Tim Cook suggested during Apple’s earnings call earlier this week that the Cupertino company wouldn’t be announcing any new products until later this year. So it’s no surprise to see that analysts from Citigroup are now reporting that the iPhone 5S will be available in early September, alongside a new low-cost iPhone for emerging markets.
I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of case maker Tactus until last week, but in the space of just a few days it has published an unveiling date and specifications for the fifth-generation iPad, the plastic casing for Apple’s rumored low-cost iPhone, and now the fifth-generation iPad’s new aluminum shell.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is one of the most reliable analysts out there when it comes to predicting upcoming Apple products. Whomever his sources are in the Far East, they run deep. So when Kyo says that the iPad 5 will be 15% thinner and 25% lighter than the iPad 4, and it will take significantly less time to charge, that’s a prediction worth taking seriously.
Hot on the heels of this morning’s leak from casemaker Tactus of a new case mould for the iPad 5 (and the intriguing hint of a June 18th announcment), an entirely different Hong Kong casemaker is showing off a case mold for the iPad 5 which largely supports the previous report.
A new case mould showing of the fifth-generation iPad’s new design has surfaced today, alongside a date on which Apple will announce the device. As expected, the mould points to an all-new thinner form factor for the device, with narrow bezels down either side of the display, much like the iPad mini.
The source of the mould claims the iPad 5 will be announced on June 18, which could see its unveiling during WWDC.
Apple could introduce a redesigned backlighting system to the fifth-generation iPad to help make the device thinner and lighter, according to NDP DisplaySearch. The Cupertino company will have to make significant changes if it is to bring the iPad mini’s sleek and slim form factor to its bigger brother, and this is one of the areas in which it could reduce bulk.
Whenever third-party retailers start selling an Apple device at a discounted price, it’s usually a good indication that the next product iteration is on the near horizon. While this isn’t always the case, it’s a historic trend that points towards something new from Apple.
Based on recent price cuts from big retailers and the rumor mill, it looks like the iPad will be getting a refresh soon.
There’s never been much chance that Apple was going to release a new iPad mini with Retina display before later this year.
Although it’s true that Apple refreshed the fourth-gen iPad last just eight months after introducing the third-gen iPad, that refresh had the hallmark of being an exception aimed at making sure every iOS device was compatible with the new Lightning cable.
So it’s unlikely we’re going to see a Retina iPad mini this spring, and here’s further proof: current iPad mini sales aren’t tapering off, giving Apple no reason to upgrade their mini any earlier than necessary.
We’ve heard very little about the next-gen iPhone 5S, other than that the device is expected to feature a better camera. Some have speculated that the successor to the iPhone 5 will also come in more than two colors and maybe even have a fingerprint sensor. An iPhone 5S would assumedly ship sometime around the fall if Apple sticks to its track record.
Even less has been revealed about the fifth-gen iPad, apart from some unverified case leaks. Apple has always announced new iPads around the spring, but the iPad mini was released last fall.
Now a new report has claimed that the iPhone 5S is on track for an August release. The iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 are expected to arrive around April.
Apple accessory manufacturer MiniSuit thinks they know what the iPad 5 is going to look like. After getting the specifications of the new iPad’s design from what it believes to be a reliable source, the manufacturer has already created a case for the unannounced product.
This afternoon MiniSuit sent out images of their iPad 5 case to show the differences between the size of the iPad 5 and iPad 4. According to their case models, the design of the iPad 5 will be more akin to the iPad mini, with a narrower bezel and slimmer profile.
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