iPad Mini Retina?

[ivan98]

I've iPhone5, iPad3 and rMBP15. I am spoilt by retina displays. I cringe wherever I've to use my wife's MBA13 and iPad2.

Given Apple's iterative improvement, I'm not too surprised iPad Mini doesn't have retina in the 1st pass. Which got me to do some 5-min calculations:

With an LCD size of 160mmx120mm, a 2048x1536 screen would yield 326 PPI which is the density of iPhone! Coincidence? Bottom line, it'll be easy to put retina on iPad Mini, just ask the supplier for a bigger (7.9" instead of 4") piece.
Since this is so easy, I think 2013 Fall, iPad Mini (Gen 2) will see its retina display.

When this happens, what happens to the iPad?

Given the screen transition exercise in iPhone5, my guess is physical x & y dimension will remain, aspect ratio will remain, but more pixels will be added. 2560x1920 in iPad's LCD 198mmx148mm would yield 329 PPI, not too higher up from 326.

On the other hand, since 2048x1536 is already retina, why would Apple upgrade it to 2560x1920? It's not significant like pixel doubling. Can iPad Mini and iPad exist side by side with the same pixel dimension, 2048x1536?

The related question, for all the Apple products with retina display, what's the upgrade path for the screen? Retina 2X?

 

[Briview]

I've iPhone5, iPad3 and rMBP15. I am spoilt by retina displays. I cringe wherever I've to use my wife's MBA13 and iPad2.

Given Apple's iterative improvement, I'm not too surprised iPad Mini doesn't have retina in the 1st pass. Which got me to do some 5-min calculations:

With an LCD size of 160mmx120mm, a 2048x1536 screen would yield 326 PPI which is the density of iPhone! Coincidence? Bottom line, it'll be easy to put retina on iPad Mini, just ask the supplier for a bigger (7.9" instead of 4") piece.
Since this is so easy, I think 2013 Fall, iPad Mini (Gen 2) will see its retina display.

When this happens, what happens to the iPad?

Given the screen transition exercise in iPhone5, my guess is physical x & y dimension will remain, aspect ratio will remain, but more pixels will be added. 2560x1920 in iPad's LCD 198mmx148mm would yield 329 PPI, not too higher up from 326.

On the other hand, since 2048x1536 is already retina, why would Apple upgrade it to 2560x1920? It's not significant like pixel doubling. Can iPad Mini and iPad exist side by side with the same pixel dimension, 2048x1536?

The related question, for all the Apple products with retina display, what's the upgrade path for the screen? Retina 2X?

Great analysis. I have the same iP5, rMBP and iPad 3 and think it'll be much of a downgrade when I get my Mini and part with my 3rd-gen. It won't be iPad 2-like, but more iPhone 3GS-ish... with that higher ppi. I too am perplexed by what is coming next for this range, especially since it'll be difficult to justify having a higher ppi in the smaller, cheaper mini once it gets the Retina Display. At that point, the only thing the iPad 5th-gen will be selling is screen-real-estate (and perhaps marginal chip power). Will Apple try to limit the Retina Display of the mini to avoid the ppi advantage or will they try to upgrade to 2560x1920 ("Full Retina")? Probably not, since it'll be an extra hassle for the developers and add on to the fragmented frenzy in resolutions and devices that makes what Android is today. But who knows... maybe there is a catch and a "one more thing" with the next iPad.

 

[guineapig]

As much as I agree with you on this

I think 2013 Fall, iPad Mini (Gen 2) will see its retina display.

It is clear that things are not this simple

With an LCD size of 160mmx120mm, a 2048x1536 screen would yield 326 PPI which is the density of iPhone! Coincidence? Bottom line, it'll be easy to put retina on iPad Mini, just ask the supplier for a bigger (7.9" instead of 4") piece.

It's not a coincidence. That pixel density combined with that resolution means that the UI elements on the iPad mini, while being identical in pixel size to those on the iPad, will be the same physical size of those on the iPhone. This is the key to keep the overall usability unaltered.

Given the screen transition exercise in iPhone5, my guess is physical x & y dimension will remain, aspect ratio will remain, but more pixels will be added. 2560x1920 in iPad's LCD 198mmx148mm would yield 329 PPI, not too higher up from 326.

And Apple sticking to 1024x768 and not introducing some intermediate resolution means that the only transition happened so far is 2x (except for the extension of the iPhone 5 screen, where the resolution was mantained the same but with an extra rectangle of the display added).
I guess that from now on, the only evolution that is reasonable to expect will be pixel doubling.

 

[iHeartsteve]

I have the same devices as well. There's no way I can view any device w out retina display now.

For the next iterations: I think apple should focus on increasing processor speed, better anti glare like the new iMac and even better battery life, ESP for iPhone 5.

 

[Ashin]

Who'd buy an iPad mini?

Anyone smart enough will wait 6 months or less for the Retina version.