New iPad @3x assets found in iOS 8.1 hint at Retina HD iPads

As we are getting near to October 16 where Apple said to hold a new media event to unveil its new iPad Air 2 alongside OS X Yosemite, iMacs and more… Earlier today developer Hamza Sood, the guy who unearthed hidden goodies within Apple’s code, revealed some new iPad @3x assets after doing some digging around iOS 8.1. This means that Apple is at least considering a higher resolution “Retina HD” screen for the new iPads.

The assets that Sood uncovered have to do with the Clock app’s interface, including the clock’s face, hands, and center. As you can see from the screen capture above, there are normal “1x” assets along with the @2x assets necessary for Retina Displays. However, what you should focus your attention on are the new @3x assets, which are indicative of a higher resolution screen somewhere in the pipeline.

Apple’s recently released iPhone 6 Plus features a higher resolution Retina HD screen, and as such, requires @3x assets to take advantage of the extra resolution. While it’s no guarantee that the new iPads will feature higher resolution screens (Apple has included higher resolution assets in its code without releasing the hardware to take advantage of them in the past), it definitely puts a Retina HD iPad Air 2 on the list of possibilities.

So what do you think guys ? Can we see Apple’s iPad Air 2 coming with a retina HD display ?