iPad mini with Retina display may be released in second half of 2013

Paul Semenza, an analyst at research firm DisplaySearch, tells CNET that the iPad mini with Retina display may appear in the third or fourth quarter of this year.

"We're seeing potential in the third quarter of panel production for a higher-resolution iPad Mini," DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza told CNET today.

"When would the Mini be available? Could be third quarter or fourth quarter," he said, adding that the speculation is DisplaySearch's best guess based on supply chain data."

It is not surprising that information received by CNET, points to a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels for Retina display iPad mini, which gives the device the same number of pixels as the full-size iPad, but with a higher density of 324 pixels per inch.

Semenza says that LG display is a serious candidate, but companies AU Optronics, Sharp and Japan Display are other possibilities. Currently, Japan Display produces the display for iPhone 5, but Semenza alleges that the company plans to produce displays for tablets.

Rene Ritchie reports that Apple may release the new mini iPad in next month. However, Ritchie said that the Retina display "does not mean inevitable”, assuming the iPad mini, released in April, would not have a display with higher resolution. If Apple will be releasing their tablets twice a year, it may declare the release of the iPad mini in April and new iPad mini with Retina display this year, confirming all predictions.