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more pixels requires more light, even on the same size display... So a 4K display the same size as a 1080p display will require 2-3x the light behind the display... I don't recall the exact amount extra, but it's not insignificant.. let alone the processing power to push those extra pixels.

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>more pixels requires more light

[citation needed]?

More pixels means more circuitry in front of the backlight blocking light.

But to what degree? Blocking 2% vs. 1% of the light probably isn't noticeable; blocking 50% vs. 25% probably is. This might also be something that improves over time as process improvements reduce the overhead.

Potentially a lot. The iPad 3 requires 2.5x more backlight power (7 watts) for the same brightness than the iPad 2.

Thanks for quantifying that - the difference is 4.2 watts, which is huge. I wonder if the LED backlighting is getting any more efficient?

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