DigiTimes: Apple exploring dual-LED light bar design for iPad 3

Per DigiTimes, an Asian trade publication, Apple is considering two alternative backlight solutions for the iPad 3’s rumored Retina Display because the current single LED light bar used in the iPad 2 cannot provide enough brightness for the high-resolution panel, sources told the publication:

With the next-generation iPads expected to adopt LCD panels with resolutions higher than 2048 by 1536, the current single LED light bar designed for the iPad 2 has to be modified in order to maintain or strengthen the brightness of the panels, the sources explained.

One of the new solutions incorporates a single-bar form factor with two LED chips and the other allegedly involves using dual-LED light bars, one on the left and the other on the right side of the display. Apple is said to be interested in deploying the dual-LED light bar design because vendors have solved heat dissipation and battery consumption issues.

DigiTimes has had its share of hits and misses concerning the Apple rumor reporting. Last week, the publication called for a complete overhaul of the 2011 MacBook Air, iMac and iPhone product families. They also claimed last week that the Cupertino, California-headquartered company has two iPads in the works for the next year, one a minor update aimed for a first quarter launch and the other a more substantial refresh, apparently slated for the 2012 holiday season. Faster processors (Apple’s in-house A6 chip) and Retina Displays are being rumored for the next-generation iPad as well.