Production of the iPad 3 Retina Display Remains a Challenge

Digitimes reports that the production of the next generation iPad's high resolution Retina Display continues to be a problem, resulting in Chimei Innolux failing certification to become an LCD supplier for Apple's next tablet.

CMI has cut into the supply chain of iPad 2, which uses IPS panels, but the new Apple tablet is more demanding in terms of resolution, the sources said. The iPad 3 will feature a 9.7-inch panel with resolution of 2,048x1,536 compared to the iPad 2's 1,024x768.

Chimei Innolux is presently believed to be a display supplier for the currently shipping iPad 2.

ipad 2 oblique

The iPad 3, however, is believed to carry a 2048x1536 high resolution display that is double the linear resolution of the current iPad 2 screen of 1024x768. We first wrote of the possibility earlier this year when it was discovered that a version of Apple's iBooks application for the iPad already contained the necessarily double resolution (x2) artwork. Apple similarly doubled the iPhone's resolution from 480x320 to 960x640 when they introduced the iPhone 4.

Chimei Innolux is not alone in having yield difficulties with the new display. Samsung and LG are also said to have run into challenges. A previous report even claimed that it was these poor display yields which pushed the iPad 3's launch to 2012.

As big a jump as a 9.7" Retina Display sounds like, there has already been at least one official announcement of this level of high resolution tablet display. Samsung demoed a 2560x1600 10.1" LCD back in May, though based on somewhat different technology.

The original iPad's display was said to be the most constrained part for Apple, resulting in delays in shipments. As a result, Apple is believed to have invested $3.7 billion in display manufacturers in order to lock up access to LCD production facilities. The production from the earliest of those factory investments (Toshiba) are said to ramping as early as late 2011, while Sharp's new factories were to begin producing displays in 2012. The timing could fit with the next generation iPad.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...

Top Rated Comments

iCole Avatar
186 months ago
The higher resolution display is a a waste. I already can't see the pixels on the existing display. It is a "Retina Display".

I would much rather see improved battery life, storage, having the iOS and MacOS and MacClassic all merge so I can run all of my software on my iPad/iPodTouch/iPhone/PowerBook/etc. That would be useful. The "Retina" display its just marketing glitz.

I suggest you buy glasses then :-) By no means is the display on the iPad of bad quality, but you can clearly see the individual pixels.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FrHa Avatar
186 months ago
I see a lot of reports saying: 'this is why Apple delayed the iPad3 until 2012.' I think they haven't delayed it whatsoever, I think their intention all along has been to release it in 2012. Especially considering how well the iPad2 is selling at the moment, and the fact the iPad2 is just opening in new countries.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
186 months ago
this is ARM CPU's were talking about. they aren't that high tech

Yes. Yes they are.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ludalukeerb Avatar
186 months ago
The question is, does the iPad really require 2048x1536 resolution ? That's 263 PPI. Do you really hold the iPad that close to your face that it requires such a high resolution ?

Remember, the farther away you hold a device from your eyes, the lower the PPI value can be without you being able to distinguish individual pixels.

The argument for "pixel doubling" (obviously, 4 pixels to represent 1) for developers is hog wash. Developers have been designing stuff to work on displays with no fixed resolutions for decades now. Why would it suddenly be a challenge on iOS ? Answer : it's not.

Knight you miss the point, I'm no Apple fanboy not by a long way, however, I've held off getting the iPad as I have an iPhone4 and that caters more or less to the needs I have of a mobile device, however if the next gen iPad does feature a 'Retina' display then I will definetely buy it.... whilst I agree the screen on the current iPad is good, very clear, close to the touch etc... it is hardly 'HD' @ a res of 1024x768.... yes by the definition of television standards it is higher than 480p, watching a 720p or 1080p film on the device your not watching it at the native res, and if you are you get the irritating bars, as I mention IF they upgrade the display to over 1920x1080 I will definetely get it, and I believe alot of others will as well, however if they do go to that res then almost definietely they would need the A6 chip to power the device and certainly more RAM, and at the same time increase the maximum capacity availible as even 64gb won't fit that many 720p (circa 4Gb per film) or 1080p (circa 10-12gb per film) on the device, along with space for swap files, audio, apps, mail etc...

It is certainly something I would love to see as then Air Video on an iPad streaming 720p content would be awesome! iPhone 4 screen whilst nice isn't really that impressive when streaming 720p content...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adidas Addict Avatar
186 months ago
iPad 3 is gonna be the final nail in the coffin for all the young pretenders if it rocks up with this resolution.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TrollToddington Avatar
186 months ago
A bit in The article is wrong, the resolution of the iPad 3 won't be x2 but x4 higher than the present iPad.

We first wrote of the possibility earlier this year when it was discovered that a version of Apple's iBooks application for the iPad already contained the necessarily double resolution (x2) artwork.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)