that. I can wait for a rev.3 no rush.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Just like the iPhone started a flood of competitors. Apple just kept building the same screen for 3 generations, even when they had the lowest res screen for a couple of years, they just kept using it. And it really didn't affect them at all.

This time they aren't even behind, there is no solid competitor at all a this point.

We have beta playbook running a 1024x600 screen. From HP all we have is Vapor, a couple of computer renders for their 1024x768 tablet.

Android, we have only seen video of their beta tablet OS.

What Apple is doing is Advertising like crazy. I can't get away from iPad ads, they have flooded TV. By the time a competitor actually ships something, Apple will have firmly established mind-share to the point, that for most people Tablet == iPad. Everything else is just an iPad knockoff.

Apple doesn't need a super high res screen as they have a massive upper hand, so they will be deliver the same screen (which was likely frozen design for iPad 2 by the time the first iPad 1 shipped) and keep margins and profits high.

Because that is the name of the game after all. Making profit. Not fulfilling nerd wet dreams.

This discussion will happen again next year and even then I only give it a 50/50 shot of happening. But this year it is ZERO chance.

However the problem is that before the iPad introduction, the iPhone and iPod Touch shared similar specs. When the iPhone 4 got the retina display and FaceTime along with video, so did the iPod Touch 4.

If the iPad was released with the iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2 or 3, I could understand no need to improve the display specs along with other little things. However the iPad is sharing the same eco-space as the iPhone and iPod Touch, and with marketing phrases, they set they products competing against each other rather then the competition.

It is an conundrum, if there is no close competition, it has to compete amounts its own lines.

This situation is not new, it has been displayed with the MacPro and iMac lines.

 

[dlundgren]

It had better have an improved display or I'm not buying it

The display on the current iPad sucks. I sold my iPad immediately after the iPhone 4 came out, because the iPhone 4's screen makes the iPad look like a complete joke. I know several other people who are waiting to buy an iPad until it has a better display. I/we are tired of reading pixelated text in books, magazines, and other content.

 

[DePaulBlueDemon]

The resolution of the iPad is way to low for my taste. Apple will have to improve it before I open my wallet. It looks awful compared to the iPhone 4.

 

[aluren]

The resolution of the iPad is way to low for my taste. Apple will have to improve it before I open my wallet. It looks awful compared to the iPhone 4.

Everything looks awful compared to the iPhone 4. The only thing I'm worried about is cost. That is the main factor driving Apple's decision. A high res display will definitely cut into their margins and it may not be a good business decision. Let's say they spend $50 on the high res, assuming they sell 10 million iPad 2, that's $500 million dollars. Granted, they can add that to the price of the iPad, and I would happily pay an extra $100-200 for it, but it will definitely cut its sales volume, since iPad's main feature is a low cost solution/replacement/addition to laptops.

 

[felch]

The author of that article is an idiot.

Note, for example, that the 27-inch iMac ships with a graphics card with 512 MB of RAM. Even the MacBook Air has 256 MB of RAM on its graphics card. ↩

You will be hard pressed to find a video card with less than 256mb of memory on it today because nobody makes any.

Years ago I had a 16mb geforce card and was able to crank my resolution upto 2560x1600 on my 21" CRT monitor just fine, tho I couldnt play games I was able to do my day to day web browsing and such just fine with zero difference in performance vs lower resolutions. There is a huge difference in the requirements when it comes to rendering 2D vs 3D.

I dont understand why so many people think that a high resolution display needs a fast processor and lots of ram, it doesnt.


Here is some food for thought:

The iPad1 shares the same processor and memory configuration as the iPhone4 and Touch4. The iPhone3g and Touch3 were similar as well.

Todays smartphones are moving towards dualcore processors with 1gb of ram being the next big thing. Multitasking is a big thing in todays mobile devices. The chances of the iPhone5 having a dualcore 1ghz with 512 to 1gb of ram is pretty high IMO based on the competition. Its a pattern.

Mobile gaming is big, and its getting bigger. We seen with games like Rage and Infinity blade what the iPhone4 is capable of rendering at 960x640 in 3D mode. I highly doubt that Angry birds at 2048x1536 is going to require as much or more processing power than Infinity blade.

Lets not forget that new GPU drivers were found in ios4.3 as well. Further supporting the possibility of a new display. http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ts_next_gen_gpu_for_upcoming_ipad_iphone.html

I would hardly call this fragmenting, all devices will be running the same OS version and older apps can be x2 or even x4 scaled to fit. Not to mention that Retina support is being added to several apps a day as well as HD versions for the iPad.

 

[absynth]

I agree with the majority that what we need first and foremost is a higher resolution screen. I dont care for a dual camera, usb or flash slot, but i do think there's a large enough market that would pay extra for these features.

So what i'm expecting to see:

low end ipad around $400 (wifi)/500 (gsm/cdma) :
existing iPad 32 GB that gets a facetime camera (space is already there) so they go "FaceTime accross the entire ipad line"

entry level ipad 2 around $ 600 (wifi)/700 (gsm/cdma):
with hi-res screen, A5, 512 MB RAM, 64 GB SSD, FaceTime Cam

hi-end ipad 2 around $800 (wifi)/900 (gsm/cdma):
with hi-res screen, A5, 512 MB RAM, 128 GB SSD, dual camera, flash slot, usb slot

 

[felch]

Consider the timeline for the iPhone (and iPod Touch): three model years at the original resolution (iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS). Then came the iPhone 4 with the retina display. From what I’ve gathered about the iPad 2, it’s more analogous to the iPhone 3GS than the 3G. Spec-wise, the iPhone 3G differed from the original iPhone in only one significant way: the 3G networking support. The iPad 2 is more like the 3GS: faster processor, more RAM, better graphics performance — but, like the 3GS, still with the same display resolution as the original model.]

I liked this bit. Its as if everything Apple does is based on things they have done in the past. It shows nothing more than the evolution of hardware based on the competition at the time. Because there were 3 iPhones at the same resolution there will be 3 iPads as well...lol. At the time the 3g was released there werent any phones on the market with a larger screen and 640x480 was the highest available in a select few handsets.

Competition and new technology drives innovation and right now in the tablet market there is ALOT of it on the horizon.

 

[Bytor65]

I agree with the majority that what we need first and foremost is a higher resolution screen. I dont care for a dual camera, usb or flash slot, but i do think there's a large enough market that would pay extra for these features.

That isn't the majority. The majority don't even know the resolution of their mobile devices.

That is a subsection of wishful thinking nerds that don't want to let reality keep them from their desires.

 

[absynth]

That isn't the majority. The majority don't even know the resolution of their mobile devices.

That is a subsection of wishful thinking nerds that don't want to let reality keep them from their desires.

Believe me i'm not a nerd. Are you still in high-school or college? Have you actually seen commuters in public transport lately? Everybody has a smartphone these days. Nearly everybody an iphone. Almost a majority on last year's tech be it android or iOS.

You bet people care for hi-res once they know it and are used to it. They dont need to know the exact resolution to know it's sharp or not. You watch with your eyes not with your brains.

 

[Bytor65]

believe me i'm not a nerd. Are you still in high-school or college? Have you actually seen commuters in public transport lately? Everybody has a smartphone these days. Nearly everybody an iphone. Almost a majority on last year's tech be it android or iOS. You bet people care for hi-res.

Believe me. If you are spending time arguing about resolution of iPads on a rumors forum, you are a nerd.

What I said is normal people have no idea what their device has for resolution or even know that iP4/Touch changed. I mentioned recent experience with some less nerdy friends:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/11753959/

 

[Piggie]

I don't really think you need to be a nerd to be affected by product specs.

Many people who don't know about these things ask people who do. The Nerds!

People I'm around, over many years, know I've always had an interest in computers and consoles and I've been asked may times over the years what do I think they should buy.

So nerds can affect non nerds, even if it's just another member of your direct or distant family you ask before you buy as they don't want to buy the wrong thing so ask advice.

Also of course there are magazines and newspaper articles, which will give opinions or give side by side comparisons that people will look at.

You probably have thousands of people who have no idea that Apple and Android even have different app stores, they probably think they are all the same programs. They see a great deal in the paper for an Android phone, buy it and are really happy with it, just thinking it's another make of an Apple phone.

But as I say, whilst not directly I'm sure indirectly specs can influence many people.

 

[Tyrion]

That isn't the majority. The majority don't even know the resolution of their mobile devices.

That is a subsection of wishful thinking nerds that don't want to let reality keep them from their desires.

They may not "know" the resolution, but they will most certainly know what looks good and what doesn't. My father is 62 and owns both an iPhone 4 and an iPad. He's as far from a "nerd" as you can get - which is why these devices are perfect for him - and he couldn't tell you the iPhone's and the iPad's resolutions if you asked him. He is, however, well aware of the fact that the iPhone's display is much crisper than the iPad's and he has asked me many times whether Apple will correct that in the next revision.

"Normal" people may not know spec sheets and technical terms, but they're not idiots. They know quality when they see it and they're already wondering why some iOS devices - even the lowly iPod Touch - have this new-fangled "Retina Display" and others - the supposed flagship iPad - don't. If the next iPad sticks with the same low resolution it has today, they're really going to wonder what's going on.

 

[karlwig]

The only way I'll upgrade is if it has a retina display... otherwise I'll way until iPad 3.

+1

the current display is useless. it looks horrible, about the same as my macbook. if i buy an ipad, reading - either e-books or quality articles / news - will be very important to me. i get tired reading from a low res computer screen.

the next ipad can have quad-core, 5TB and 7 cameras for all i care -- if the screen is still 1024 x 768, i will NOT buy it.

frankly, i think the display will remain unchanged this time around. i was always expecting having to wait until iPad 3 for things to really kick off. this update will probably be modest; 512 gb ram, cameras and gyroscope.

 

[Liquidtrance]

The only way I'll upgrade is if it has a retina display... otherwise I'll way until iPad 3.

I couldnt have said it better. If they up the resolution high enough ill buy one the first day. The only part of my current ipad i can see as mediocre with the coming android tablets is the resolution.

If apple really wants to shutdown any other tablets coming down the pipe, the resolution bump is the quickest way.