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Apple is said to be working on an iPad mini with a high-resolution Retina display, but may not be able to produce the model in sufficient quantity this year — if at all. Although an event to announce new iPad models is expected in the near future, Reuters reports that the company will be "unable to widely roll out" the Retina display iPad mini this month, meaning that supply could be slim to none for the holiday season.
The report is backed up by supply chain analysts IHS iSuppli, which told CNET last week that manufacturing volumes would seem to suggest a launch in the first quarter of next year. Suppliers have only recently started preparing for the launch of a mini Retina display, according to Reuters, and one source says that Apple has imposed strict power-saving requirements. It is possible that Apple could announce the device before it is able to ship it in large quantities, although the company prefers to release products close to their reveal.
Sharper iPad mini would square off against Nexus 7 and new Kindle Fire
Competing tablets such as the new Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX feature high-resolution 7-inch 1920 x 1200 displays, whereas the current iPad mini has a 7.9-inch 1024 x 768 screen. If Apple plans to follow its usual strategy of simply quadrupling pixel count in the move to Retina — which would make the transition a non-issue for the company's valued stable of third-party developers — the new iPad mini's screen would come in at 2048 x 1536.