Suspected iPad 3 with Retina display makes a web visit to a popular Apple blog

Just a day after Apple sent out official invitations to the iPad 3 announcement event, a popular blogger’s site got visited by one such iPad 3. Interestingly enough, its reported resolution by Google Analytics is Retina display-esque, but not exactly the one everybody expected.

The resolution in question that got reported by Google’s Analytics serice is 2560×1600 pixels and the device got recognized as an iPad 3. The blogger in question is Dustin Curtis (31,000 followers in Twitter) and here’s the screenshot he attached to a tweet.

The peculiarity comes from the fact that 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution has an aspect ratio of 16:10. The current iPad 2′s aspect ratio is 4:3 and if you do the maths, multiplying its current resolution of 1024 x 768 by 2 to make it a Retina display results in a resolution of 2048 x 1536, which is slightly less than the one recorder by Google Analytics.

So could it be that Apple is adding yet one more aspect ratio to its product range? After all, the guys at Cupertino have made it clear on several occasions that the goal is to create a developer friendly environment and a new resolution with a new aspect ratio no less isn’t exactly going in that direction.

So, here are the four possible interpretations I came up with as well:

• Dustin Curtis, as respected as he might be, faked the visit from an iPad 3 by changing the User-Agent of his browser to an iPad and (if needed) increased his computer screen resolution artificially.
• Somebody else faked an iPad 3 and visited Dustin Curtis’s blog hoping that the author would spot it and make a big deal out of it
• Apple have really gone for a new aspect as they probably weren’t able to find high-res 10-inch display panels with a 4:3 aspect ratio
• Apple will be changing the iPhone and iPod Touch screen aspect ratio as well and the new iPad is just setting the stage for that

Whatever the answer may be, it’s interesting to give this one some thoughts until the real Apple’s iPad 3 gets unveiled in exactly a week’s time. Meanwhile, I’d be happy to read your reflections on this unexpected resolution.

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