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Retina Screen In iPad Mini?

wrkactjob

wrkactjob

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 29, 2008
1,357
0
London
So in the new smaller iPad (Mini/Air/Nano...insert own name here) which may or may not happen but which is increasingly likely to happen.

Can someone remind me why it may not have a Retina screen?....the price rumour that has been quoted

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/14/apple-ipad-mini-price-models/

is top end and not cheap...for that level of pricing I would expect the best screen avaialable. But is there some technical reason why in a device that size a retina screen could not be fitted?


Rumour Timeline
 
Last edited:
Slighty off topic, but it was in your link you posted - are they really going to release a 3G version and not go 4G? Or will 4G be the next release :cool:
 
KittyKatta said:
Isn't the technical reason on it being non-retina based on the leaked battery size?

MacRumors: Photos of 'iPad Mini' Battery Reveal 16.7 Watt-Hour Capacity

For me, Ive been wanting a smaller iPad since launch but I care enough about retina that I could see myself passing and waiting for when they do add retina in.
Click to expand...

So battery size alone can determine if retina can be operative?...doesn't the reduced screen size count for something?...

If they are making any attempt to link this new smaller version of the ipad with ibooks to offer it with a 'second best' screen would seem disingenuous.
 
wrkactjob said:
So battery size alone can determine if retina can be operative?...doesn't the reduced screen size count for something?...

If they are making any attempt to link this new smaller version of the ipad with ibooks to offer it with a 'second best' screen would seem disingenuous.
Click to expand...

Unless they want to make alot more work for developers, they need to do the screen for the Ipad Mini as the same as one of the previous iPads, so either 1024x768 (iPad 1&2) or 2048x1536 (iPad 3). Shrinking the 2048x1536 screen to 7 inches would be very costly at this point, so its much more likely given the expected cost that its a 1024x768 screen of the iPad shrunk to the small size which will increase its PPI vs the Ipad 2. For all intents and purposes this is going to be a Ipad 2 shrunk to a smaller size, in a year or two we'll probably get a Retina display device, but not for the first generation, not at the $249 price we are likely to see.
 
KittyKatta said:
Isn't the technical reason on it being non-retina based on the leaked battery size?

MacRumors: Photos of 'iPad Mini' Battery Reveal 16.7 Watt-Hour Capacity

For me, Ive been wanting a smaller iPad since launch but I care enough about retina that I could see myself passing and waiting for when they do add retina in.
Click to expand...



It would be a step backwards if they don't.
But as we know Apple loves to milk it's fan base.
If we don't see retina ver1 you can bet the bank we get it ver2.
 
Tigger11 said:
Unless they want to make alot more work for developers, they need to do the screen for the Ipad Mini as the same as one of the previous iPads, so either 1024x768 (iPad 1&2) or 2048x1536 (iPad 3). Shrinking the 2048x1536 screen to 7 inches would be very costly at this point, so its much more likely given the expected cost that its a 1024x768 screen of the iPad shrunk to the small size which will increase its PPI vs the Ipad 2. For all intents and purposes this is going to be a Ipad 2 shrunk to a smaller size, in a year or two we'll probably get a Retina display device, but not for the first generation, not at the $249 price we are likely to see.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Developers use points in the original iPad's screen size to determine positioning. The compiler calculates the positions for the retina displays from those points. It also uses retina images with a suffix attached to the end of the image name if they are provided by the dev. Having a new resolution somewhere between those two would be a mess for devs.
 
Bokes said:
It would be a step backwards if they don't.
But as we know Apple loves to milk it's fan base.
If we don't see retina ver1 you can bet the bank we get it ver2.
Click to expand...

I'm going to disagree. Until March of this year every iPad didnt have a Retina screen, the majority of iPads still don't have a Retina screen. They probably will push pretty hard to try and get it done in the next twelve months, but taking that incredible 2560x1536 iPad Retina screen and shrinking it 30% and making it affordable in 6 months isn't going to happen for next week. This is an iPad 2 shrunk to a smaller size, basically nothing more, but also nothing less, and its going to sell a bunch of units.
 
Tigger11 said:
I'm going to disagree. Until March of this year every iPad didnt have a Retina screen, the majority of iPads still don't have a Retina screen. They probably will push pretty hard to try and get it done in the next twelve months, but taking that incredible 2560x1536 iPad Retina screen and shrinking it 30% and making it affordable in 6 months isn't going to happen for next week. This is an iPad 2 shrunk to a smaller size, basically nothing more, but also nothing less, and its going to sell a bunch of units.
Click to expand...

I agree with that.
We will most likely not see it this go around.
My point is they are stepping back in order to make a cash grab and get something to market quick before losing sales to others.
 
I hope it doesn't' have retina. Apple needs to have a product that is lower in price.

Oh sure they are going to sell no matter what, but I would really like to see them be more price competitive so more people could afford them.

It's about bringing people into the Apple fold, that might otherwise choose something else.
 
Tigger11 said:
I'm going to disagree. Until March of this year every iPad didnt have a Retina screen, the majority of iPads still don't have a Retina screen. They probably will push pretty hard to try and get it done in the next twelve months, but taking that incredible 2560x1536 iPad Retina screen and shrinking it 30% and making it affordable in 6 months isn't going to happen for next week. This is an iPad 2 shrunk to a smaller size, basically nothing more, but also nothing less, and its going to sell a bunch of units.
Click to expand...

This is my fear or concern (given I want a high resolution screen). If the rumour regarding the price list is accurate, what do you think the high end models would offer that justifies a price that high? Do you think it's possible they might actually just stick it to developers and say, "eat this new resolution, or not, your choice!" (the new resolution being somewhere between iPad 2 and iPad 3)

I'm so curious to see what they do.
 
Bokes said:
My point is they are stepping back in order to make a cash grab and get something to market quick before losing sales to others.
Click to expand...

They aren't stepping back, the iPad Retina screen is this incredible screen we got earlier this year and yet 6 months later people want it shrunk by 30% and still have the same resolution (oh and drop in price so the 7" model doesnt cost more then the 10" model). The tech to make the 7" screen at that resolution isn't mature enough to make it cost effective, once they get it cost effective, we'll see it on a future model.
 
WilliamLondon said:
This is my fear or concern (given I want a high resolution screen). If the rumour regarding the price list is accurate, what do you think the high end models would offer that justifies a price that high? Do you think it's possible they might actually just stick it to developers and say, "eat this new resolution, or not, your choice!" (the new resolution being somewhere between iPad 2 and iPad 3)

I'm so curious to see what they do.
Click to expand...

No, they arent going to stick it to the developers, it would be really hard to do that honestly, and they really want it to run all the current apps. High end models as with all IOS products just add Flash space and Cell usage, so no, I dont think anyone would really buy the models at the rumored price list, 8GB is too small, 16 gb is way too much more then the 16 gb. The mini Ipad 2 is $50 less then the full size iPad 2? Parts wise its much cheaper and honestly, I think people would rather have the full size iPad for $50 more, and if thats true, then they didnt need to do the product, in actuality that means a refurbed iPad 2 and a brand new mini are the same price, and they really dont want that to be the case.
 
In less then 10 days you'll know the answer - Everything is speculation although may be good still speculation.
 
I expect it to be just like the normal "NEW" iPad except smaller screen and new connector.

I suspect Apple would not want the Mini called: iPad Mini "Cheap Edition".
 
Hopefully not...

Hopefully not. The iPad Mini is meant to be a cheaper (as so the rumors say) and smaller alternative to the original iPad. I believe that they are going to their notebook roots in making the iPad Mini more of the 'MacBook Air' type machine while leaving the original iPad with the 'MacBook Pro' title. And let's hope darn right that the 27" iMac doesn't hold a retina display.:eek:
 
It would make no sense for a new iPad Mini to have a lower-quality screen than the iPhone 5. It would be an enormous blunder. If their goal, as it seems to be, is to take on the e-reader market, they must realize that comfortable reading is dependent on very sharp and solid text. They also have to realize that they can't very well expect to succeed against the Kindle or Nook by having a LOWER screen resolution than those two (likely much cheaper) products.
 
Apple has made it absolutely clear they are going full blast into Retina for just about everything. First iPhone and iPod, then iPad, then even Macbook Pro, I am sure iMacs aren't too far off either. One could make the argument that it makes way more sense for the mini iPad to have a retina screen than a laptop, but we have a retina laptop. For them to have touted over and over the huge benefits of their Retina screens and spoiled all their customers with that quality of a screen people expect it now and it would be completely insane to launch a new product without it. I guarantee they will be hit with huge amounts of negative reviews and articles if it is not retina, but would blow away the market if it did have the best screen of any 7"-8" tablet.
 
Tigger11 said:
They aren't stepping back, the iPad Retina screen is this incredible screen we got earlier this year and yet 6 months later people want it shrunk by 30% and still have the same resolution (oh and drop in price so the 7" model doesnt cost more then the 10" model). The tech to make the 7" screen at that resolution isn't mature enough to make it cost effective, once they get it cost effective, we'll see it on a future model.
Click to expand...

How is a non-retina not a step back?
Shrinking it is an issue?
It's in the phone and iPod- both smaller than 7 inches.
and cost isn't keeping them from providing it in those products- they just price accordingly.
It appears every new product is going retina.
Anything new- without it- IMO- is indeed a step back.
 
Bokes said:
How is a non-retina not a step back?
Shrinking it is an issue?
It's in the phone and iPod- both smaller than 7 inches.
and cost isn't keeping them from providing it in those products- they just price accordingly.
It appears every new product is going retina.
Anything new- without it- IMO- is indeed a step back.
Click to expand...

Yes Shrinking is an issue. This screen has over 3 million pixels, 6 months after it goes into production, you think they should be able to shrink it 30% and making it into production, really thats not going to happen at an affordable cost, which would mean the mini now costs more then the iPad, thinks that is a good idea? Ipad 2 came out after both the iPhone and the iPod Touch had moved to retina, it wasnt retina because they couldn't get 3 million pixel panels (and the ability to drive them) into a cost effective package at that time.
 
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