Apple’s iBook 2 app comes with some interesting media bundled in it. Developers have uncovered high-resolution images that seem designed for use in a Retina Display, but the iPad 2 doesn’t have one. Is this evidence that the iPad 3 will?
The pictures are denoted with “@2x” in their filename, and at 2048×1536 pixels, they are double what the iPad 2 can natively display. What’s more, they display at 260 pixels per inch. That’s not quite the 300ppi that the latest iPhones can do — and what Apple has said officially constitutes a Retina Display — but still dense enough to fool your eyes at the increased viewing distance.
This isn’t the first time that Apple’s leaked @2x pictures. An earlier version of iBooks (version 1.1) included similar pictures back in 2010, which lead to speculation that the forthcoming iPad 2 could have a Retina display. So, is Apple prepping for a surprise iPad 3 launch or is someone on the iBook development team just having a bit of fun with us? [MacRumors]
Top art adapted from screengrabs on 9to5Mac