Apple iPad 3 is more likely to be released this coming February according to a Citi analyst. The next generation iPad could have similar features with the iPad 2 although Apple may finally integrate it with a high resolution retina display technology that is now currently available with the iPhone 4 and 4S respectively. If this is true, this will certainly double the screen resolution of iPad 3. The possibility of the retina display technology on an iPad 3 was included in the research note of Richard Gardner and was first reported by PCMag. On his note, Gardner claimed that some sources told him that iPad 3 will be launched as early as February which will put the product’s debut way ahead of the first two Apple tablet generations.
To be exact, the first iPad to hit the stores were last April of 2010 and on March 2011, the iPad2 was unveiled and later on released. If a February slate is possible this coming 2012, the iPad 3 will be breaking the ‘tradition’ by releasing the third generation at a much earlier date.
Richard Gardner further noted that “there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining,” so there is no reason why the launch of iPad 3 with its new high resolution screen features should be further delayed. But there could be some contradictions here because according to previous reports, one of the reasons why iPad 2 maintained its 1024 x 768 resolution which is similar to the very first iPad is the problem regarding the fitting of a dense screen into the tablet. Both iPad and iPad 2 have 123 ppi pixel density. The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s have the retina display technology with 960 x 640 resolution and 326 pixel per inch. Any display with 300 ppi or more is said to be so closely packed and dense that the pixels are no longer distinguishable from each other at a distance of about ten to twelve inches which is why it is dubbed as the retina display. At present, the highest possible ppi on a tablet is about 264. In essence, this cannot be classified as a technical hurdle or is it an issue for mass production.
Some of Apple’s known rivals in the tablet industry already release tablet models with higher screen resolutions. But the thing is, nothing of these models are close to offering a tablet that has a retina display on it although Samsung, on their part, has been closely working on for months now maybe in the hope that they will be the first tablet to offer one. Currently, Apple is still the leading tablet manufacturer and seller all over the world and with at least sixty five percent market shares, this number is expected to grow should they be the first to offer a tablet with retina display in the upcoming iPad 3.
