According to a story on 9to5 Mac, as fantastic as the newest iPad’s Retina display is, it was actually Apple’s second choice for the third-generation iPad’s screen. Display boffin and president of DisplayMate Technologies, Raymond Soneira, told CNET that the newest iPad actually represents “Plan B†for Apple, as Apple had originally wanted a lighter and thinner type of display for its latest iPad. According to Soneira, Apple really wanted to use Sharp’s IGZO technology in the new iPad, which would have given it the quality it wanted in a thinner display, but in the end had to settle for the older amorphous silicon technology, which is powered by a bigger battery. This could explain why the newest iPad is a little heavier and thicker than the iPad 2. Apple was apparently unable to use Sharp’s IGZO tech in the current version of the iPad because it simply was not quite ready yet.
Source: Expert: Apple settled for older display tech in new iPad, Sharp’s IGZO tech wasn’t ready | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence
