By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 06:37 PM EST (03:37 PM PST)

Fresh photos purported to be of the much rumored next generation iPad's display have surfaced on Friday, and the microscope-enlarged images clearly show a QXGA screen that is twice the resolution of current versions of Apple's tablet.

While rumors of a Retina Display-sporting new iPad model have been increasing in intensity over the past months, leaked photos of screens, components, and even a partially constructed "iPad 3" have bombarded the web. The increasing amount of rumored "evidence" regarding a new iPad screen has been at the center of many discussions, though until now no substantial proof had been presented that clearly shows a change in display resolution.

The pictures released on Friday reveal a 9.7-inch screen that boasts a pixel density of 2048x1536, which could classify it as a Retina Display if it is indeed used by Apple in an upcoming version of the iPad. Current models of the iPad have a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, making the newly photographed display comparatively twice as dense.

These images, allegedly from a so-called "iPad 3" display that MacRumors obtained through unreported channels, were taken through a microscope in order to more accurately discern the exact number of pixels as compared to a current iPad 2. Previously leaked photos only showed a screen that was powered off, and thus pixel density could not be distinguished by the naked eye.

While the new photos are also of an unpowered display, ambient light was enough to clearly illustrate the increase in pixel density.



Apple is expected to unveil the next generation iPad in the coming weeks, with unofficial reports pegging March 7 as the rumored announcement date.