Thursday, February 09, 2012, 08:05 am

Pictured Sharp LCD panel claimed to be Retina Display for Apple's 'iPad 3'

By Neil Hughes

Another leaked component photo shows an LCD panel manufactured by Sharp that is claimed to be a 9.7-inch Retina Display for Apple's anticipated third-generation iPad.

The pictured component, highlighted by the Japanese-language site Macotakara, clearly shows on the connector that it is manufactured by Sharp. But the site also claims it is a QXGA 9.7-inch display that "seems to be for the next iPad."

The display has three flat cables that connect to the base of the LCD, which is said to sport a high-resolution 2,048-by-1,536-pixel display. That's the same size that has been rumored for an Apple-branded Retina Display on the third-generation iPad.

The resolution suggests that Apple's so-called "iPad 3" will not match the 326 pixel-per-inch density of the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPod touch. Rather, the rumored resolution would be a pixel density of around 260 pixels-per-inch, with quadruple the resolution found on the current iPad.

Currently, the iPad 2 and first-generation iPad have a resolution of 1,024-by-768 pixels, which has a density of 132 pixels-per-inch. That falls well short of Apple's "Retina Display" distinction, named so because the individual pixels are so small that they are all but impossible for the human eye to discern.


The purported iPad 3 LCD is the latest in a flurry of components claimed to show off parts from Apple's third-generation iPad. It comes on the heels of a photo claiming to show the back cover of the next-generation device, as well as another one that showed the inside of the back panel, suggesting the device will sport a larger battery.

The photos of the back panel suggest that the device will be nearly identical in form factor to the current iPad 2. But inside, the part shows signs that the LCD display, camera, and logic board have been redesigned, in addition to the prospect of a larger battery.