iPad mini with its non-Retina display
It's one of the most protracted will-they-won't-they stories of the year, but a fresh report claims that the iPad mini 2 will indeed sport a Retina display, courtesy of Apple's biggest rival Samsung.
The Wall Street Journal is carrying fresh claims from Taiwan stating that Apple's suppliers are gearing up for mass production of the second generation iPad mini in the fourth quarter of the year. That in itself isn't surprising, as it simply confirms the expected annual refresh of one of Apple's most successful iOS devices in recent times.
Rather, the interesting news is that this new iPad mini "will likely feature a high-resolution screen from Samsung."
The pressure has been on for Apple to come up with the one key hardware improvement that many felt was needed for the iPad mini. The original device's 7.9-inch display sported a 1024 x 768 resolution, which is the same as 2011's iPad 2.
With the recent launch of the new Google Nexus 7 and its 1920 x 1200 display - the sharpest tablet screen yet - Apple arguably can't afford to launch another non-Retina compact tablet.
Yet that appears to have been on the cards, judging from some of the rumours emerging from Apple's supply chain. As recently as July 15 it was claimed that a Retina-equipped iPad mini wouldn't arrive until next year.
Whilst Apple has sought to pull away from its main hardware rival for its iOS device components in recent times, this latest report claims that Apple will turn to Samsung as well as Sharp and LG for its iPad mini 2 Retina displays.
Next, read our iPad mini tips and tricks.
