iPad mini - page 8

Production begins on new iPad Air with anti-reflection coating

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The successor to the iPad Air will feature a new anti-reflection coating designed to make reading easier, according to a report today from Bloomberg.

Apple has reportedly begun the production process for the next-gen 9.7-inch iPad and smaller iPad mini. As expected, both are on track to debut before the holidays.

iPad sales have been declining, and without some other whiz-bang new features, it’s difficult to imagine what will make new iPads interesting this fall.

These hidden iOS tricks will turn you into a speed demon

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When using your iOS device, you can get used to doing things the same way, day after day. But sometimes there are more efficient ways of getting things done with your iPhone or iPad.

In today’s video, we show you five hidden iOS tricks that can transform the way you use your device. Speed up your typing, browse your music in new ways and so much more by using these speedy tricks.

Subscribe to Cult of Mac TV on YouTube to catch all our latest videos.

Production of 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and new iPads may be pushed to September

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Apple's 5.5-inch "phablet" iPhone 6 may start mass production in September.

Apple might have its most exciting product pipeline in years underway, but exactly when we’re going to see these devices is another question.

According to new reports in the Taiwanese media, the reported 5.5-inch iPhone 6 has yet to enter production, and is being pushed back to September. The report doesn’t state whether this decision is deliberate on the part of Apple — perhaps as a way of confusing the market by launching two new iPhones simultaneously — or is being forced on the company as the result of manufacturing problems.

Sketchy rumor suggests iPad mini 3 will be 30% thinner

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A pair of new rumors suggest that the next iPad mini will be 30 percent thinner, and that Apple is hard at work on a 12.9-inch iPad for 2015.

A pretty sketchy rumor coming out of China claims that the new model iPad mini 3 might borrow the “Air” moniker of its bigger brother, and be a whopping 30 percent thinner than its predecessor.

The report also claims that this new iPad mini Air will rely on the as-yet-unnannounced A8 processor currently manufactured by TSMC.

iPad mini gets soft around the edges in these gorgeous mockups

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Concept designer extraordinaire Martin Hajek is a master of taking rumors and images about forthcoming Apple products and using them to create stunning design concepts.

With that in mind, he’s borrowed the new, rounded design language seen in many of the iPhone 6 leaks, and adapted it to show us what an upgraded iPad mini could conceivably look like in the same style. To make it more authentic, he’s also incorporated the reports of added Touch ID, which we’ve heard from multiple sources is expected in the next wave of iPads.

As with pretty much all of Hajek’s designs, the results are outstandingly authentic-looking — and offer a tantalizing glimpse at what Apple’s next miniature tablet might look like.

Nobody wants a small Windows tablet, world’s biggest PC maker claims

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Microsoft’s hopes of slowly taking over the U.S. tablet market just took another hit as Lenovo, the world’s largest PC maker, has decided there’s pretty much no demand for any Windows tablets under 10-inches.

Lenovo told PC World that they’re seeing stronger interest in larger screen sizes in North America, so they’re going to stop selling all of their small Windows Tablets in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and push the ThinkPad 10.

Road-ready iPad case turns backseat into front row

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There’s nothing more boring than going on a road trip without entertainment for the ride. While the iPad is good for storing all your favorite movies and television shows, when squeezed into your car there’s no convenient way to hold the tablet for hours on end. In today’s video, we review Speck Products’ Showfolio case for the iPad mini, the perfect remedy to this common problem. Simply snap your iPad into the case and hook it onto your car’s headrest: Your mobile movie theater is set to go.

Subscribe to Cult of Mac TV on YouTube to catch all our latest videos.

Best places to score deals on the iPhone, iPad or MacBook Air

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Photo: Apple

Scoring a sweet deal on an iPhone directly from Apple is nearly impossible. Luck for us, a bunch of Cupertino’s retail partners aren’t afraid to cut some dinero off its price-tag to try to get you in the store. But which store is best for Apple deals?

To locate the top places to get deals on Apple products, DealNews tracked several years worth of deals for the iPhone, iPad, and 11-inch MacBook Air and discovered that certain retailers offer consistently better deals on one specific product. Many of the big name retailers are great for iPhones deals, but you might be the surprised where to look for the best iPad and MacBook Air bargains.

Here are the best places to score a deal for each Apple product:

Tablet sales will flatline much sooner than expected, says IDC

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iPad mini retina display. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The iPad mini's lifespan could be a snuffed out thanks to the iPhablet . Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has a proud tradition of cannibalizing its products before someone else does, but in the case of the iPad mini, Cupertino might start eating its rotting corpse as soon as the 5.5-inch iPhablet is announced.

The latest projections from IDC claim that tablet sales are starting to level off even faster than expected with only 245.5 million units forecasted to sell in 2014 – a palty 12.1% year-over-year growth rate after tech companies just feasted on 51.8% YOY in 2013.

During Apple’s last earnings call Tim Cook boasted that iPad is the fastest selling product in Apple history, but IDC gives two major reasons why that could soon change:

Apple offers educational discounts on iPad Air and Retina iPad mini

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Good news if you’re a student! Apple has introduced reduced education pricing for both the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini — with prices for the two tablets starting from $469 and $379.

This represents a $30 discount for the iPad Air and a $20 for the iPad mini, and also marks the first time that Apple has included the iPad in its special discount program. Last year the company cut the educational price of the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro to $999, while Apple additionally offers discounts on its entire Mac line in its education store.

COTE: The leather iPad sleeve you’ll fall in love with

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I don’t really like using iPad cases; I tend to put one on just before I hand my device over to my kids, and then it comes off again as soon as they’re done. One of the best things about the iPad mini is its form factor, but that’s lost when you slap on a big, bulky case.

COTE by BUKcase
Category: Sleeve
Works With: iPad mini
Price: $133

But although I like my iPad to be naked when I use it, I need some protection when I’m on the go and carrying it around. That’s when I’m most likely to drop it — and when it’s most susceptible to getting scratched up in the bottom of my bag.

I’ve found the COTE leather sleeve from BUKcase to be the perfect solution to this problem.

Surprise! This year’s iPads all likely to have Touch ID

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Apple wants to design its own Touch ID and display chips.
Image courtesy of iFixit.
Photo: iFixit

When the iPhone 5s was announced as featuring Touch ID, you could have been forgiven for assuming that the iPad Air and iPad mini would naturally follow suit. Like original thinking from Samsung, however, it never quite materialized — and to this date Apple’s flagship iPhone is the only Apple device to incorporate the technology.

That may be set to change with the arrival of the next generation iPad Air and iPad mini, though.

The iPhone 6 Could Cannibalistically Feast Upon iPad Mini Sales

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Pretty much every Apple product has cannibalized sales from another one: the MacBook cannibalized the Mac, the iPhone cannibalized the iPod, the iPad cannibalized the MacBook, and the iPad mini cannibalized the iPad Air.

On its part, though, Apple has always been cavalier about cannibalizing its own sales. In February, 2013, Tim Cook told investors that “if we don’t cannibalize, someone else will.” Which is why Cupertino is unlikely to be worried about analyst concerns that a larger iPhone 6 could cannibalize sales of the iPad mini.

Apple Slashes Prices On Retina iPad Mini Refurbs

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Apple has begun selling refurbished models of the iPad mini with Retina display for about 15% off in its online store. Only WiFi models are being offered right now in 32GB and 64GB variants.

A 32GB Retina iPad mini refurb runs $419, which is $80 cheaper than retail price. Not many third-party retailers can match that kind of discount.

While the Apple Store is the last place to normally shop for discounts, it does have one thing going for it: refurbished products. When you buy a refurb from Apple, you’re buying hardware that Apple has replaced with even newer parts than stock items in most cases. Refurbs also come with a full, one-year warranty.

Source: Apple Store

MagBak Is The World’s Thinnest Wall Mount For Your iPad [Kickstarter]

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MagBak made a name for itself last year as the maker of the world’s thinnest iPad mount. Consisting of a wall holder (called the MagStick) and a strong, yet thin magnetic grip which adheres to the back of the tablet, the project was a huge success on Kickstarter.

Now the team behind MagBak have returned with their latest product iteration: a MagBak designed for the iPad Air and iPad mini. With around three days to go, the Kickstarter campaign has already raised close to twice its $15,000 funding goal.

Apple Announces LTE iPad Availability In China

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China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world, officially partnered with Apple last year.
China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world, officially partnered with Apple last year.

Apple has announced that the LTE iPad Air and iPad mini are now available in China. Cellular iPad models have been on sale in the country already, but today marks Apple’s adoption of the local TD-SCDMA network standard.

Here’s the full press release:

Meison Morgan’s Handmade iPhone 5s Case Is A Beauty [Review]

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About a month ago, I reviewed a beautiful iPad mini case from U.K.-based BUKcase that was designed to make the device look like a simple book-bound notebook. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been testing a handmade iPhone 5s case from Meison Morgan, courtesy of MyBanana, that has the same aim.

Meison Morgan by Meison Morgan
Category: Cases
Works With: iPhone 5 & iPhone 5s
Price: €30/$46

Manufactured in Greece using the same bookbinding process that traditional notebook makers use, this case offers not only good looks, but also all-round protection that promises to withstand the test of time.

It’s available in black and denim (blue), and it’s super affordable at €30 ($46).

The iPad Mini Tough Armor Bundle: An Essential Package For Any iPad Mini Owner [Deals]

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Your iPad Mini is slim, clean and beautiful, and we’re sure you want to keep it that way. If you’re looking for extreme protection without the bulk, Spigen’s Tough Armor has changed the game in protective cases.

The iPad Mini Tough Armor Bundle lets your iPhone’s hardware keep up with its shiny new iOS 7 software. This bundle of iPad Mini goodness comes with the Tough Armor case, the Crystal Screen Protector, and the Kuel C10L Sync and Charge Cable to make sure your smartphone is protected and charged at all times. And all for the low price of just $54.99.

Twelve South Unveils SurfacePad For iPad Mini

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The fine folks at Twelve South have brought the popular SurfacePad case to the iPad mini. The cover is made from Napa leather, and it bends to form a viewing stand or typing wedge.

One of the coolest design aspects of the new SurfacePad is how the iPad mini is held in place when upright. Instead of resting the iPad in little leather notches like most bendable cases, the edges of the iPad are secured by invisible magnets.

SLIMS Makes Your iPad Mini Look Like A Beautiful Book Bound Notepad [Review]

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If you have a soft spot for beautiful book bound notebooks like the famous Oxford Black n’ Red, then you’re going to love the SLIMS for iPad mini from BUKcase. Made using traditional book binding techniques, it’s almost identical at first glance — but when you open it up you find its pages have been replaced by a handmade wooden frame that lovingly cradles your iPad mini.

SLIMS by BUKcase
Category: Cases
Works With: iPad mini
Price: £30 ($50)

Born in the U.K., and also available for the iPad Air, SLIMS isn’t just a protective case, but also a stand for typing and watching movies. It accommodates all of your iPad’s buttons, ports, and cameras — so you never need to take it out — and it has built-in magnets that automatically wake your device up and put it to sleep.

SLIMS comes in black with a grey, blue, or red interior, and BUKcase will even emboss your name on the front.

Class Up Your iPad Mini With The Outstanding Macleay Folio [Review]

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I’ve long been a fan of minimalist protection for my personal iPads, using a green Smart Cover for the non-retina iPad mini I still favor as my main reading and web surfing device.

Macleay Folio by Toffee
Category: iPad Cases
Works With: iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina
Price: $49.95

When I got the Toffee case in the mail, however, I might have detected a bit of jealousy from the Smart Cover, which has gotten rather grimy and well-used over the past several months as I move the iPad mini from bag to bag, house to car seat, bag to coffee house table, and such.

The Macleay Folio comes in a very classy box, all recycled cardboard and slide out inner pieces. The folio itself peeks out through the clear front of the packaging with a classy style that promises a higher-class iPad mini experience. It’s ostensibly marketed for the iPad mini with Retina display, but as both models of iPad mini are essentially the same, the Folio will work with either.

I took some time with the Folio to figure out if the classiness was worth hiding my mini inside of.

Redesigned iPad Stand Looks More Like A Kitchen Utensil

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High-powered with a tiny footprint.
High-powered with a tiny footprint.

Kitchen Utensil. Mobile Office. Study Stand.

Sure, those don’t all go together, but Twelve South’s new iPad Air and iPad mini stand looks like nothing you’ve seen before. It might as well find a place in a kitchen drawer, next to all the Pampered Chef gizmos you’ve got in there.

This new iPad stand — made for the iPad Air and iPad mini — is foldable, easy to use, and just plain sweet looking.

Grab An Apple-Certified Lightning Charge And Sync Cable At A Great Price [Deals]

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Cables wear out, get lost, and you never know when you’ll need another, so grab one of these to keep in the car, at the office, or tightly wound in its packaging until you call it up from the reserves.

Cult of Mac Deals has another great deal lined up for those of you who have been looking for that extra cable for your iPhone. And this Apple-approved Lightning cable is available at an amazing price…just $17.99!

The Cable Key: An Ingeniously Small iPhone 5 Charging Cable [Deals]

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The Cable Key is a seamless solution to all your power needs. This lightweight charger cable is there when you need it and out of the way when you don’t. The high-speed USB 2.0 connection ensures a quick charging session while allowing you to enjoy your device, uninterrupted.

Cult of Mac Deals has this little wonder for 62% off during this limited time offer – just $14.99!