Neil Hughes
An LCD panel from Sharp, a back plate with an Apple logo, and a 30-pin dock connector all claimed to be from Apple's so-called "iPad 3" were obtained by iLab Factory. When all three were placed together, the site found that they were a match, suggesting the components are from a prototype build of the next iPad.
The site noted that the backplate of the iPad 3 is slightly thicker, at just more than a millimeter. But aside from that, it is the same size, allowing it to fit a 9.7-inch display just like iPad 2.
The rear panel also has a different screw alignment, as was previously spotted in another component. Those screws line up perfectly with the Sharp LCD display obtained by the site, one that could be the new high-resolution Retina Display expected to be featured on the next iPad.
For the final piece of the puzzle, the new dock connector believed to be for the next iPad was placed onto the back panel, and the site found that the part connected just right with the screw holes on the back panel.
Finally, the site also noted that the iPad 3 rear casing has a different hole for a camera from the current iPad 2 rear panel. The size of the two holes is said to be about the same, but on the alleged iPad prototype part, the camera mount is different on the back side.
The components support previous rumors that have suggested that the next iPad will feature an external design largely similar to the currently available iPad 2. A recent report suggested the defining feature of the next iPad will be a "truly amazing" screen.
The Sharp panel featured among the assembled components was already pictured in a separate story last week. It was said to be a QXGA 9.7-inch display with three flat cables that connect to the base of the LCD.
The screen is believed to feature a high-resolution 2,048-by-1,536 display, resulting in a pixel density of about 260-pixels-per-inch. The current iPad 2 and first-generation iPad have a resolution of 1,024-by-768 pixels, which amounts to a density of 132 pixels-per-inch.
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Wesley Hilliard
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38 Comments
WIth this huge increase in resolution, can we finally have a makeover of the core iOS UI? It just seems like the grid of icons is wasted on such high resolution displays. This isn't 2007 anymore.
The pull-down notification system was a nice step in the right direction, but I'd also like a more interactive lock screen with weather/customizable widgets, etc. Some of things that Android does like live news feeds and email feeds directly on the homescreen would be a nice touch.
Of course the backplate isn't going to change dramatically. The design of the iPad is defined by its usage as a "pad".
I'm a lot more inclined to believe it possible that the ipad 3 will have the higher resolution screen if it is the Sharp IGZO technology being used. The reason is that I don't believe for a second that Apple would be willing to sacrifice weight, battery life, etc. in order to deliver the higher resolution.
At one point the rumour was that Apple was considering both the IGZO and conventional technology using an additional backlight. Ludicrous. The two technologies would have required rather different internal designs and there is no way that Apple would have allowed this process to force them to be designing two iPads at the same time.
The next iPad has to be lighter than the iPad 2 and preferably with even better battery life. This is how it would have been if Steve Jobs were still alive. He never would have signed off on an iPad 3 that represented a downgrade in terms of weight and battery life. Jobs would have insisted that upping the screen resolution would wait until Apple could get it right and I have no reason to imagine that the current management team would do it any other way.
One more thing. While I could easily imagine that Apple might just continue selling the iPad 2 for a while at a discounted price, something like $399, I don't think there is an appetite for moving off of the price point of the current design. In other words, the higher-resolution screen only makes it into the iPad if Apple can deliver that screen for a starting price of around $500. That's the sweet spot in terms of pricing and one of the keys to the iPad's amazing success.
The iPad will slot into the $500-$800 price range and the higher pricing will be for the laptops.
WIth this huge increase in resolution, can we finally have a makeover of the core iOS UI? It just seems like the grid of icons is wasted on such high resolution displays. This isn't 2007 anymore.
The pull-down notification system was a nice step in the right direction, but I'd also like a more interactive lock screen with weather/customizable widgets, etc. Some of things that Android does like live news feeds and email feeds directly on the homescreen would be a nice touch.
I agree.
I'd like to see (eventually) Siri voice integration not only for the core iOS apps, but also the added functionality of finding, and then launching, third-party apps.
I find myself endlessly swiping through homescreen pages and the plethora of app badges only to give up.... and then Spotlight searching.
Of course the backplate isn't going to change dramatically. The design of the iPad is defined by its usage as a "pad".
I had hoped the next cellular iPad would feature an antenna behind the Apple logo so that the existing antenna stripe could be removed.