The Retina Display is one of the most prominent features of the iPad 3 compared to the iPad 2. The high level of brightness is maintained due to the increased number of LEDs. However, the large number of LEDs taken a toll on the battery life. The ‘heating problem’ which we have heard about in the past is also rumored to be due to a large number of LEDs. There have been news about the issues involving battery life and heating problems and here is a summary:
A report suggests that even though the battery of iPad 3 is 1.7 times larger than the iPad 2, the number of LEDs which offer full brightness and better resolution is not doing well for the battery life.

A few facts now! The number of backlight LEDs used in the iPad 3 has approximately doubled from 36 to an estimate of 72-82. This has increased requirement for at least 50 percent of larger battery for the iPad 3, since the Retina display is taking about 50 to 60 percent of the battery power. The LEDs in the iPad 3 are consuming 2.5 times power compared to the iPad, which the battery is 1.7 times larger. This means even if the users run the iPad 3 at maximum brightness, the run time is low as they only put in 70 percent more battery while using 150 percent more power.

DisplayMate informs the iPad 3 when set at maximum brightness utilizes about 20 percent less battery life compared to the iPad 2. However, when set at middle brightness, the runtime is the same. Analysts thereby suggests it as in all probability the ‘typical setting’ in the way the fruit company delivers it.

Now talking about the heating problem, Consumer Reports state the higher temperature generated in the iPad 3 compared to the iPad 2 is ‘hot to touch’ but not uncomfortably so. The heating is mainly concentrated at certain points and it is recorded at less than the general body temperature. Many have found the Apple logo to be the most ‘heated’.

Apart from the heating issue and the battery problem talk, we know there are only a few apps specifically designed for the original iPad when it was first introduced. But since its introduction, both the iPhone and iPod Touch have been upgraded to high resolution Retina Displays. So far, the fruit company hasn’t used the Retina graphics from apps which have been upgraded to work with the iPhone 4 and 4S’s 960*640 display. The iPad 1 and 2 still pixels double the 480*320 display from the original iPhone’s screen. Retinapad is a Cydia app that enables the use of iPhone Retina graphics on the original iPad filling the functionality gap.

However, a user on TouchArcade forums states the iPad 3 has significantly improved visual experience as it displays Retina graphics of apps designed for the iPhone in both 1x and 2 x modes. There is still an issue of user experience, in 2x mode; the interface elements are twice as large but much better looking.

He further informed that he just tested it out with NBA Jam! The iPhone version looked crap on his iPad 1. However, when he used RetinaPad after jailbreaking, it was tricked into loading iPhone 4’s Retina enabled graphic assets. However, on his iPad 3, it looks remarkable, just by enabling the 2x option at the bottom right of the screen. Retinapad is no longer needed!

The image above displays the graphics of the iPhone version of Cut the Rope. The left is on iPad 2 which the right one is on iPad 3. The iPad 3 version utilizes the iPhone Retina Graphics found in Cut the Rope for iPhone, resulting in a sharper image. It looks identical to the native iPad version of the game:

The game isn’t updated yet to support the iPad Retina display, and the native apps will look even better on the iPad 3. There is also visual improvement expected for the iPhone apps running on the latest tablet.

According to Pocket-lint, Netflix had revealed the HD streaming to the iPad 3’s Retina Display is a part of its plan for the future. The Netflix iPad application has just been updated to be compatible with the high resolution screen, but currently only streams standard definition content to tablet devices. The subscribers familiar with content on HD TVs would know that many shows and movies are already available in HD, may with 5.1 surround sound too. That content is already encoded at 1080p and capable of playing fine over normal broadband with stuttering, but perhaps the media streaming service needs to bolster its infrastructure before it can take on the extra bandwidth. After all, iPad 3 sold 3 million units in the first weekend of sales!

It is definitely expected in the future. Joris Evers, director of Corporate Communications at Netfilx, informed speaking to Mashable that he can’t say when HD content will be available on the iPad3, only that it is coming. He stated the videos are not in HD yet. That is their roadmap, but he can’t share timing at this point.

Let’s hope we get Netflix and more apps for the Retina Display soon. We will also bring you more reports about the heating problems and the battery issues. Keep following us! Meanwhile, you can check out iPad 3: Cool accessories for your new tablet!

Filed under: iPad 3 News

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