iPad mini 4 will be Apple’s slimmest yet

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iPad mini
The iPad mini 4 will be the slimmest iPad mini yet.
Photo: @OnLeaks

The iPad mini 3 was disappointing in its lack of improvements, but according to a leaked CAD drawing from the usually reliable @OnLeaks, the iPad mini 4 is going to take a step in the right direction by offering a radically thinner design.

Check out a video showing a mock-up of the new device below:

The design drawings depict the iPad mini 4 as being just 6.1 mm thick, same as the iPad Air 2. (The current iPad mini comes in at 7.5 mm thick.)

This is in striking contrast to the upcoming iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, both of which are expected to be chunkier than their predecessors.

While a thinner form factor is certainly welcome, the big differences with the iPad mini 4 are likely to be internal improvements. In particular, we’re expecting a scaled-down version of the iPad Air 2, with the same 8-megapixel rear iSight camera, A8 processor and 2GB of RAM.

Apple has reportedly organized a September 9 press event in Cupertino, where it will unveil its new iPhones and iPads. If true, this would differ from previous years, when Apple has revealed its new iPads at an event a month later in October.

With Apple expected to add a new, bigger iPad Pro to the mix in 2015 — thereby offering users their choice of small, medium or large tablets — I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a separate iPad event, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Which iPad (if any) are you planning to buy this year? Leave your comments below.

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