Teardown of Retina iPad Mini Reveals A7 Chip, LG Display, Larger Battery

The experts at iFixit have performed another one of their usual high-quality teardowns on Apple's new iPad mini with Retina display, revealing that while the device is nearly unchanged visually from the original iPad mini, it features a number of internal upgrades such as an A7 chip and M7 motion coprocessor alongside the new high-resolution display...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Analyst Flip-Flops Again: Thinner iPad Mini in Late 2013, Retina Display in Early 2014

DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim is going back on statements he made back in May, when he said the next model of the iPad mini -- expected this fall -- would come equipped with a Retina display and an updated processor. In an added twist, before he made that statement, Shim said the Retina iPad mini would not ship before 2014.

Now, Shim writes that Apple will refresh its iPad mini line later this year, but the Retina display will not make an appearance before 2014.

Apple is expected to refresh its iPad mini in the second half of the year. The new iPad mini will continue to use a 7.9-inch display with a 1024×768 resolution, but it will use the iOS 7 operating system and an A6 processor, in a slimmer design than the current generation. Another iPad mini is also planned for production but not until early 2014. That device is expected to feature a QXGA (2048×1536) resolution display and the iOS 7 operating system.

It's unclear which DisplaySearch report is correct, though it's widely expected that Apple will ship a Retina-display equipped iPad mini at some point.

More notably, Shim does expect the iPad mini update this fall to bring a thinner case, regardless of whether it has a Retina display or not. Apple CEO Tim Cook did warn analysts and other Apple watchers to take rumors from the Apple supply chain with a grain of salt.

Apple is expected to introduce new versions of the iPhone, iPad mini and iPad this fall.

Source: Mac Rumours 

Adobe updates Photoshop and Illustrator CS6 to get cozy on Retina displays

Despite a brief mention when the first Retina display-wielding MacBook Pros were first announced this summer, Adobe hadn't officially made a compatibility announcement until now. The company has rolled out an update to both Photoshop and Illustrator CS6 that outfit the design software for Apple's high-res panels. To sweeten the deal, all customers will receive the tweaks at the same time, instead of those with Creative Cloud subscriptions seeing the new features first.

[Source: Engadget]

Skype 6.0 lands with Microsoft and Facebook account integration, Retina support

You're probably saying to yourself, "didn't Skype just get a Windows 8-friendly refresh?" Why yes, yes it did. But Skype 6.0 here isn't limited to Windows RT slates, instead it's designed for more traditional Windows systems and even has a similarly numbered OS X counter part. There's a number of notable changes here, including the ability to sign in directly with your Facebook or Microsoft account. (If you've got a Live MessengerHotmail or Outlook.com account, then you've got a Microsoft account.) The most visible changes, however, will be the "flattened" Don't-call-it-Metro-friendly UI on Windows and the addition of Retina display support on OS X. There's a few other minor changes, including some additional localizations, which you can read about at the source. And heck, since you're already there, might as well download Skype too.

[Source: Engadget]

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display confirmed for Apple event

Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple will debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, according to a consistently reliable source at a high-profile U.S. retailer.

This new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display is said to pick up the thinner and lighter enclosure of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that was released in June.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction.

Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model. That computer was updated with faster processers and USB 3.0 in June.

The current 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is codenamed D2, and its smaller sibling is in fact, as predicted this morning, dubbed D1 internally.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Site tracks growing list of retina Mac apps

Do you have a Retina MacBook Pro, wondering which apps are going to look their best on the massive amount of glossy pixels before you? Well, Microsoft might not be ready, but quite a few developers have updated their apps, and those are showing up on Retina Mac Apps. It's a simple site with a simple purpose: to show you which apps are ready for the big (resolution) screen.

[Source: TUAW]

 

BBC iPlayer for iOS gets Retina display support for iPad

The BBC has just finished what was probably the best coverage of the Olympic games in the world, but the corporation is not slowing down. Today the BBC released an update to its wildly popular BBC iPlayer app for iOS.

The major feature improvement in this update is support for the new iPad's Retina display. Other changes include improved video performance for better playback, bug fixes and "general tidying, so you'll notice even smoother performance," and more Voice Over controls for better accessibility.

BBC iPlayer version 1.3.2 is a free download from the UK App Store. Now let's just hope BBC and Apple can agree to get iPlayer on the Apple TV.

[Source: TUAW]

Retina MacBook Pro Shipping Speeds Up

Just a little over a week since shipping estimates for new Retina MacBook Pro orders through Apple's online store saw their first improvement from 3-4 weeks to 2-3 weeks, timeframes have again been reduced. As with the previous improvement, the change has first appeared in Apple's Asia-Pacific markets, which have seen shipping estimates drop to 1-2 weeks.

Shipping estimates in Apple's other main distribution regions of the Americas and Europe/Middle East/Africa are holding steady at 2-3 weeks for the time being, but they will almost certainly see similar drops to the 1-2 week timeframe in the very near future.

Shipping estimates for the Retina MacBook Pro peaked at 3-4 weeks roughly 36 hours after the models were unveiled at last month's Worldwide Developers Conference, with estimates remaining at that level until last week's drop to 2-3 weeks. Availability at other online and brick-and-mortar retailers is also improving, in many cases beating Apple's online store estimates for stock models, but the company's online store is the primary source for customized orders. 

Update: Estimates in Apple's online stores in the Americas have also moved to 1-2 weeks.

Note: The speed of delivery remains at 2-3 weeks in the UK & others parts of Europe.

[Source: MacRumors]

Retina Macbook Pro Shipping Faster!

Since the launch of the Macbook Pro with retina display, early customers have been experiencing long waits for their deliveries. According to MacRumors

"For the first time since its launch just over one month ago, Apple's Retina MacBook Pro has begun to see improvements in shipping estimates for new orders placed through the company's online store. The improvement has appeared first in Apple's Asia-Pacific markets, which have seen estimates move from 3-4 weeks to 2-3 weeks." 

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro Incoming

When the 15-inch retina display MacBook Pro was revealed, we all looked on in amazement. This new super high res beast from Apple was amazing. What followed was an influx of rumours and questions about when the rest of the range (including the iMac) would get the retina love.

It seems that we could be seeing a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro as early as October 2012, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who recently revised his prediction from August to October.

In a recent article from DigiTimes, it seems that many big players are denying the rumours.

Rumors are that several notebook brand vendors have delayed or decreased their shipments with Apple also being named as having postponed mass shipments of a planned 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display; however, sources from upstream suppliers of Apple have refuted the rumors saying their supply status is stable.

Of course, Apple is as tight-lipped as ever. Personally, I think that the 13-inch Retina will definitely happen during 2012, as it is a natural progression. It is also very likely that these super high resolution displays will also appear in the MacBook Air at some stage and maybe even the iMac during 2013.