Rumor: Apple could be working on a new variant of the MacBook Air which features a 12-inch Retina Display with a screen resolution of 2732 x 1536.
Blogger Daniel Matte has pointed out a very interesting claim, one that has previously been done with the iPad Mini and turned out to be accurate.
It turns out that in order to make a 12-inch MacBook Air with a Retina display it would require a screen resolution of 2732 x 1536, in order to achieve this, the PPI of the display would need to be exactly 264 PPI, it happens to be that the 9.7-inch display used on the iPad Air has exactly 264 PPI.
How does this mean that Apple could be working on a Retina MacBook Air? The display that currently is being used for the iPad Air could be used to make a new higher-resolution MacBook Air. Apple has a history of re-using displays for different devices, it has previously done this with the iPhone 3GS and iPad Mini, the display used on the non-retina iPad Mini is the same one on the iPhone 3GS and the same goes for the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C who’s displays are used for the Retina iPad Mini.
Displays aren’t manufactured at their finished size instead they are made on big sheets, and then cut to size to the one needed. If Apple would design a new screen for a possible Retina MacBook Air it will increase production cost significantly but by re-using the display, Apple could manufacture a Retina MacBook Air which can be sold at entry-level price to compete with the low price of current Ultrabooks.
Editors Note: We have no confirmation from sources that Apple is working on a Retina MacBook Air, but this method of analyzing displays has proven to be successful every time.
