The Next Web has an intriguing article on the rumored retina display of the iPad 3 and the problem it may pose to developers. Author Matthew Panzarino goes into considerable detail about the extra resolution of the iPad 3 screen and how it will increase the size of graphics used in apps. The increase could be so significant that many apps will balloon over the 20 MB 3G download limit and force customers over to WiFi if they want to purchase and download the app. This could have a profound effect on universal apps which include both an iPhone and iPad version.
It’ll be a love-hate relationship for developers who can load beautiful 2x graphics into their apps, but lose impulse sales because customers have to wait until they are on WiFi to buy these visually striking titles. This concern could be moot because Apple could increase this download limit from 20MB to 40MB, but Panzarino argues that even doubling this limit might not be enough to accommodate these large apps. He also notes there is pressure from carriers to limit mobile usage and push larger downloads over to WiFi.
Of course, this is speculation until the retina display is confirmed by Apple. However, it’s something that’s likely on the mind of many developers who are already planning to make their app compatible with the iPad 3.
[Via The Next Web]