Apple's brand new iPad has just launched with a Retina display! The resolution is 2048 x 1536, quadrupling that of the first and second generation iPads. The new 9.7-inch iOS tablet keeps the same screen size as its predecessors, but now comes with just over 3.1 million pixels, resulting in an impressive 264ppi density. You might not think that's quite enough to merit Apple's designation of a Retina display — one dense enough to make individual pixels indistiguishable — however Phil Schiller explained that the iPad is expected to be held at a distance of 15 inches away from the user's eyes, qualifying it for that title.

All stock iOS apps have been updated and optimized for the new resolution and text will automatically be rendered accordingly. Apple already pulled off this sort of a resolution jump with the move between iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, so we imagine the transitional process for developers updating their apps will be no different with the new iPad.

The new display is not merely denser, however, as Apple has also revealed that it'll have 44 percent greater color saturation than the old 1024 x 768 panel. Phil Schiller's conclusion about the updated display is categorical: "The best mobile display that has ever shipped." Apple's 2012 iPad will be in stores on March 16th.