The fifth-generation iPad’s new front panel, which sports thinner bezels down the sides of its display, has appeared yet again in a new high quality gallery. The panel already has its digitizer and flex cables fitted, and it appears to be a genuine Apple component straight off the production line.
There will almost certainly be new iPads this fall, and the Apple Predictotron in the CoM basement says that we’ll see a Retina-screen iPad mini, plus a thinner, smaller iPad 5 – a kind of enlarged iPad mini, complete with tiny side bezels.
Which might create a dilemma. You see, Like many folks I have all but ditched my large iPad for the mini. I still long for that amazing screen whenever I pick up the Retina iPad 3, but the mini is so just so damn convenient I choose it over the big version every time.
But what if the iPad 5 is small enough to compete with the mini?
This morning we were treated to some leaked images of an alleged graphite-colored iPhone 5S, but now Sonny Dickson has a new set of leaked next-generation iPad mini back housings to feast our eyes on.
The shells looks similar to ones we posted earlier this month. Based on the cases it looks like the iPad mini 2 will predictably have the same form factor as the original iPad mini with the option for 4G service or Wi-Fi only. The rear shell also sports the new embedded Apple logo, but is void of any other info, like whether it will really have a Retina display.
Here are some close-ups:
We’re big fans of Loop Attachment here at Cult of Mac — they make some really awesome accessories for iOS devices. And this week they’ve made their terrific Mummy case available to pre-order for the full-size iPad. We reviewed the iPad mini model back in April and found it to be one of the best silicone cases available for the device.
The Griffin IntelliCase for iPad mini is designed to provide you with all-over protection for your device without adding too much bulk and spoiling its sleek and sexy design. It combines a hard polycarbonate rear shell with a flexible, hinged cover that doubles as a stand for typing or watching movies, and its micro-textured surface promises to increase grip, making those nasty slips a thing of the past.
The IntelliCase clips onto the sides of your iPad mini, and it provides access to all of its buttons, ports, and cameras. It has “strategically-placed” magnets embedded inside its front cover that will automatically put your iPad to sleep when you close it, and then wake it up again when you open it.
The IntelliCase is priced at $39.99, and it’s available in black, red, black and gold, and blue and grey. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks to find out if it’s any good.
Ten One Design, the creator of the world’s first capacitive touch stylus, has unveiled a new minimalistic stand for the iPad mini today called the Magnus Mini. It’s a smaller version of the Magnus stand for iPad, and it uses “a strong magnetic link” to securely hold your iPad mini in place — with no front lip to intrude on the front of your display.
Logitech is taking another stab at making a good keyboard case for the iPad mini, and it certainly looks hot. It’s called the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad mini, and it’s a tiny and lightweight book-style case with built-in Bluetooth keyboard. But can any iPad-mini-sized keyboard actually be good enough to type on?
Can’t wait to see what Apple has in store for us with the iPad 5? Here’s what it will likely look like… face down!
Will the iPad mini have a Retina display this year or won’t it? The rumor cycle back and forth concerning the smaller iPad’s high-res aspirations have become frustrating to follow for anyone who has been hoping Apple will correct the sole point of criticism about its 7.9-inch offering in time for Christmas.
If you’ve had your fingers crossed (or parts beyond), good news. IHS iSuppli, one of the companies that really knows what is going on in Apple’s supply chain, says displays suitable for the Retina iPad mini are “on track” for a fall launch.
When I reviewed Kubxlab’s Ampjacket for the iPhone back in May, I found it to be excellent. And as I kept on using it after the review (always a good sign), I got to like it even more. Now, the Ampjacket is available for the iPad mini, and I expect it to be even more useful.
A rumored September 10 iPhone event has been given an all-important “yep” from The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple. It’s the closest we’ll get to an official confirmation before Apple sends out invites to the much-anticipated shindig, which will likely see the iPhone 5S and the plastic low-cost iPhone 5C get their official unveilings.
The fifth-generation iPad will use the same touch-panel technology as the iPad mini to allow it to become thinner and lighter, according to “people with knowledge of the matter,” who have been speaking to The Wall Street Journal. The device is expected to look just like the iPad mini, with narrow bezels and a significantly thinner shell, but it will maintain a 9.7-inch Retina display.
Microsoft gave us a new anti-iPad ad yesterday, but there’s even more where that came from as the company released a new ad today that takes the iPad mini to task against the Acer Iconia W3.
The ad mostly focuses on the differences between iOS and Windows 8 and suggests that the iPad mini doesn’t have great games or productivity apps—which we all know is pretty much the exact opposite of reality.
Eventually the Siri-dubbed ad knocks on the iPad’s $429 price tag next to the $299 Iconia W3, even though Microsoft has conveniently forgotten that the W3 was originally priced at $380 before a series of price drops were introduced to try and get people to buy it.
Here’s the ad:
The id America SmartFold is a leatherette folio case for the iPad mini which offers drop protection and a smart design that will fit in just nicely at your next board meeting. It protects your iPad mini from top to toe, with a reinforced back for impact absorption and a sturdy front cover that stays closed with magnets.
The SmartFold provides access to all of your iPad mini’s ports and buttons, and leaves its front- and rear-facing cameras exposed. Its front cover can be folded back into a stand for typing or watching movies, and it has a soft microfiber lining to prevent your device from getting scratched.
The SmartFold is available in black and white and it’s priced at $39.95. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks to find out if it’s any good.
Apple has been trying to be less dependent on Samsung components for years now, but ditching its rival has been a lot more difficult than imagined, mostly because there’s not a single company that can churn out displays and RAM like Samsung.
A new report from NPD DisplaySearch claims that Apple’s dependency on Samsung displays has only deepened recently, thanks to shortcomings by LG Display and other manufacturers as the iPad mini 2 launch looms ahead.
For a long time after its launch, the iPad was by far the best-selling tablet on the market, and no matter how hard they tried, rival devices didn’t stand a chance of stealing its market share. But that’s all changed, according to the latest figures from IDC.
Android-powered slates saw a staggering 163% increase in the last year, and they’ve now overtaken the iPad and opened up a rather large gap in market share.
If there’s one thing I hate more than kids, it’s the thought of their filthy hands touching my pristine gadgets. Worse, these walking fetuses have brains so undeveloped that they will drop something the second they stop thinking about it.
For me, the solution is easy—just avoid the little monsters. But parents aren’t so lucky (although you could argue that they brought it upon themselves), and need a little help. And today that help comes in the form of Kensington’s “SafeGrip™ Rugged Case & Stand for iPad® mini.”
A rear panel believed to be for the upcoming second-generation iPad mini appears to have been leaked from Apple’s supply chain. The panel is largely the same as the existing one — suggesting the new model will look identical to the original — but it has a new Apple logo on its back.
The fifth-generation iPad is expected to adopt a whole new form factor, much like that of the iPad mini’s, only bigger. And proof of that comes with this leaked rear panel that has surfaced in China. Although the new model will have the same 9.7-inch Retina display as the existing iPad, this panel proves it will be significantly thinner, and narrower, with thinner bezels down the sides of its display.
Will it or won’t it have a Retina display?
That’s the big question everyone is asking about the second-generation iPad mini, and we’ve been seeing conflicting reports about it for several months. But according to sources “familiar with the matter,” who have been speaking to The Wall Street Journal, it’s “likely” the answer to that question is yes.
As apparent through the company’s tagline “musicians first,” IK Multimedia generally makes stuff for musicians; but their new iKlip iPad stand should also fit a ton of scenarios that have absolutely nothing to do with music.
The stand combines a wide-stance, stable, metal-reinforced base with a tall neck that ends in a frame that an iPad slides into. There are two adjustable points, both of which lock: an elbow in the middle of the neck, and a ball pivot where the neck meets the iPad frame.
Today Google unveiled its second-gen Nexus 7 tablet. The 7-inch, ASUS-made device packs a stunning 1,920 x 1,200 display. That translates to 323 pixels per inch, which is up considerably from the first Nexus 7’s 216 ppi. It’s also a higher resolution display than what Apple offers with the iPad mini, the company’s only flagship product that hasn’t been Retina-fied yet.
Google is right when it says that it has the “world’s highest-resolution 7-inch tablet.” The first Nexus 7 beat the iPad mini’s display quality too. So will Apple finally answer with a Retina iPad mini this fall?
Apple’s fifth-generation iPad will feature a new touchscreen technology that will help it become thinner and lighter, according to industry sources. The device is expected to adopt a new form factor much like the iPad mini’s, with thinner bezels and a smaller frame — and Apple will have to make a number of changes to its internals to enable that.
In the sphere of Apple, most analysts are generally full of it. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is one of the exceptions; when he says something’s happening, there’s a pretty good chance it actually is.
Now, Kuo’s supply chain checks have indicated that the end of the year might be a rough one for Apple: not only is Kuo not anticipating a new iPad mini this year, but he’s forecasting serious supply issues at the launch of the iPhone 5S.
Since Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, smartphones have really taken off , and more than 1 billion people worldwide now own one. Last year alone, smartphones generated $293.9 billion in sales, but the cost of the average smartphone has begun falling.
More than half of cellphone owners in the U.S. and other developed markets already own a smartphone, and those in emerging markets such as China and India aren’t able to pay for high-end devices like the iPhone. As a result, cheaper options are becoming increasingly popular.