Sharp to Begin Retina Display Shipments for New iPad

The Wall Street Journal reports that Sharp Corporation is still trying to ramp up production of displays for Apple's new iPad and expects to start shipments "as soon as possible".

The panels are to be used in Apple Inc.'s new iPad, according to people familiar the matter. The first batch of the U.S. company's newest tablet, released Friday, were not equipped with Sharp's LCD panels after the Japanese company faced difficulty in customizing the screens according to Apple's requirements, one of the people said last week

There has been some debate about Apple's suppliers for the new iPad display. The initial batch seems to be supplied solely by Samsung, but both Sharp and LG are reportedly expected to provide displays as well.

Despite a single display supplier, Apple seems to have been able to produce enough inventory of the new iPad to avoid sell-outs despite what Apple described as a "record weekend".

colors
Left to Right: iPad 3, iPad 3 (Yellow), iPad 2 (via Fry-man22)

Since the 3rd Generation iPad's launch, response to the new high resolution Retina display has been quite positive. There have been sporadic reports of defective yellow-tinged displays (see above) that have prompted some replacements. The new iPad screen has been described as slightly "warmer" than the iPad 2 screen, but comparison shots show a much larger difference in what are believed to be defective screens.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 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. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...

Top Rated Comments

zin Avatar
179 months ago
The infamous yellow tint makes a return.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocko1 Avatar
179 months ago
People are SO used to overly hot displays with bright blue torch-cast that when you have a properly calibrated 6500 degree display they think it looks yellow.

I am personally convinced that a lot of 'yellow tinged' display returns were actually the most accurate displays these people had in their life and just didn't realize it because they were so acclimatized to blue-tinted displays.

THAT SAID - some people genuinely did receive defective yellow displays especially on iMacs.

I have seen many piss yellow displays. A pure white background is yellowish. White objects in pictures are yellowish, black objects are grayish. This is in no way 'accurate'.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toddybody Avatar
179 months ago
Well, look on the bright side...customer's can choose from a "cool" Samsung model or "warm"/yellow tint of the Sharp.

Im fine with the Samsung personally :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
clibinarius Avatar
179 months ago
Why did you use quotes? Did you even read the article?

Some fanboys simply don't want to admit that Apple and Samsung don't hate each other and are strategic partners on top of competitors. Its not a zero-sum game. If you hate Samsung, just stop buying Apple products. Its that simple. Or petition Apple to find other suppliers.

Not, if you don't mind, I'm going to enjoy my new iPad with its Samsung/Toshiba/Qualcomm guts and be quite happy about it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonstatt Avatar
179 months ago
At the moment there are NO Sharp screens.

Right now there are ONLY Samsung screens.

The problem is the colour temperature varies enormously between these Samsung iPad 3s....Its not just blue or yellow but all the shades inbetween! Every iPad 3 appears to be a bit different.

What the true intention is, I have no idea.

And as for the glue drying. This is nonsense, sorry. It keeps getting repeated over and over on here for every product release. This applied to a certain batch of iPhones a couple of years ago that left the factory so quickly the glue hadn't dried. Most of the iPad 3s were manufactured weeks if not months ago so this is not the issue.

LEDs can change a bit over time and some may improve very slightly or get worse depending on how they age (and yes LEDs do change brightness and colour slightly with age). But if its very yellow, it will always be yellow...sorry.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
179 months ago
Hope the Sharp panels are up to scratch.

Say what you want about Sammy, but they make the best panels out there. If I had a choice when I bought a new MacBook Pro, I'd want a Samsung in there.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)