Apple iPad (3rd generation)
2048 by 1536 pixels on a 9.7 inch tablet, introduced in 2012.
Device details
| Brand | Apple |
|---|---|
| Model | iPad (3rd generation) |
| Also known as | iPad 3, New iPad |
| Type | tablet |
| Product line | iPad |
| Year introduced | 2012 |
Display specs
| Resolution (as printed by the maker) | 2048 by 1536 pixels |
|---|---|
| Diagonal | 9.7 in |
| Display name (maker's term) | Retina display |
| Panel technology | LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology |
| PPI stated by the maker | 264 |
| Touch | yes |
Width and height follow the order the maker prints them in; phones are usually listed with the long side first.
- Pixel pitch (computed from PPI; a rectangular estimate, not a measured panel pitch)
- 96.2 um
- Physical size (computed from the rectangle, not the usable area)
- 7.76 by 5.82 in (19.7 by 14.8 cm)
- Aspect ratio (computed)
- 4:3
- Megapixels (computed)
- 3.15
- Looks sharp from (assuming 20/20 vision, one pixel per arcminute)
- 13 in and further
- Pixels per degree at an assumed 16 in viewing distance
- 73.7
Every row above is computed here from the stated resolution and the stated diagonal. With w and h in pixels and the diagonal in inches: PPI = sqrt(w^2 + h^2) / diagonal, which here is sqrt(2048^2 + 1536^2) / 9.7; pixel pitch = 25.4 mm / PPI; physical size = pixels / PPI, which is the full panel rectangle and not the usable area, so a screen with rounded corners or a notch has less usable area than the size shown; sharpness distance = 1 / (PPI x tan(1/60 degree)), the distance at which one pixel spans one arcminute for 20/20 vision; pixels per degree = 2 x distance x tan(0.5 degree) x PPI at the assumed viewing distance. Values are rounded to two decimals, and to one decimal for the pitch, the sizes in centimeters, the distances, and the pixels per degree.
How we know
Device details
| Field | Value | Source | Quoted text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | iPad (3rd generation) | Apple | iPad (3rd generation) - Technical Specifications - Apple SupportTitle of Apple's tech specs page, as recorded by the 2026-09-13 extraction. |
| Also known as | iPad 3, New iPad | Pixensity (user-submitted database, 2012 to 2023) | Model also known as: iPad 3, New iPad (entry 1)Field 94, Model also known as, on the old Pixensity submission form, as submitted for entry 1. No maker page is cited for it. |
| Year introduced | 2012 | Pixensity (user-submitted database, 2012 to 2023) | Approximate year introduced: 2012 (entry 1)Field 96, Approximate year introduced, on the old Pixensity submission form, as submitted for entry 1. No maker page is cited for it. Apple's tech specs page states no year. |
Display specs
| Field | Value | Source | Quoted text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution, first number | 2048 px | Apple | 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) |
| Resolution, second number | 1536 px | Apple | 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) |
| Diagonal (measured) | 9.7 in | Apple | 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology |
| PPI stated by the maker | 264 PPI | Apple | 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) |
| Display name (maker's term) | Retina display | Apple | Retina display | 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technologyRetina display is Apple's heading for the screen; the line beneath it is the panel technology. |
| Panel technology | LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology | Apple | Retina display | 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology |
| Touch | yes | Apple | 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology |
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/2023/https://pixensity.com/list/apple-ipad-3rd-generation-1/. Pixensity (user-submitted database, 2012 to 2023), archive, retrieved 2023-02-12. Entry 1 submitted 2012-06-29; approved on the old site.
- iPad (3rd generation) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support. Apple, manufacturer, retrieved 2026-09-13.
Legacy entry 1, re-verified against Apple's tech specs page: resolution, diagonal, stated PPI, panel, and touch now cite Apple, and the archived legacy page stays on the record for its history. The curated slug is apple-ipad-3rd-generation, and the other archived URL, /list/apple-new-ipad-2012-1/, redirects here. Apple states a 9.7-inch diagonal with no rectangular-measurement footnote, so no marketing size is recorded, and Apple's own 264 ppi agrees with the PPI computed here. Apple calls the screen a Retina display, which is recorded as the display name, separately from the panel technology. The year and the two alternative names are quoted as the old submission form fields they came from.
Where this sits
Ranked 34 of 97 tablets in this database, counting down from the highest pixel density.