Though we can certainly all agree there has been a barrage of rumors surrounding Apple's iPad mini 2 — from release date down to specs and new features — there are still some who might disagree that the iPad mini 2's Retina Display is a good thing.
One of the (many) reasons everyone is so excited about the forthcoming iPad mini 2 from Apple is that the first iPad mini did not have a Retina Display. At this time, the only Apple products that do come with a Retina Display are:
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 4S
- iPod Touch (4th Gen)
- iPhone 5
- iPod Touch (5th Gen)
- iPad (3rd Gen)
- iPad (4th Gen)
- MacBook Pro (15")
- MacBook Pro (13")
Because of the fact that Retina Display did not come with the first iPad mini, it will indeed be interesting to see how Apple employs the trademarked technology that utilizes LCDs (liquid crystal displays) that the company says have such a high pixel density in the iPad mini 2. Pixelation becomes unnoticeable by the human eye from a "typical viewing distance."
Of course, since "typical viewing distance" can vary among Apple's various devices, the pixels per inch or "ppi" that Apple claims to be "retina quality" can also vary (326 for an iPhone, for example, or 220 for a MacBook Pro). With Retina Display, an Apple product such as the upcoming iPad mini 2 will be able to employ "HiDPI mode" in which interface widgets are doubled in height and width in order to compensate for smaller pixels.
Apple did indeed trademark the term "Retina" via the U.S. Patent and Trademark office on Nov. 27, 2012. But now that the iPad mini 2 will likely integrate the technology, the question remains whether or not it's actually beneficial for your eyes.
Some users have noticed eye problems since purchasing Apple devices with Retina Display.
"[A]fter 2 weeks of using retina display macbook pro, I have rapidely [sic] seen my eyes starting to hurt, being oversensitive to computer monitor (not that I can't use any, but am very sensitive to any lighting and need particular moderation in usage)," Imd.Ben says in Apple Support Communities.
"I've had this same problem for about two years now with my 59 year old eyes," jlauve says on in the same forum, agreeing with Imd.Ben.
"after looking at the retina display on both the ipod 4g and the iphone 4 for a long time, like while watching video, or playing games, i have noticed that my far-away vision is blurry for a while after," tipman2000 says on MacRumors. "this does not happen when looking at other, lower pixel density screens like ds's and older iphones, and computers. has anybody else experienced this? could the 'retina display' ironically be destroying my retinas?"
Posts as responses back to the folks who seem to be having trouble with their Retina Display Apple devices range from using anti-glare screen protectors to lowering the brightness of the screen to simply not sitting at one's computer (or using one's mobile device) so consistently without breaks.
These suggestions are all well and good, but what of Retina Display itself?
According to Mashable, the Retina Display we'll probably be seeing on the iPad mini 2 not only "can improve the visibility of type and images, making the whole experience of interacting with the [iPad 3g] more pleasing" but also does decrease eye strain. At least according to Optometrist Gary Heiting, who also happens to be the associate editor of All About Vision.
"A key factor in something that's called computer vision syndrome, or just eye strain from computer use, is screen resolution," Heiting said as relayed by Mashable. "The new iPad, with twice the resolution of the iPad 2, 264 ppi (pixels per inch) instead of 132, people are going to notice less pixelation, especially in a small typeface. It's not just an enjoyment issue or an aesthetic issue, but it's definitely a visual comfort issue [sic], over time."
Heiting continued in the Mashable article that the closer a company such as Apple can get screen resolution to that of the human eye, the more visual comfort will be experienced by the device user.
That all said, will the Retina Display for the iPad mini 2 even be "retina quality" as Apple claims? According to DisplayMate Technologies' Raymond Soneira (whose previous experience includes stints with AT&T and CBS), for Apple to achieve "retina quality" the display it's touting needs to be quite a bit better.
"The resolution of the retina is in angular measure — it's 50 Cycles Per Degree," Soneira said, as relayed by PC Magazine. "A cycle is a line pair, which is two pixels, so the angular resolution of the eye is 0.6 arc minutes per pixel. So, if you hold an iPhone at the typical 12 inches from your eyes, that works out to 477 pixels per inch."
"At 8 inches it's 716 ppi," Soneira continued. "You have to hold it out 18 inches before it falls to 318 ppi. So the iPhone has significantly lower resolution than the retina. It actually needs a resolution significantly higher than the retina in order to deliver an image that appears perfect to the retina."
The debate about the Retina Display actually became quite a hot topic back in 2010, when Soneira first made his claims, with Steve Jobs himself explaining why Apple sticks to the 300 ppi range — as quoted by Wired:
"It turns out there's a magic number right around 300 pixels per inch, that when you hold something around to 10 to 12 inches away from your eyes, is the limit of the human retina to differentiate the pixels," Jobs said.
Discover Magazine, meanwhile, came out with its own resolution to the Jobs vs. Soneira Retina Display debate.
"Let me make this clear: if you have perfect eyesight, then at one foot away the iPhone 4′s pixels are resolved," Discover says. "The picture will look pixellated. If you have average eyesight, the picture will look just fine. So in a sense, both Jobs and Soneira are correct."
"At the very worst, you could claim Jobs exaggerated; his claim is not true if you have perfect vision. But for a lot of people, I would even say most people, you'll never tell the difference. And if you hold the phone a few inches farther away it'll look better.
"So in my opinion, what Jobs said was fine. Soneira, while technically correct, was being picky."
What do you think about the iPad mini 2 allegedly coming with Retina Display? Do you have any horror stories of your own about using it with other devices? Let us know in the comments below!
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