AppleInsider today posts details of IHS’ teardown of the iPad Air’s Retina display, which found that the new display is more efficient than previous models, and just as bright as before, despite having half as many LED lights. IHS says that the newest screen has just 36 LED lights, in comparison to 84 LED lights for the previous two iPads. IHS'a teardown has revealed that the iPad Air’s Retina display includes optical film layers that distribute the light across the display, and which enable Apple to get the same level of brightness with fewer LEDs. This also explains how Apple was able to make the iPad Air half-a-pound lighter than previous iPads, weighing only 1 pound.
According to IHS, despite the fact that the iPad Air is $42 cheaper to build than previous versions of Apple's tablet, some individual components, such as the Retina display, are actually more expensive than previously.
Source: iPad Air Retina display has fewer backlights, costs more than in Apple's previous models
