The closer we get to March and the expected unveiling of Apple’s iPad 3, the more the rumor mill grinds. Although there has been speculation of a Retina Display for the next-generation iPad for some time, it seems it is becoming more of a reality by the minute. A new report confirms a Retina Display for the iPad 3, telling how it has double the linear resolution of the current iPad.

Although there has been a ton of rumors and expectations for the iPad 3, including the possibility of 4G LTE support, the inclusion of a higher resolution display has possibly been the most ongoing and was also anticipated for the iPad 2 before its release. Therefore news of this new Retina Display for the next iPad will have many potential customers salivating. The iPad 2 display is already impressive and so just imagine what we might see with double the clarity! There have been previous photo leaks of purported iPad 3 displays but one site now claims to have possession of the iPad 3 display.

Over on MacRumors they’ve managed to get their hands on the display and although unable to power it up, scrutinized it under a microscope to determine whether in fact it does have an increased resolution. The good news is that the display that the site tested looks to have double the linear resolution of the original iPad and iPad 2 at 2048×1536 instead of the current resolution of 1024×768. This will be music to the ears of many who have been hoping for an iPad with Retina Display. The iPad 3 display is the same 9.7-inches of the current iPad, which seems to also dispel rumors that the next iPad could be a mini version. To the naked eye it looks the same as the screen for the iPad 2, however that is where the similarities end.

MacRumors reports that under the microscope the pixels on the iPad 3 display appeared to be one quarter the size as on the iPad 2. The site shows images of photographs taken where the pixels can be clearly seen showing red, green and blue elements. On inspection of a cluster of pixels, the same area on the iPad 3 contained 16 pixels (4×4) compared to 4 pixels (2×2) on the iPad 2, so double the resolution in both directions. Ultimately then, as long as this is a genuine iPad 3 display (and we have no reason to think that it’s not), it looks as though the Retina Display for Apple’s next tablet is on the way.

Another article points out that resolution of 2048×1536 across a 9.7-inch screen is not in fact true Retina Display standard, as it results in 264 ppi (pixels per inch) and not the 300 ppi level generally accepted. Either way though, this is a huge improvement and we don’t think many will be quibbling about the description. It’s also pointed out that MacRumors obtained the purported iPad 3 display that it tested through a Chinese website called TrueSupplier, where it’s listed as an ‘OEM Apple iPad 3 LCD Screen Display Replacement’ at a price of $122.99.

Thankfully there’s not too much longer to wait until the iPad 3 is official, with an Apple event expected in early March when hopefully all will be revealed. At that point we’ll all start wondering what might appear on the iPad 4! We’ll be keeping readers up-to-date with all the latest iPad 3 information but meantime let us know your thoughts on the higher-resolution display for the iPad 3 being all but confirmed. What other specs or features do you most hope will come to fruition on the iPad 3?

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