Edible Apple

The rumor mill is growing louder with reports that Apple will launch a revamped MacBook this Summer with a brand spankin’ new Retina Display. But implementing the high-res screen will add a little bit extra to Apple’s BOM.

CNET reports:

The feature, which could cost nearly $100 more than Apple currently spends, would make photos, applications, and text look sharper and clearer on Apple’s computers…

That premium will cost Apple, Shim says. According to his estimates, adding a Retina-quality panel in Apple’s 15-inch MacBook pro would cost Apple about $160 versus the $68 the company spends on its current models. It’s $134 for such a panel on the 13.3-inch model, compared to the $69 Apple pays right now.

It’ll be interesting to see if Apple passes along the added cost to consumers or if it eats up the added cost itself, such as how it did with the iPhone 4 and recently released iPad.