Apple's Retina iPad mini to follow debut of high-res Google's Nexus 7, report says

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
According to NPD DisplaySearch, Google may beat Apple to the high-resolution 7-inch form factor tablet market with a revamped Nexus 7 in the second quarter of 2013, while the Cupertino company is expected to launch a Retina display-toting next-generation iPad mini in either the third or fourth quarter.

iPad mini


The research firm told CNET on Friday that supply chain checks point to a possible third quarter production for the so-called "iPad mini 2's" Retina display, suggesting the device won't be available for some time.

"When would the Mini be available? Could be third quarter or fourth quarter," DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza speculated, citing the company's supply chain data.

The estimate is in line with a previous report from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said in January that he expects a Retina version of Apple's small format iPad to be introduced in the middle of the third quarter.

As for specs, Semenza believes the mini's display should boast a resolution of 2,048-by-1,536 pixels, which he said is "the typical step up when you go to Retina," an estimate heard before from the rumor mill. If Apple stays with a 7.9-inch screen, the pixel density would reach 324 pixels per inch, almost identical to the 326ppi panel used in the iPhone 5. By comparison, the current iPad mini employs a 1,024-by-768 display with a pixel density of 163ppi.

Google is thought to be readying a follow up device for the Nexus 7, Semenza said, citing checks with Asian parts suppliers. The updated tablet will supposedly up screen resolution to 1,920-by-1,200 pixels, which is in line with Apple's Retina-level panels at a pixel density of 323ppi.

If the analyst is correct, Google will be looking at a second quarter release for the upgraded Nexus 7, while the next-generation iPad mini could be unveiled in the second half of the year. The timeline is roughly the same as 2012, when Google launched its small form factor table a little over two months ahead of Apple's mini.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 52
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    …the mini's display should boast a resolution of 2,048-by-1,536 pixels, which he said is "the typical step up when you go to Retina,"


     


    It's easy to predict something that doesn't require predicting.

  • Reply 2 of 52
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    The current 8" Mini has 36% more screen area and a full 42% longer battery life than the 7" Nexus. It also has an actual metal shell.

    And yet the plastic Nexus 7 is 30% larger by volume (46% thicker!) and 10% heavier.

    Now add higher res screens to both--screens that need more power, especially for the higher-end GPUs you need to drive all those extra pixels.

    I wonder which of the two can best afford that GPU power, without ruining battery life and/or making an even bulkier device?

    It wouldn't surprise me if neither Apple NOR Google can crack that engineering problem this year... but Google will probably release something anyway--even if it has to be slow and/or even bulkier than the current Nexus. (Remember how the iPad 3 got heavier with retina.)

    One challenge Apple faces that Google does not: Apple has to achieve massive yields, because people want iPads. If the better screen can only be made in small quantities, then it won't boost sales, it will shrink sales! (They can keep a current-res Mini around as well, but history shows that demand will be for the newer models.)

    Google doesn't have that problem: they may not be able to get Apple-size quantities of high-res screens made, but that's OK: they don't have Apple-size demand to fill. That could help Google move sooner than Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    nagromme wrote: »
    The current 8" Mini has 36% more screen area and a full 42% longer battery life than the 7" Nexus. It also has an actual metal shell.

    And yet the plastic Nexus 7 is 30% larger by volume (46% thicker!) and 10% heavier.

    Now add higher res screens to both--screens that need more power, especially for the higher-end GPUs you need to drive all those extra pixels.

    I wonder which of the two can best afford that GPU power, without ruining battery life and/or making an even bulkier device?

    It wouldn't surprise me if neither Apple NOR Google can crack that engineering problem this year... but Google will probably release something anyway--even if it has to be slow and/or even bulkier than the current Nexus. (Remember how the iPad 3 got heavier with retina.)

    One challenge Apple faces that Google does not: Apple has to achieve massive yields, because people want iPads. If the better screen can only be made in small quantities, then it won't boost sales, it will shrink sales! (They can keep a current-res Mini around as well, but history shows that demand will be for the newer models.)

    Google doesn't have that problem: they may not be able to get Apple-size quantities of high-res screens made, but that's OK: they don't have Apple-size demand to fill. That could help Google move sooner than Apple.

    It's already at 32nm but a newer Apple A-chip with the Rogue 6 GPU from Imagination Tech, and other power and weight cost savings in the display, touchscreen, and backlight might make it more of natural transfer than we saw with the iPad 2 to iPad 3 transition.
  • Reply 4 of 52
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    How many nexi (nexuses?) have sold/shipped so far?
  • Reply 5 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    jungmark wrote: »
    How many nexi (nexuses?) have sold/shipped so far?

    Dictionary lists only nexus and nexuses as the plural form. I prefer the same name for the plural.
  • Reply 6 of 52
    But the iPad mini followed a slew of 7-inch tablets and it seems to be doing well, so why should this matter so terribly much?
  • Reply 7 of 52
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    It's already at 32nm but a newer Apple A-chip with the Rogue 6 GPU from Imagination Tech, and other power and weight cost savings in the display, touchscreen, and backlight might make it more of natural transfer than we saw with the iPad 2 to iPad 3 transition.


     


    Incorrect on the ImgTec Rogue 6.: PowerVR SGX543MP2


     


    The Rogue 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerVR#Series_6_.28Rogue.29_2


     


    Now that LLVM/Clang has ARM including ARM Cortex A-15 and ImageTec which now owns MIPS and has been dumping code heavily into the LLVM/Clang MIPS Target I won't be surprised if Apple's new iPhone, iPad and iPad Mini comes out with that Rogue 6 custom SoC with their own custom 64 bit ARM SMP solution for all three products, at 28nm and with improved battery life.

  • Reply 8 of 52
    majjomajjo Posts: 574member
    jungmark wrote: »
    How many nexi (nexuses?) have sold/shipped so far?

    last I heard, they were selling about 1 million per month
  • Reply 9 of 52

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    It's already at 32nm but a newer Apple A-chip with the Rogue 6 GPU from Imagination Tech, and other power and weight cost savings in the display, touchscreen, and backlight might make it more of natural transfer than we saw with the iPad 2 to iPad 3 transition.


    If history is any indication, the iPad mini with Retina will get the A6X SoC and the iPad Retina will get the new A7X (or whatever it ends being called) SoC.

  • Reply 10 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Incorrect on the ImgTec Rogue 6.: PowerVR SGX543MP2

    The Rogue 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerVR#Series_6_.28Rogue.29_2

    Now that LLVM/Clang has ARM including ARM Cortex A-15 and ImageTec which now owns MIPS and has been dumping code heavily into the LLVM/Clang MIPS Target I won't be surprised if Apple's new iPhone, iPad and iPad Mini comes out with that Rogue 6 custom SoC with their own custom 64 bit ARM SMP solution for all three products, at 28nm and with improved battery life.

    Could you restate that for me? Are you saying I'm incorrect in thinking Rogue 6 is likely to happen in the 2nd half of the year, at all, that it won't offer power savings, that I assumed it would be at the 32nm process or something else entirely?
  • Reply 11 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    If history is any indication, the iPad mini with Retina will get the A6X SoC and the iPad Retina will get the new A7X (or whatever it ends being called) SoC.

    I don't think history is a good indicator for this case. I feel size and weight (especially weight) are highly important factors to with the iPad mini. Then consider that the iPad mini will have the the same jump to 4x as many pixels as the previous version, like the iPad but in about 1/2 the volume. If they want the the thickness and weight to be close to what it is now I don't think they'll be using the A6X that is found in the iPad 4.
  • Reply 12 of 52
    steven n.steven n. Posts: 1,229member
    majjo wrote: »
    last I heard, they were selling about 1 million per month

    I have noticed, based on web analytics, usage of Android tablets is falling rapidly while he ipad continues to climb rapidly. I question if many Android tablets were sold after Christmas. They were used as cheap gifts and are now finding their way to closets and drawers.
  • Reply 13 of 52
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member


    They don't seem in a hurry to add Retina technology to the iPad Mini or the Macbook Air. I guess battery life and thinness are everything with those products.

  • Reply 14 of 52
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post



    How many nexi (nexuses?) have sold/shipped so far?


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    Dictionary lists only nexus and nexuses as the plural form. I prefer the same name for the plural.


     


    Actually, "Nexusez" - since Android tabs are mostly for the "haz Cheezeburgerz" crowd anyway ...... 

  • Reply 15 of 52
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    jungmark wrote: »
    How many nexi (nexuses?) have sold/shipped so far?

    Dictionary lists only nexus and nexuses as the plural form. I prefer the same name for the plural.

    So, one, then.
  • Reply 16 of 52
    pedromartinspedromartins Posts: 1,333member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bigpics View Post


     


     


    Actually, "Nexusez" - since Android tabs are mostly for the "haz Cheezeburgerz" crowd anyway ...... 



    That's offensive.


     


    Not everyone is comfortable with paying 1200 dollars a year for a smartphone, and by "not everyone" I mean the large majority of the world, especially on those countries where people know they can't live with more than what they earn.


     


    For those of us: Apple does not give an option, Windows sucks, so we have no choice but android. I'm proud of myself, proud that i'm not part of the "haz cheezeburgerz" crowd, just like my friends. Far from it.

  • Reply 17 of 52
    quest01quest01 Posts: 69member
    I think this makes sense seeing a retina display ipad mini coming out this year. Everyone wants this to happen so it doesn't surprise me. I have the nexus 7 and it works fine for what I do with it but if the ipad mini with retina comes out it will blow away the competition.
  • Reply 18 of 52
    froodfrood Posts: 771member


    I don't think its that big of a deal which one comes out 'first.'   Both are going to do well.  It almost comes down more to ecosystem (at least in the US, less saturated markets are a little different).  Apple works tremendously with Apple, with anything else- not so much.  I think it would be a pretty weird choice for an iPhone user to buy an Android tablet.  It didn't work the other way for the last few years- even if you had an Android phone the iPad still made sense because the Android offerings just weren't as good.  I think current Android tablets are very good, and the Apps are all there to do 90% of anything well.  Androids customization, app switching, and overall feel I like- the iPad still feels a little too simple (hit the home button, pick an app from the grid, hit the home button, pick an app from the grid).  The touch sensitive stylus is actually pretty nice for the artsy feel, but they really need some of the iPad caliber art apps to take advantage of it.


     


    I still think the Android tablets are behind, but its getting to the point where Apple's walled garden is still very effective at keeping people in- but it is serving as a detriment and actually keeping out as well.  I think the iPad is great but I bought an Android tablet simply because I prefer an Android phone and don't want to deal with one oddball device that forces me into the Apple system.  For my parents I buy the Apple stuff- Apple is still hands down the choice for less tech savvy people.


     


    Coming a little later to the game could also be an advantage for the iPad mini.  It will be 'newer' during the Christmas rush- and that is no small factor.

  • Reply 19 of 52
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    ascii wrote: »
    They don't seem in a hurry to add Retina technology to the iPad Mini or the Macbook Air. I guess battery life and thinness are everything with those products.

    I know you're just speaking loosely about that "hurry" part, but I think they might really be in a full-on rush to get it out. We just don't know if they may be pushing to get IGZO and/or a new processor ready in order to keep down heat, weight, thickness and battery usage, all of which are everything with these products, as you say. Apple is through with thick and heavy, even on the desktop.
  • Reply 20 of 52
    bigpics wrote: »
    Actually, "Nexusez" - since Android tabs are mostly for the "haz Cheezeburgerz" crowd anyway ...... 
    That's offensive.

    Not everyone is comfortable with paying 1200 dollars a year for a smartphone, and by "not everyone" I mean the large majority of the world, especially on those countries where people know they can't live with more than what they earn.

    For those of us: Apple does not give an option, Windows sucks, so we have no choice but android. I'm proud of myself, proud that i'm not part of the "haz cheezeburgerz" crowd, just like my friends. Far from it.

    It may be, but he has a point.

    All you need to do is look at the crowd here whose usernames end in a 'z' (e.g., MacRulez).
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