A 3D Macbook and a 15″ iPad? Insider Info Hints at Possibilities

April 20th, 2010

Being in the business of selling Mac Parts gives us unique opportunities to get sneak peaks at product pipelines. We’ve just gotten a glimpse into the LG Laptop Display product pipeline, and things look pretty interesting.

For those who are not aware, LG is one of the primary suppliers for Apple Displays. They make some of the highest quality displays, and that is why Apple chose them to manufacture the 9.7″ iPad Display.

So what does the future hold for LG Displays?

*These are products which are in the LG pipeline, and do not necessarily mean they will go into Apple devices. Seeing as how Apple uses LG, we are drawing inferences that some of these products could be used in future Apple devices.

1.) 17.3″ 3D (Shutter Glass Type) panel – This panel will be in development at the end of Q3 of 2010. We find it hard to believe that Apple would actually use this panel in a laptop since you’d have to wear shutter glasses for viewing. Nonetheless, it is a possibility. The screen would weigh 650g and have a luminance of 400nit. The resolution will be 1920*1080.

2.) Bigger iPads or a Macbook Touch? – Everyone is already speculating that bigger iPads are in store in the future…but what about a “Macbook Touch”; an Apple laptop with a touchscreen for a display? LG is currently in the planning phase for 3 new sizes of touch panel displays, and we can only assume these could be future Macbook or iPad screens. Here is the breakdown of the three new touch panels:

    A.) 13.3″ Touch Panel ( Res of 1366×768 and 118ppi) – Apple currently uses 13.3″ displays in the Macbook product line. If there really is a “Macbook Touch” planned or a larger iPad, we feel this is the most likely candidate.

    B.) 14.0″ Touch Panel (Res of 1366×768 and 112ppi) – Apple hasn’t used a 14″ screen since back in the iBook and Powerbook G3 days. There is a greater product differentiation between a 13″ and a 15″, and so a 14″ iPad or Macbook seem to be pretty unlikely.

    C.) 15.6″ Touch Panel (Res of 1366×768 and 100ppi) – Apple currently uses 15.2″ screens in the Macbook Pro line, so this would just be slightly larger than what is currently being used if they went the “Macbook Pro Touch” route. Otherwise, it’d make for a pretty sweet iPad!

3.) CCFLs on the Out – The only other relevant info we’ve received is that CCFLs are on the way out, but we all knew that already. The real problem here is that most of the CCFL production is slated to end this year which means that sourcing displays for the older Macbook and Macbook Pro models may prove challenging. We’ve already seen effects of this in the market. Supply is constricting while demand remains steady. Unfortunately that means that in 6 months to 1 year you could see big spikes in CCFL replacement costs.

Summary

It’s virtually impossible to speculate exactly what Apple will do in the future. (That is unless you happen to find a device in a bar.) What fuels this industry is educated speculation on several sources of information, and this is just such a source. We feel a 13″or 15″ iPad could be a strong possibility as are touch panel Macbooks.


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