Intel Looking Toward Retina Display PCs by 2013

As reported by Liliputing (via Electronista), Intel is envisioning the high-resolution "Retina" displays pushed by Apple in its iOS devices as the future of PCs, with comments at its Intel Developer Forum in Beijing noting that the company is supporting those plans with its chips.

intel retina displays 2013
Specifically, Intel sees handheld and tablet devices targeting resolutions in the range of 300 pixels per inch (ppi), while notebook computers target roughly 250 ppi and all-in-one desktop computers register around 220 ppi.

So here’s what Intel sees happening in the computer space over the next few years:

- Phones and media players with 5 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel displays (this is already happening)
- Tablets with 10 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel displays
- Ultrabooks with 11 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel displays
- Ultrabooks with 13 inch, 2800 x 1800 pixel displays
- Laptops with 15 inch, 3840 x 2160 pixel displays
- All-in-one desktops with 3840 x 2160 pixel displays

As noted by 9to5Mac, Intel executive Kirk Skaugen specifically referred to these displays by the "Retina" term coined by Apple at the introduction of the iPhone 4 back in 2010. In his presentation, Skaugen mentioned that Intel's third-generation Core i-Series processors (also known as Ivy Bridge) will support Retina displays if manufacturers choose to offer them. This support is not new, however, as he also noted that the current second-generation Core i-Series chips (Sandy Bridge) also support Retina displays, although Ivy Bridge will mark a significant leap forward in graphics support.

Apple is of course rumored to be working toward releasing Retina-capable Macs, as evidenced by support for the "HiDPI" mode showing up in OS X Lion and Mountain Lion. Rumors have suggested that an updated 15-inch MacBook Pro set to appear in the near future could indeed carry a 2880x1800 screen capable of utilizing HiDPI mode to display sharper content.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...

Top Rated Comments

djrod Avatar
173 months ago
Apple leads and the rest follows
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djrod Avatar
173 months ago
Just think of what would happen if this technology came to TVs. Ultra Blu Ray?

A tv is actually retina, you can't see pixels on a TV, you watch tv far away form the screen already
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
173 months ago
I'm still sad they dumped the resolution independence and went down the hi-dpi route instead. One size does not fit all...

Yeah but I'd rather Hi-DPI though. Resolution independence works great for interface elements, but not for webpages. You'd end up with pixelated images on webpages if they are increased in size (i.e. zooming a webpage).

Least with Hi-DPI everything is sharper, and while images may not be optimised for double resolution, they won't look any less worse than they do on a non-retina display.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bawbac Avatar
173 months ago
I wonder if this will be the start of mass reports of yellowing displays, excessive dead pixels & color uniformity issues. :p

----------

Just think of what would happen if this technology came to TVs. Ultra Blu Ray?

4K blu-ray but there's currently no content.

Upconverting is not optimal and a waste of a good display without the proper source.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Drunken Master Avatar
173 months ago
I was planning on running my MBP into the ground for as many years as possible until it falls apart like the Blues Mobile but a retina MBP?

Might have to save up for that.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
173 months ago
The whole 'Retina' term is marketing bulljive. Sit far away enough from *any* screen and PRESTO! ITS RETINA DISPLAY! :rolleyes:

'Retina' should mean; 300dpi, literally that many dots (or pixels) per inch at ANY distance, thereby truly being 'retina'

Its basically false advertising.

So a 30" Apple Cinema Display should be 7680x4320 so that it is 300dpi? Just so that when I am 5 inches away I see no pixels?

And man, a retina TV would be over 10,000 pixels wide. Just for the occasion when I stand six inches from it, I can marvel at the glorious detail. Too bad the movie has to come on a 50-bluray set to fit all the content.

Yes, Retina is a marketing term, but why should you set the definition to an arbitrary 300 dpi? If I hold my phone 1 inch from my face I can see pixels. So that means it has to be higher than 300 dpi. Why? Because our perception of detail is based on distance.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)