iPad mini Retina Panels To Be Mass Produced In June By LG Display

We recently presented an analyst’s report (the analyst being Ming-Chi Kuo) regarding a possible Retina display second generation iPad mini. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an iPad mini 2 with a Retina display is not an option, at least not for this year. While he believes that Apple might have a second generation iPad mini ready for this year’s Christmas, Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that a Retina display iPad mini is out of the question for 2013 because the high res Retina display screen needed for it won’t be in production before late 2013. In the same article, NPD Display Search analyst Richard Shim mentioned that a second generation iPad mini (with higher specs, but non Retina display) might be unveiled at this year’s WWDC that will be held from June 10 to June 14 2013.

After that report, the NPD DisplaySearch analyst now suggests that LG might start to mass produce a Retina display for the second generation iPad mini in June, much sooner than Ming-Chi Kuo predicted. Richard Shim said that LG Display (the Korean firm being the world’s largest LCD panel producer) is the most likely candidate to produce the second generation iPad mini’s displays. LG Display already manufactures the IPS panels (which are more color accurate) that are used in the current iPad mini. If what Richard Shim said is true, than it indicates that Apple wants to distance itself from Samsung their rival in the smartphones market but also one of their biggest component suppliers.

This is what Richard Shim said: “Samsung is currently not in the iPad Mini and they won’t be in the next generation. LGD is becoming a much bigger supplier than before[…]“. He also mentioned that while LG Display will not be the only manufacturer that will provide the second generation iPad mini with panels, it will be the biggest supplier when compared to the other suppliers’ share.

Another aspect that he noted was the iPad mini 2’s display resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels which is exactly two times as high as the current iPad mini’s resolution: 1024 × 768 pixels. The doubled resolution will also translate into a higher pixels per inch density: the second generation iPad mini will have a PPI density similar to that of the iPhone 5, which is 326. The current iPad mini model has a PPI density of 163, which is very low for a 2012 tablet. But that is about to change as the transition from a 163 PPI density to a 326 PPI density is very big; it will also make the second generation iPad mini one of the top tablets when it comes to PPI density. But will consumers notice and appreciate this ultra high pixels per inch density? As Richard Shim notes, “We’re going to start to see a bunch of tablets [coming out] with a pixel density over 300. At a certain point it will be hard to discern that improved image quality […]“.

At the very least, we believe that most users will notice the difference between the current iPad mini’s display and the second generation iPad mini’s retina display. The Retina display is said to start production in June or July, which is not far at all. According to his new comments, Richard Shim suggests that during the second generation iPad mini will be released during the third quarter of this year and it will in fact have a Retina display and the Q1 of 2014 iPad mini will be a second Retina model. The June – July estimate makes a Q3 2013 release of a Retina display second generation iPad mini very plausible.