Apple Added More HiDPI Elements To Latest OS X

We first saw Apple tinkering with Mountain Lion graphics back in March, with the company adding HiDPI elements that hinted towards higher resolution MacBooks in the near future. AppleInsider has heard from sources that Apple continues to make such changes behind the scenes, with new high resolution icons making their way into the latest OS X 10.7.4 update.

In OS X 10.7.3, the highest resolution TextEdit icon was 512x512 pixels, with the new icon jumping to 1024x1024. The resolution increase brings a file size bump too: 209KB to 1.7MB. Other core system applications have also seen updated icons, such as the Address Book and Dashboard. While the resolution of those icons did not increase, the file sizes did.

HiDPI was first added to Lion last year, but the option wasn't user accessible. An update to the popular Air Display app saw the new iPad making use of the option once connected, and high resolution icons have been found within the Mountain Lion betas. The current theory is that Apple is preparing the OS for new high resolution displays most likely found on the future versions of the MacBooks.

Apple is due to update the MacBook Pros within the next month or two following the release of Intel's new Ivy Bridge platform, which is said to be 15-20% faster than current Sandy Bridge chips. Other rumors have indicated that the 15-inch MacBook Pro would see an Air equivalent, being slimmed down while losing the optical drive. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is reportedly going to be phased out as well.