iOS 8.1 Code Hints at Retina HD Display for New iPads - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iOS 8.1 Code Hints at Retina HD Display for New iPads

With the iPhone 6, Apple debuted a new display technology called Retina HD, which resulted in wider viewer angles, higher resolutions, higher contrast and a thinner display. Developer Hamza Sood has now discovered frameworks within iOS 8.1 Beta 2 that contain '3x' assets that point to higher resolution displays in the new iPad models.

Bzd0Z_rIQAEAZ0j.jpg-large
While the assets don't confirm that Retina HD displays will be on the new iPad models, it does suggest that Apple is looking at introducing the feature. Currently, it is unclear as to which iPad models would receive Retina HD displays, although some rumors have pointed to the rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro sporting a higher resolution. Apple did include a Retina HD display with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, as the larger device received a higher resolution than its smaller counterpart.

Apple is expected to debut the new iPad Air (and potentially the next generation iPad Mini with Retina Display) at a media event on October 16 in its Cupertino campus. The company is also expected to introduce new iMacs, with at least the 27-inch variety coming with a Retina Display. It's also likely Apple gives a full overview of OS X Yosemite before its public launch.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad mini
Tag: iOS 8.1
Related Forums: iOS 8, iPad

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Wednesday March 18, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another six months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component...
ios 26 4 pastel

iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

Friday March 20, 2026 2:44 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters. Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or...

Top Rated Comments

150 months ago
superman was complaining too much on how he can see the individual pixels.

stupid clark kent.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshwenke Avatar
150 months ago
Just don't destroy the Mac Mini by removing all upgradeability so you can make it thinner. The dang thing is small enough. WE NEED FUNCTION, not FORM all the time :-)
If only the Mac mini was an unreleased iPad, your post would be so much more applicable to this article.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechGod Avatar
150 months ago
I'm concerned about heat/performance/throttling/battery issues.
Hope this isn't a repeat of the iPad 3.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechGod Avatar
150 months ago
Just don't destroy the Mac Mini by removing all upgradeability so you can make it thinner. The dang thing is small enough. WE NEED FUNCTION, not FORM all the time :-)

Did..did you even READ the article and what it is about?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshwenke Avatar
150 months ago
It's actually pretty cool to dissect the iOS content and see what's behind it, like all the graphics that go into the operating system.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
150 months ago
The original iPad was 132dpi, and the Retina iPad 264dpi. Extrapolating, a 3x "Retina HD" iPad would be 396dpi, which is nearly an exact match for the 401dpi used in the iPhone 6 Plus.

So it wouldn't surprise me if the iPad Air 2 were to get an ever-so-slightly smaller display (9.6") at exactly 401dpi, with a 3072x2304 "Retina HD" resolution. This would exactly mirror the situation with the iPhone 4/4s/5/5s/6 (326dpi) and Retina iPad Mini (326dpi) sharing the same resolution.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Iphone | South Africa | Iphone | Iphone | Lifestyle