DigiTimes reports, based on “sources in the upstream supply chain”, that a next-generation MacBook Pro with a Retina-capable display sporting a 2880-by-1800 resolution could arrive in the second quarter of 2012:

The report continues asserting that Acer and Asustek Computer also plan to launch high-end Ultrabook models sporting  the 1920-by-1080 pixel resolution displays versus the 1366-by-768 displays typically found on today’s Ultrabooks. The rumor might make sense as Intel’s upcoming Ivy Bridge platform natively supports displays with up to a 4096-by-4096 pixel resolution and is capable of decoding multiple 4K video streams at once. Lion also added support for 3200-by-2000 wallpapers, doubling icon resolution to 1024-by-1024 pixels and enabling HiDPI display modes.

Of course, Apple has also been rumored to adopt Retina Displays in the next-generation iPad, as first indicated back in June by high-resolution graphic assets found in the iOS 5 SDK. We also know they are working on a MacBook redesign around all-flash storage and the latest rumor has Apple attempting to acquire Israeli flash memory chip maker Anobit for as much as half a billion dollars. It remains to be seen whether ultra-high resolution display will trickle down to the MacBook Air or that rumored 15-inch MacBook model. We expect a 15-inch Retina Display won’t come cheap so it might make sense to use it on the flagship notebook family, the MacBook Pros, as the key differentiator.

  • Thunderbolt 13-inch MacBook Pro drops below $1000 (9to5mac.com)
  • DigiTimes: MacBook Air refresh in early 2012, 15-inch model coming (9to5mac.com)
  • DigiTimes: Samsung, Sharp already shipping iPad 3 panels (9to5mac.com)
  • DigiTimes: Apple exploring dual-LED light bar design for iPad 3 (9to5mac.com)
  • Analyst: iPad 3 Retina Display production “has started” (9to5mac.com)
  • Unibody on Ultrabook: Metal on the outside, plastic on the inside (9to5mac.com)
  • Citi: Next-gen iPad to launch in February with Retina display (9to5mac.com)
  • Slightly thicker iPad with higher-res display in March, aluminum iPhone with 4-inch display this summer? (9to5mac.com)