There will be no iPad 3 in 2011, it has been claimed, due to a lack of Retina displays.
Digitimes reports that Apple had at one stage planned to release a third-generation iPad with a much higher resolution of its predecessors in 2011.
However, it was forced to change its plans when it became obvious that Samsung and LG wouldn’t be able to meet demands for 9.7”, 2048 x 1536 touch panels. Sharp also supplies such panels but the report claims Apple baulked at the price.
There are also concerns that the backlighting source needed to power higher-resolution touchscreens is too bulky to fit into Apple’s proposed iPad 3. This could cause additional delays to the launch, the report said.
Supply of the iPad 2 in the second half of 2011 will still be between 28-30 million units with the company well on course to ship more than 40 million iPads over the whole year.