Digitimes claims next iPad mini to have higher-res display, next 9.7-inch iPad to be lighter

According to Digitimes, Apple’s next-generation iPad mini’s enhancements will center around the device’s display resolution. Digitimes says its sources did not specify whether or not this new iPad mini would feature a Retina display, but knowing Apple’s want to ensure application compatibility, it is highly likely that if Apple goes higher-resolution on the iPad mini, they will be going to the third and fourth-generation 9.7-inch iPad’s resolution of 2048 x 1536 (something to note is that Digitimes says that the current 9.7-inch Retina Display iPad has a resolution of 2058 x 1536, which is incorrect.)…

The site also claims that the next version of the 9.7-inch iPad will be lighter. The site’s sources claim that this will be due to new LED light bar technology that will allow Apple to power the 9.7-inch Retina display with only one light bar. The third and fourth generation iPads feature two LED light bars.

While Digitimes‘ track record is infamously unreliable, the site does have a credible track record in regards to the technologies that power the displays in Apple’s products. For example, the site was one of the first to claim that Apple would launch a new MacBook Pro in 2012 with a screen resolution of 2880 x 1800. Additionally, the publication accurately pinpointed information about the third-generation iPad’s Retina display. That includes accurate information about the device’s LED light bar technology (which the site discusses in today’s report).

The iPad mini, thus far, has been praised by many for its thin, light, and small design. However, the most commonly discussed wish for a future generation of the device is a higher resolution display. Apple packing in a Retina display into a device of its current proportions would surely be a major achievment of  engineering, and it seems this potential work would be highly praised by Apple customers used to iPhone, iPod touch, and 9.7-inch iPad Retina displays.