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iSuppli suggests Apple's cash infusion going toward display manufacturing
During Apple's recent earnings conference call, Tim Cook confirmed Apple was spending $3.9 billion on pre-payments for unspecified components. Aware of the AMOLED display shortages that plague the mobile phone industry, analysts and tech pundits alike assumed Cook was referring to the LCD displays used in the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad. One early hint of a manufacturing deal for display technology surfaced in early 2009 when Apple reportedly signed a five-year deal with LG to supply displays for its notebooks and Cinema displays as well as the iPhone and iPod touch. A more recent rumor suggested Apple was investing in a Toshiba-owned manufacturing facility for retina displays. IHS iSuppli has dug up information from its manufacturing channels that corroborate these rumors. According to iSuppli, Apple's $3.9 billion in pre-payments is headed to LG Display, Sharp, and Toshiba Mobile display and would secure the supply of advanced LCD displays for the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad. Besides buying displays from the trio of display makers, Apple is also investing in manufacturing facilities to build the high resolution IPS (in-plane switching) and LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) LCD panels used in its mobile devices. By investing in these LCD companies, Apple is securing for itself a steady supply of displays which will meet the growing consumer demand for its popular iPhone and iPad. [Via Fortune]
iPad high resolution display rumored for third generation
According to IDC research manager Tom Mainelli, the iPad 3 and not the iPad 2 will be the lucky recipient of a high-resolution display. Previous rumors have repeatedly suggested that the iPad 2 will sport a high-resolution "Retina" display. Most of these rumors came from Asian sources and were cautiously repeated with skepticism that Apple could pack a Retina Display into the iPad 2 and keep the price competitive. Mainelli bucks this trend by asserting that it is production and not cost that is the limiting factor for a 10-inch high-resolution display. The technology exists and is reasonably priced, but there are no production facilities capable of producing a Retina Display at the volume Apple will need for the iPad 2. Apple sold over 7 million iPads in its last quarter, and these numbers are expected to skyrocket in the upcoming year. Rather than experience lagging sales due to component shortages. Apple may have opted to push off the high-resolution display and manufacture the iPad 2 with a standard resolution display. Apple is reportedly prepping manufacturers for the iPad 3, giving them time to ramp up their display production capabilities for the third generation tablet. If this analysis by Mainelli pans out and the iPad 2 does ship with a standard display, will you be disappointed? Disappointed to the point that you bypass the iPad 2 and wait for the iPad 3? Let us know in the comments.
iPads and Retina Displays: Doing the math
Over the weekend, we saw the swirling rumors around the specs for the (presumably inevitable) iPad 2 start to come together. One of the most intriguing suggestions, which Engadget claims to have a reliable source for (and MacRumors some corroborating evidence to boot) is a higher resolution screen to match the iPhone 4's Retina Display -- specifically, doubling in both directions, changing from 1024x768 to 2048x1536. This has prompted some discussion around exactly what Retina Display means, and whether this would count. The iPhone 4's screen is a mammoth 326 pixels-per-inch (ppi), whereas this rumored new iPad resolution is a somewhat lesser 264 ppi -- quite a bit less. However, I believe it's just as valid for Apple to call this a Retina Display as it was to call the iPhone 4 screen, and after the break I will explain why with some hopefully convincing mathematics. Firstly though, it's important to stress that these are only rumors and that 2048x1536 is an incredible number of pixels -- 3,145,728 of them, in fact. That's only 17 percent less than the 27" iMac or 27" Cinema Display, and it's 52 percent more pixels than a 50" 1080p television screen! This makes the screen expensive to make; it places greater strain on the graphics chipset to drive the screen, which makes that more expensive, too; it won't do the battery life any favors either. All of this, to my mind, suggests this is one rumor that might come down to wishful thinking. As John Gruber said: "I'll believe it when I see it."
iPad 2 Retina Display evidence mounts, this time a .png of wood is to blame
So, we heard from our source that the iPad 2 would have a "super high resolution" Retina Display, we heard from AppleInsider that the iPad 2 is getting around 4X the graphics performance of the iPad, and of course there's the fact that the iPhone 4's Retina Display offered a pretty impressively painless upgrade path for developers -- an iPad 2 with a 2048 x 1536 screen is starting to sound less and less like the crazy dream of naive fanboys. But wait, there's more! A .png has been found in the iBooks 1.2 source files, dubbed Wood Tile@2x.png. It's sized at 1536 x 800, while the old and busted Wood Tile.png in iBooks 1.1 was 768 x 400 -- that's 2X in each direction, or 4X the pixels, for anyone who's counting. Incontrovertible evidence? No, but we want to believe.
Apple's A5 chip rumored to have 4X the power of A4
AppleInsider is reporting that both the iPad 2 and the next generation of the iPhone, both rumored to be released later on this year, will feature the next generation of chips designed by Apple. The A5 (named after the A4, the current chip in most iOS devices) is rumored to have two cores, making for faster graphics performance, and enabling things like the iPad 2's rumored Retina Display and HDTV out of the next version of the Apple TV. There's a lot of technical information out about the new chip (it will likely include the new SGX543 graphics core, an upgrade from the current model used by Apple), but with two cores running, the new chip model is supposed to offer around four times the processing power of the current generation. That allows for both the mentioned graphics upgrades, as well as faster computing tasks straight off of the processor with OpenCL. Apple's Intrinsity and P.A. Semi are likely to be the companies behind development, while Samsung is likely working on actual production. We can look for faster, better, stronger Apple chips later on this year. [via Engadget]
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Reality Display vs. Retina Display... fight!
Sony Ericsson isn't being shy about hyping the Xperia Arc's new Reality Display, so we naturally had to take a head-to-head shot with the iPhone 4's Retina Display. They actually compare quite well in person, even though the Arc actually has the same 854 x 480 resolution as the Droid X -- you can definitely see some pixels up close, but since the panel is a hair smaller than the X at 4.2 inches, the pixel density is a little tighter. The real noise behind the Reality Display is Arc's Bravia Engine, which Sony claims will enhance colors and detail just like on Bravia TVs, but we didn't get to play with it too much beyond finding the option in settings to turn it off. We'll obviously be diving deep on that once we score a review unit, but for now check a macro shot and a Droid X comparison after the break.
Engadget Chinese gets hands-on with the Meizu M9
We harbored our doubts as to whether the Meizu M9 would ever be more than unicorn, prancing around the grey matter of CEO Jack Wong, but lo and behold, a honest-to-goodness handset just arrived at our Chinese counterparts' door. Our brothers-from-other-mothers at Engadget Chinese have yet to put that Retina Display-alike through the wringer, but their cameras have been popping nonstop, and if you're curious about the literal shape of things to come -- or just about any facet of Meizu's customized Android 2.2 UI -- you'll find it in pictures below. %Gallery-111634%%Gallery-111632%
Toshiba denies rumor Apple will invest in display factory
Remember the factory that Toshiba and Apple are supposed to be building together? According to DigiTimes, it turns out that Toshiba is not actually on board with the idea. Currently, Toshiba is still planning to build the new plant, which will double its output of small- to medium-sized displays. Although Apple is not an investor, it will likely reap the benefits of additional capacity via a possible decrease in the per unit cost of the displays. One can only assume that the added capacity will aid in meeting the demand increase when Apple finally ships the white iPhone in 2011.
TUAW's Daily App: Max Adventure
Max Adventure has been quite a while in the making. I first saw it at 360iDev earlier this year, and then again at WWDC, where we met up with the husband-and-wife team of Imangi Studios to talk about how it was coming along during development. You may have also seen this video of a level being made in the game. Finally, everything is done, and a few days ago, the game itself showed up on the App Store. It's a hit so far, too. Even though it's a dual-stick shooter, a genre that's been done to death on the iPhone, Max Adventure's got a fun and original sense of humor -- you play a little kid fighting off parent-kidnapping aliens around the neighborhood. There's an excellent story mode to play through, with progression, power-ups and quests to find and do, and if you finish that, there's a survival mode as well, complete with Game Center achievements and leaderboards. Just as you'd expect from Imangi, the folks behind Harbor Master (who recently updated their original app with Retina Display graphics just for the heck of it), the quality is excellent all around. The team at Imangi has put a whole lot of love into this one, and it shows. At the introductory price of just 99 cents (for the universal app!), Max Adventure is a bargain, even during the crowded holiday season. Odds are you've already picked up a few games this year, but even if that's the case, go find another buck in your couch because this one's a must-buy.
Rock Band Reloaded out now on App Store, Puzzle Quest 2 out soon
Two big sequels have hit the App Store in the past day or so -- as the holidays are here, more big name titles will be forthcoming for sure. First up, EA has released Rock Band Reloaded, a new version of the popular Rock Band music game series for iOS. This one plays generally the same as the first game as you have to tap certain notes on the screen as they slide down the board, but there are quite a few new options, including new songs (15 now, more free tracks coming soon, and more available via in-app purchase) and a new vocal mode that allows you to sing into the iPhone's microphone. The game is also updated for Retina Display, and it has awards and achievements to earn, though strangely, EA hasn't embraced Game Center quite yet. The iPhone version is $4.99, and the iPad HD version is $9.99. And Namco should have Puzzle Quest 2 on the App Store, though at the moment I can't find it out there. The puzzler/RPG title is terrific (I really enjoyed it on Xbox Live Arcade), and it looks like Namco has decided to go with a full release for $9.99 rather than going episodic as they did with the first title. Either way, the game is great -- hopefully it'll be back out on the App Store soon.
iPad 2 rumored to bring a Retina Display, more docks, and a camera
Now that iOS developers are rolling out plenty of iPad optimized versions of their apps, they may soon need to create yet more variants for the next generation iPad. Reports out of Taiwan are now saying that Apple will utilize a Retina Display, but if they do, resolution will have to increase from the current 1,024 x 768 and 132 pixels per inch to somewhere well north of 2,048 x 1,536. Other changes that might arrive in iPad 2 include a USB port, a second dock connector to allow landscape use in the keyboard dock and dual (or at least front facing) cameras for FaceTime. Jonny Ive and the crew will probably find a way to make iPad 2 slimmer and lighter than the original as well. A newer version of the tablet sounds great (and is practically guaranteed, even if not all of these features are). But a full-sized Retina Display could be a tough thing to pull off, and would likely provide some more supply issues for Apple. On the other hand, it's always possible that Jobs could simply redefine the meaning of Retina Display, trending downward from the 300+ ppi he touted when the iPhone 4 was revealed last June. Since doing anything other than simply quadrupling the resolution the way that the iPhone did would make scaling more problematic, it seems probable that the iPad 2 display will keep the current resolution while perhaps getting other improvements like less glare and better viewing angles. As for the other features, we'll have to wait and see what shows up on stage with Steve at the next event.
Next iPad likely to get a new screen, front-facing camera; USB port... not so likely
New rumors are swirling about the iPad 2, and they're a bit of a grab bag. The source is the same Economic Daily News paper that made one of the early calls on the first iPad, but also the one that reported in August that there was a 7-inch display being sourced for the iPad's sequel (which Steve Jobs seems to differ with). The new report says that the next iPad will be out in Q1 2011, will have dual cameras, a new display with new touch tech, and a USB port for working with third party devices. From our own information we know there were actually some last minute revisions on the first iPad that ended up killing the camera and nixing an extra dock connector, so the camera(s) seem a particularly natural "addition" for the iPad 2. We've also heard that a revised screen is happening, though it's unclear if this will be a "Retina Display" or something more minor. On the USB plug front, which could mark a sort of adolescent transition of the iPad into "computer," our source says it's, sadly, very unlikely. We're particularly interested in this mention of a new touchscreen technology from the EDN rumor (perhaps stylus support or pressure sensitivity?) but we don't have anything else to go on there. Overall, it's still hard to tell if the next iPad will be a small update or something more splashy, but it's certainly going to be something.
Ortustech launches 4.8-inch 1080p display
When Apple introduced the fourth generation iPhone last June, Steve Jobs made a lot of hay about the 326 pixel-per-inch density of its 960 x 640 Retina display. To date, that's the highest pixel density found on any portable device, but it may not be for long. Casio and Toppan have a joint venture called Ortustech that has just announced a 4.8-inch diagonal display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. For the mathematically challenged among us, that works out to a massive 458 ppi density, meaning that no human (at least) is likely to be complaining about being able to see individual pixels. The first applications for the new display are likely to be monitors for HDTV cameras and other equipment, with phones and game machines coming later. The current 4.8-inch size is definitely at the large end of the scale for a phone, so we may see a slightly smaller 720p variant of this technology in our pockets first. [Source: New Launches via Electronista]
Cannon Cadets now includes level builder, scoring, and a TUAW level
Back in August, XMG Studio released a fun game called Cannon Cadets (US$0.99), and it quickly became popular with those of us who love games where we shoot or fling things at targets. I enjoyed Cannon Cadets, although lack of a cohesive scoring mechanism made it difficult to measure my progress, and the sound effects -- which consisted mainly of farts and burps -- were annoying. XMG listened to feedback from the many people who purchased the game, and it's now out with even more special features, cool sounds, and an updated soundtrack. The updated version is universal, so you can now kill robots on your iPad as well. If you have an iPhone 4, you'll be thrilled to see that Retina Display support is included. A scoring mechanism has been built into Cannon Cadets, but even better, you can now build your own levels and share them with other players. XMG Studio reported that in less than a week, over 500 user-generated levels have been developed. All are available for gameplay from within Cannon Cadets, and we're happy to say that Brandon at XMG created a difficult level for TUAW (see screenshot above). If you have Cannon Cadets, go to "Download User Made Levels", search for tuaw by brandonmat, download it, and enjoy. It should keep you busy over the weekend!
New iPhone 4 ad touts Retina Display
A new iPhone 4 ad has hit the airwaves. Rather than featuring FaceTime, which is now quickly making it into the mainstream on shows like Hawaii Five-O, the new ad focuses on the Retina Display. In the ad, the ability of the display to bring out the best of photos, movies, text, and games is vividly demonstrated on "the highest resolution phone screen ever." Seeing how other phone manufacturers are now using terms like "our high-resolution AMOLED display" in their advertising, this is a smart move on Apple's part while they still have the lead in phone display technology.
TUAW's Daily App: Dayta
There are lots of apps on the App Store for tracking numbers, like your weight, your golf score, and how many hours you've worked lately, but Dayta serves as one solution for all of those. You can simply create stats however you like, and then track them to your heart's content. You can export them out to CSV files, or you can browse and visualize them directly within the app, doing whatever you want with the raw data that you collect from day to day. Plus, the app was just revamped, so now you get full Retina Display compatibility, lots of new enhancements and performance updates, and even the ability to tweet any data that you happen to input. That seems like an excellent deal for US$1.99. Of course, if you already have a few apps set up for tracking the relevant data in your life (like apps for your calorie intake or your car's gas consumption), that's a fine way to do it. There are definitely apps on the store that will allow for more customization and more specialized tracking than Dayta. But if you enjoy pulling in a bunch of raw numbers and have a few spare stats to check, Dayta might be able to help.
Sharp's IS03 Android phone packs retina display, minus the branding pretense
WVGA's so 2009, isn't it? Sharp has broken Android's usual 800 (or 854) x 480 mold this week with the introduction of the IS03 for Japan's KDDI au network, boasting a full 960 x 640 on its 3.5-inch screen -- matching the iPhone 4's so-called retina display -- along with Advanced Super View (ASV) technology, delivering the same kind of viewing angle benefits you find in IPS. If that alone doesn't make for enough of a monster spec sheet for you, consider that the IS03 also features a 9.6 megapixel autofocus camera with image stabilization, one-seg TV tuner, and Osaifu-Keitai, which allows the phone to be used for contactless payments in subways and the like. Though you won't find it sold outside Japan, you might eventually see one outside Japan thanks to support for Global Passport CDMA, meaning the IS03 can be used in countries that have operating CDMA networks -- the US, for example. Unfortunately, it's running Android 2.1, but let's be honest: the monster hardware might be enough to overcome that little oversight. Look for this puppy to launch in three colors next month.
MobileMe Gallery app goes universal in version 1.2
Apple's free MobileMe Gallery app was just updated, and the new version finally supports the iPad. Other changes have been made to finally bring the app up to speed with iOS 4 and the iPhone 4 -- there's now support for fast app switching, and the app is now optimized for the Retina Display on the iPhone 4. Previously, users needed a MobileMe subscription to view friends' galleries; now that restriction has been taken away for iPhone and iPad users. The app looks great on an iPad, and if you have any photos stored in MobileMe galleries, you'll want to get this update as soon as possible. Thanks to Michael K. for the tip!
Apple Remote app v2 now available for iOS 4
Apple has released an all-new version of its long-untouched Remote app for iOS devices, which has been well overdue an update for some time now. It has a number of significant new features, including Retina Display support, an all-new iPad UI, gesture-based remote control support for the new Apple TV, and (perhaps most significantly for some people) the ability to use Home Streaming to stream content from an iTunes library on your local network to your iOS device (UPDATE- please see note below). This last addition will be really useful for people with music libraries that are too large to fit on their device. We'll have more coverage of the app soon, but in the meantime, get your download via iTunes. UPDATE: Numerous commenters are pointing out that the Home Sharing feature does not allow you to stream from iTunes to the iOS device, although that would sound like a logical thing for it to do. Instead, it merely allows an easier way to "pair" your iOS device and iTunes without entering the four-digit codes required by the previous version. The overly enthusiastic writer of the original story conveyed his deep regret about this error as he was taken out and shot.
TUAW's Daily App: Mirror's Edge
Usually, we like to use this space to highlight developers and apps that could use a little more exposure, not call out big-budget titles from developers like Electronic Arts. But this one's worth it -- Mirror's Edge is a pretty terrific, completely original translation of the plaforming game that arrived on consoles last year. It was out on the iPad at launch earlier this year, and now the game has made its way to the iPhone, bringing Retina Display graphics and the same well done gameplay. Out of all of the "major" game publishers, EA has shown Apple quite a bit of love in the past, and this is probably the company's best original (in mechanics, if not actually name or premise) title for the iOS platform. It's a real shame that it took so long for this one to make it around to the handheld, but now that it's here, it is worth the $4.99 purchase price for those looking for a premium iPhone experience. And heck, if that's too much, just be patient another eight months or so and you'll probably see the game on sale. If you're interested in this gameplay at all -- basically a complicated Canabalt, with heroine Faith running, sliding and shooting her way across rooftops -- definitely give it a look.
