DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is getting ready to release a new MacBook Pro that has an ultra-high resolution Retina display.
Apple is likely to launch its new MacBook Pro lineup with a display resolution of 2880 by 1800 in the second quarter of 2012, setting a new round of competition for panel specifications in the notebook industry, according to sources in the upstream supply chain.
Should the MacBook Pro actually get the Retina display it would need a couple of tweaks to pull off a resolution of that kind. Intel’s Ivy Bridge chipset can handle resolutions at 4096×4096, so that’s covered.
According to MacRumors:
Apple has already added new “HiDPI” modes in Lion that support this resolution-doubling mode. Apple has even added ultra-high resolution artwork in Lion with desktop images at 3200×2000 pixels and icons at 1024×1024 pixels.
It looks like Apple’s already taking the steps necessary for implementing Retina graphics in their MacBook Pro lineup. The question remains, can a MacBook Air handle this kind of resolution? Does it have the power to drive that display density? If not, then this may be one of the key differentiating factors between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro lineup moving forward.
We hope — like seriously hope — that Apple doesn’t roll out Retina displays in one model and not the rest of its laptops. That would be a pretty serious bummer moving forward.
