WSJ all but confirms Retina Display iPad 3, due early 2012

Adding their bit to the overall confusion related to an upcoming iPad refresh, the Wall Street Journal this morning runs a story asserting that the device is coming out early 2012 rather than this year. Contrary to late reports, “people familiar with the situation” have informed the paper that iPad 3 will in fact rock an ultra-high-resolution display with a 2048-by-1536 pixel resolution, four times the number of pixels on the original iPad’s 1024-by-768 pixel display:

Apple Inc. is working with component suppliers and its assembler in Asia for the trial production of its next generation iPad from October, people familiar with the situation say, as it looks to stay ahead of the competition in the fast-growing tablet computer market. The next generation iPad is expected to feature a high resolution display – 2048 by 1536 compared with 1024 by 768 in the iPad 2 – and Apple’s suppliers have already shipped small quantities of components for the sampling of the iPad 3. Suppliers said Apple has placed orders for a 9.7-inch screen device.

The report does confirm an earlier story telling us Apple scrapped plans for Retina Display iPad 3 this year due to issues associated with volume production of such a high density screen. The company has been reportedly quality-testing 2048-by-1536 displays for iPad 3 from LG and Samsung.