Manufacturers Struggle to Make the iPad 3’s High Resolution Display

The iPad 2 was a fairly big upgrade from its predecessor. It’s twice as fast, includes a front and back camera, and is more portable than the original. For some reason, however, Apple neglected to change the tablet’s screen resolution. It stayed a dismal 1024 x 768.

But according to CNET, that won’t happen again. The site is reporting that Apple is ordering up the most pixel-packed display we’ve ever seen on a 10-inch tablet. The screens are so ridiculous in fact, that manufacturers are struggling to mass produce them…

Will it be a “Retina display?” Not quite. The 3.5-inch Retina display found on the iPhone 4/4S comes in at 960 x 640. That’s 326 pixels per inch. According to Apple, this is the most amount of detail that the human eye can essentially comprehend.

But it will be close. CNET‘s source, who is apparently “in contact with Asia-based suppliers,” is claiming that Apple is asking for a display that carries a staggering 2048 x 1536 resolution. That equals 264 pixels per inch on the iPad’s monster screen.

However, “asking for” and actually getting are two different things. The word on the street is that manufacturers are having major problems making these displays in large batches:

“They have production plans for 2,048 x 1,536 displays. Starting in November. But those are only plans at this point,” said the source, referring to LG and Samsung. “It’s not a question of making just one. That, of course, can be done. The challenge is making lots of them,” the source said. “This is a quantum leap in pixel density. This hasn’t been done before.”

It’s a little too early to start tracking iPad 3 rumors. But seeing as how we’ve already seen evidence of Apple’s next tablet having a Retina-like display, and the unlikelihood that Apple would use a 1024 x 768 screen again, we figured this wasn’t much of a stretch.

Manufacturability pending, the next iPad is shaping up nicely — a near-Retina quality display, the possibility of better cameras, and the addition of Apple’s latest hit software feature, Siri. Yeah, it doesn’t look like the king of tablets is losing its crown anytime soon.