Mass Production Of iPad Mini Retina Displays To Start In June Or July

Following yesterday’s report from DisplaySearch analysts which indicated that a Retina iPad mini would launch in a third quarter, the company today told CNET that production of Retina displays for the next iPad mini should start in June or July.

The timing is not a big surprise given that the company just claimed the device would begin shipping in the third quarter, although another analyst have claimed that it may launch sometime during September-November timeframe.

An analyst Richard Shim from DisplaySearch also claims that LG Display, current supplier of displays for iPad mini, will maintain a key role in production of the Retina displays for the tablet, and that Samsung will not supply new iPad mini displays. He said:

"Samsung is currently not in the iPad Mini and they won't be in the next generation. LGD is becoming a much bigger supplier than before"

LG is reportedly the major supplier of displays for the current iPad mini, while AU Optronics is also responsible for a considerable portion of the display supply.

Shim’s also claims that the new Retina display will have the same 2048 x 1536 resolution used on the full-sized iPad's display, though at a higher pixel density to fit the smaller physical size.