Apple iPad 3 Release: iFixit Examines Purported Retina Display, Confirms 2048x1536 Resolution

A purported iPad 3 display grabbed headlines last week, after it was scrutinized under a microscope to figure out whether it was actually an ultra-high resolution Retina display.

iFixit Examines Purported iPad 3 Retina Display, Confirms 2048x1536 Resolution. Credit: iFixit

The display obtained through unreported sources, was examined by MacRumors, who claimed later that the upcoming Apple iPad 3, or whatever it would be called once it gets released, will feature Retina Display with a resolution of 2048x1536.

That same supposed iPad 3 display had been handed over to iFixit, a Web site well-known for posting detailed tear downs of gadgets, for a second and even closer examination.

iFixit explained that they tried to run the purported iPad 3 LCD on the current-generation iPad, but they couldn't do so because the iPad 3 LCD cable is a completely different type than the one found in the iPad 2.

Our efforts to plug it in - even partially, if possible - were unsuccessful, said iFixit.

iFixit Examines Purported Retina Display, Confirms 2048x1536 Resolution. Credit: iFixit

iFixit Examines Purported Retina Display, Confirms 2048x1536 Resolution. Credit: iFixit

However, that couldn't stop folks at iFixit. They carried on their test on the panel with USB microscope and found out that the display was indeed a higher pixel density panel than before. It also confirmed a 2048x1536 resolution, which is twice that of the previous two iPad models.

According to iFixit, while both the displays bear resemblance to one another, the one that claimed to be of the next iPad was 0.6 ounces lighter than the that of the iPad 2.

Watch the video below:

Rumors about Apple incorporating higher resolution display (almost doubling the number of pixels in each direction of the screen) to its third generation iPad have been around for quite some time now. Recent reports from considerably reliable sources like Bllomberg and The Wall Street Journal also supported the rumor.

Apple is expected to release the iPad 3 in a media event on March 7, around the same time that it introduced the iPad 2 last year. The device is rumored to have a number of key features, including a powerful quad-core processor, 4G LTE networking and enhanced cameras.

Will iPad 3 Resemble its Predecessors?

However, speculations are rife that the iPad 3 will closely resemble its predecessors as far as its external design is concerned, with the circular home button and a camera hole in the top bezel.

Chinese Web site Sina Weibo recently posted a purported image of the iPad 3's front assembly, saying the part appears nearly identical to that of the iPad 2. The major distinguishing feature was a relatively long ribbon extending up the side of the display as opposed to a shorter cable with a sideways orientation seen in the iPad 2, the Web site added.

Throughout 2011, many other tablets have entered the tablet arena with huge advertising budgets and the so-called intention of becoming an iPad killer. But unfortunately they've so far managed only to find apathetic customers and a general lack of buzz, eWeek reported.

Our checks indicate modest sales of most competing tablet offerings including the Motorola Xyboard, RIM PlayBook, HTC View 4G, Samsung Galaxy tab and several other Android based devices, T. Michael Walkley, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, wrote in a Jan. 24 research note.

Also consistent with our checks, the Amazon Kindle Fire did not adversely impact iPad sales but more likely had a greater impact on e-reader sales, Walkley added.