iPad 2 Unlikely to Have 2048x1536 Retina Display?

212032 ipad 2 dummy 5 500
iPad 2 dummy model found at CES

Daring Fireball's John Gruber weighs in on the recent rumors suggesting the next iPad will have a super high-resolution Retina display running at a resolution of 2048x1536.

I asked around, and according to my sources, it is too good to be true: the iPad 2 does not have a retina display. I believe the iPad 2's display will remain at 1024  768. Its display may be improved in other ways - brighter, better power consumption, thinner, perhaps.

Gruber believes that the iPad will eventually get this 2048x1536 and even claims there are prototype iPads in Apple's campus with this exact resolution, but seems certain the next generation iPad will not be that iPad.

Meanwhile, Engadget editor Joshua Topolsky stands by his source that the next iPad will indeed have "super high resolution" screen, though makes no claim on the exact dimensions. Meanwhile, Gruber admits that it could be another resolution, but he doubts it:

I think that's unlikely for reasons pertaining to UI scaling math (the same reason that the iPhone display resolution didn't increase incrementally) - but it's worth noting that my sources only claim "no retina display", not that the resolution is unchanged. The "double or nothing" line is my opinion, not information from any source.

Both Gruber and Engadget have had a history of having accurate sources. For what it's worth, Kevin Rose also claimed that the next iPad will have a higher resolution screen, though will fall short of being a "Retina" display.

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...