Despite Apple only bringing forth its second tablet – the iPad 2 – in March of this year, there have been many indications that Cupertino-based company is already well into the business end of a third iPad release.
As Digitimes reports, a whole host of Taiwan-based component manufacturers including Novatek Microelectronics, Richtek Technology, Capella Microsystems and Integrated Memory Logic have all been given contracts to supply integrated circuits for the next iPad.
A report last week by the Korea Times noted that two of the country’s major electronic manufacturers, LG and Samsung, had been quality testing superior HD screens for an upcoming iPad, which was thought to be getting a more upmarket feel aimed at the more professional consumer. This notion seemed further ratified by Display CEO of Electronic giants LG, who said that the next iPad would come with Retina Display, which still looks to be on the cards.
It seems now, though, that rather than opting for a ‘Pro’ version, Apple will most probably be looking to offset the additional costs that a Retina Display would bring by opting for cheaper circuits, and possibly paving the way for a more competitive launch price. This would make sense in order to compete with a whole host of companies, such as Amazon and Sony who will be adding to what’s shaping up to be a very busy tablet market in the second half of this year.
While the iPad 2 has sold healthily and has been largely critically-acclaimed in it’s short 4 month life, there is still much room for improvement. The screen is of a high standard, enabling HD action in gaming as well as when watching video. It was, however, expected that Apple would upgrade the screen from the first iPad – especially after the dramatic changes made to the iPhone 4 from its predecessor. The Retina Display really gave it the ‘wow’ factor, smooth visuals being the icing on the cake for an all-round smooth smartphone experience.
The second iPad is thinner and lighter than it’s older brother and is, to its credit, faster. But it definitely feels like the right time for Apple to take the plunge and bring Retina Display to its tablet range in order to really do justice not only to the device itself, but the idea of replacing traditional reading methods with iBooks and the upcoming Newsstand applications.
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