Retina Display-Equipped iPad 3 to Launch in February?

ipad
The next iPad will be introduced in February according to a research note issued by Citi analyst Richard Gardner, obtained by Business Insider.

According to "several sources" the next iPad will launch in February, and it will sport a screen with double the resolution of the current model.

Gardner says, "there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining" to prevent a launch of a high-resolution iPad, despite rumors to the contrary.

Gardner's note echoes prior reports of a mid-Winter launch for the iPad 3.

Some reports had been suggesting that Apple's display suppliers were struggling with mass production of the higher-resolution 2048x1536 displays for the iPad 3, but reports over the past few weeks have indicated that the production is now moving along at Samsung, LG, and Sharp ahead of final iPad 3 assembly scheduled to begin next month at Foxconn.

One issue that has remains unclear is whether the iPad 3 will be thinner or slightly thicker than the iPad 2. Several sources have claimed that the iPad 3 will need to be slightly thicker due to the adoption of a dual light bar system to handle the significant jump in display resolution. But another report from late last month claimed that Apple will be utilizing a new display technology to support the high-resolution without requiring dual light bars, a development that will allow the iPad 3 to be slightly thinner than the current model.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
vision air cable

Images of Apple 'Vision Air' Power Cable Emerge Online

Thursday April 17, 2025 5:55 am PDT by
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami." Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...

Top Rated Comments

deannnnn Avatar
174 months ago
To quote Seth Meyers from the iPad 2 launch, "just in time to make everyone feel bad about their Christmas present."
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
174 months ago
I really have no problem if it's slightly thicker than an iPad 2, especially if that added thickness can mean longer battery life or better performance.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThunderSkunk Avatar
174 months ago
Who'd want to buy someone an iPad for christmas when a month or so later there's going to be an improved version out for the same $?

...oh. People not paying attention.

...which helps clear out the old stock. Makes sense I guess. ...kinda sucks though.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
174 months ago
Sounds good.

Although it should be noted that it WILL be slower than the iPad 2. It'll also take a fair while (1+ year) for most apps to get retina resolutions too for obvious reasons.

Both of those "facts" couldn't sound more like the opposite of the truth
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
174 months ago
Dual core Cortex A15 chips won't come out until late 2012, too late to be used in the iPad 3. I also think quad core isn't that great in a tablet, since there aren't a lot of background tasks and most apps aren't that well multi-threaded (if they even are at all).
Not true. Samsung's Exynos 5250 will launch in Q2 of next year on 32nm node. If Apple stays with Samsung, they could do the same. Historically, they've launched equally or before comparable Samsung SoCs built on the same node. (A4 beat Hummingbird, A5 beat Exynos 42xx in US launch).

Do expect the GPU to be bumped again, as we're talking about above 1080p HD resolutions here. I expect to see the MP4 variant of the PowerVR SGX 543 chip (iPad 2 currently uses MP2 variant), much like what's in the Playstation Vita, though with even higher clocks as well.
I disagree. That's pushing the power envelope without claiming anything back to save battery. I think the next move is to either shrink the 543 and clock it up or make the jump to Rogue cores.

I don't think a Q1 launch is likely given the availability of 32nm/28nm. Apple is pretty much running the tablet game right now, so I could see a February launch if they prioritized getting a retina iPad over everything else, but the benefits of waiting only a few months for a 28nm/32nm node to ramp up are hard to ignore from a battery standpoint, especially since you're talking about a display that is likely more power hungry.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jbrumz85 Avatar
174 months ago
I'll get excited when it's announced.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)