And so it begins. The iPad 3 rumour mill is whirring itself into action, with talk of a Retina Display dominating headlines across the tech press. With mention of a device rocking a super hi-res screen in iOS 5 code, as well as analysts claiming Apple has already started work on a 2048×1536 pixel panel for its next gen slate, it seems Cupertino is dead set on making the iPad even sharper.
That’s all well and good. But let’s face it. Slapping on a Retina Display isn’t, and shouldn’t, be priority number one. Users have had the option to jump ship to Android tablets with better panels for almost a year, and sales figures suggest they’re happy to stick with the current iPad’s 1024×768 effort.
Adding a display of 2048×1536 will definitely make movies, games and apps look even more stunning on the iPad then they already do. But there are already warnings about prohibitively high costs. With Apple’s form, I could see this being passed onto the end users, at a time when tablets need to be cheaper than ever. The Kindle Fire should give Apple plenty of pause for thought in this regard.
There need to be other focuses too. The design is already size zero slim, but with rival slates getting smaller, Apple could do with shaving off a few pounds and making the iPad 3 super portable. Then there’s the small matter of battery life. The iPad can keep ticking for a decent length of time, but if Apple really wants to push it to the next level, a more powerful battery is a must. It’s at least as important as slapping on a Retina Display, and even more vital if a world-beating screen is added. It’ll eat into battery life if it does arrive, make no mistake.
The question for me is, will a Retina Display really take the iPad 3 further into the mainstream? My feeling is no. It’ll look great, but it’s not going to help bring the tablet sector to average people. For that, Apple needs the iPad Mini, a device I have discussed on these pages before. A smaller, budge iPad could consolidate Apple’s position even further and make it even harder for Android rivals to keep up.
Of course, the iPad 3 Retina Display is currently speculation. But the ever-growing amount of evidence suggests it’s at the top of Apple’s agenda. If this is going to be the headline feature of the new iPad, then I for one will be a touch disappointed. There are so many other, more vital, features that could be amped up to improve the user experience. Let the screens get cheaper and easier to produce, then install them.
