Apple reportedly working with Quanta Computer on larger iPad

There have been rumors that Apple is working on a larger iPad.

Chinese website United Daily News (via MacRumors) reports that Apple is working with Quanta Computer on the rumored larger iPad.

The report however notes that Apple is working on a 12-inch iPad with Quanta, where as previous reports have indicated that it could come with a screen measuring slightly less than 13-inches diagonally.

The larger iPad rumors gained credibility when Wall Street Journal, an incredibly trustworthy publication also confirmed that Apple was working on it. Rumors have claimed that Apple could launch such a device early next year.

It is important to note that a company like Apple would probably be testing devices with all sorts of screen sizes, it doesn’t really mean that the designs will make their way to the market.

Quanta Computers, which produces Apple’s MacBook Airs, also seems like a surprising choice to be working on the larger iPad, as iPads are currently produced by Foxconn and Pegatron. The report however notes that Quanta is looking to diversify.

iPad mini is still my preferred device at home, so I am not sure I want a larger iPad. What do you think? Do you want an iPad with a 13-inch display?

[United Daily News via MacRumors]

Posted by Gautam on Sep 25, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

iPad mini 2 Specs Leaked: Touch ID, A7 Chip, 1GB RAM, Gold, Space Gray & Silver colors

Sonny Dickson, the Australian blogger who revealed most of the details about Apple’s iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c before it was launched, has just revealed a ton of details and shared leaked photos of the next generation iPad mini.

He claims that according to his sources:

• iPad mini 2 will be powered by Apple’s new A7 chip and will include the M7 co-processor. iPhone 5s is currently powered by the A7 chip that includes the M7 coprocessor.

• iPad mini 2 will also include Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which was introduced with the launch of iPhone 5s.

• He also claims that iPad mini 2 will come in Space Gray, Gold and Silver.

• iPad mini 2 will come with only 1GB RAM (current iPad has only 512MB RAM), and iPad 5 will get 2GB RAM.

He has also shared the following photos of the iPad mini 2 in gold and showing the Touch ID Home button that appear to be posted on Chinese microblogging site Weibo:

Apple had used the A5 chip in last year’s iPad mini, so the use of A7 chip suggests that iPad mini 2 will come with Retina Display. Last month, Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst at KGI Securities who has a good track record when it comes to predicting Apple product plans, had also claimed that Apple’s iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 will be powered by a variant of Apple’s new A7 chip.

If iPad mini comes with Touch ID then it is safe to assume that iPad 5 will also get it. And since there are rumors that iPad 5 will feature an iPad mini-like design, it is also quite likely that iPad 5 will come in Space Gray, Gold and Silver.

Apple is expected to unveil iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 in the October – November timeframe.

If iPad mini 2 comes with Retina Display and new A7 chip then it would make a compelling upgrade even for existing iPad mini users.

[Via SonnyDickson]

Posted by Gautam on Sep 27, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

iPad 5 Schematics show iPad mini-like thinner, narrower design

Apple is rumored to refresh the iPad lineup with a new iPad mini and a new full-size iPad next month. While it’s not clear if the iPad mini 2 will have a Retina display, rumors and leaked components strongly suggest that the next iPad will come with a thinner and narrower design.

Schematics obtained by AppleInsider show the exact dimensions of this design, based on the expectations of case makers.

The design diagram suggests that the iPad 5 will be 169.48mm wide, 241.3 mm tall and 7.5 mm thick. That’s a huge amount of reduction in bulk, with the thickness reducing by 20 percent (2mm) from the earlier 9.55mm and the width reducing by 9 percent (16mm) from the earlier 185.7 mm. The height seems to have reduced too, but only by a millimeter.

The diagrams also suggest that the body design of the iPad 5 will be similar to that of the iPad mini.

Earlier leaks, in addition to the thinner design, have also suggested that the device will be available in Space Grey and Silver, and will run on an A7X chip.

A key selling point of the iPad mini has been its sleek design and lighter weight, but with the larger iPad going thin and light, would you consider it over the mini?

[via AppleInsider]

Posted by Jason on Sep 27, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

Video highlights differences between iPad 5 and iPad 4 rear shell

A couple of days back, we saw the schematics of the iPad 5 showing the precise measurements of the device’s body, and today a video from a Chinese parts supplier shows and compares the rear shell of a space gray iPad 5 shell with iPad 4 and iPad mini.

The dimensions shown in the video are in line with what we saw earlier, highlighting the 15mm reduction in width, and 2mm reduction in thickness from 9.55mm to 7.5mm. The video also compares the weight of the two shells, with the iPad 5′s shell being significantly lighter than the iPad 4′s.

Other differences highlighted in the video include the repositioned speaker and a new microphone at the rear, the two-piece volume button and the resemblance to the iPad mini’s design in general with thinner bezels and rounded edges compared to curved edges of the iPad 4.

Tell us what you think about the iPad 5′s thinner, narrower and lighter design in the comments below.

[sw-box via MacRumors]

Posted by Jason on Sep 29, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

What the iPhone 5s tells us about the upcoming iPads

Now that the iPhone 5s has been revealed and is in the hands of the public, our focus turns to the iPad and its smaller companion, the iPad mini. Rumors and history suggest Apple’s tablet device will see a refresh in October. What does Apple have in store for its two iPad models? We don’t have to look much further than the iPhone 5s for some clues on what Apple may be packing into its next generation tablet devices.

It’s a colorful world

Recent rumors suggest the iPad mini and possibly the iPad will get a splash of color like the iPhone 5s. We likely won’t see the pastels of the iPhone 5c, but we will probably get the gold, silver and space grey color options. Sonny Dickson recently leaked a space grey casing for the iPad mini and both the silver and grey for the iPad 5. Also spotted on Asian website DoNews is a gold iPad mini. Doesn’t it look gorgeous? If these leaks are accurate, then the addition of silver and especially gold will be a definite improvement over the white and black options of the earlier models.

Fingerprint Sensor

As an iPhone 5s owner, the fingerprint sensor is the must-have feature for me in the next iPad. It is so convenient to be able to unlock my device and authorize iTunes purchases with that press of my finger. It makes using my original iPad mini with a key code so old right now. I’d be very surprised if Apple didn’t upgrade all of its devices with fingerprint sensors and make it a standard feature on its devices going forward.

The Internals

Just like the iPhone 5s, the iPad may get the new  A7 chip, 1GB of RAM and the M7 motion coprocessor. The M7 may be part of the package, but it won’t be as important in the iPad as it is in the iPhone. In scenarios when motion is important, you are more likely to get up and go with your iPhone than with your iPad. That being said, the powerhouse A7 and its GPU will be make the iPad an even better gaming device than it already is. I would also expect to see a better camera in the front and back as well as the improved 802.11ac WiFi in the iPad models. That new Qualcomm cellular radio with support for even more LTE bands will likely land in the WiFi+4G models.

Will there be a retina iPad mini?

Retina is still the big unknown for the iPad mini with arguments both for and against the inclusion of a retina screen in Apple’s 7.9-inch tablet. The addition of a retina display could run up the price of the $329 device, but Apple would likely face a lot of criticism for not upgrading this crucial component in the second generation of the device. Though rumors hint at a 2014 launch of the retina model, I’m going to step out on limb and predict that Apple will drop a retina screen in the iPad mini this fall.

Conclusion

Just like the iPhone 5s, Apple will likely bump up the specs and introduce tablets that are evolutionary in design and hardware. Beside what we’ve outlined above, what else do you think we will see in the next iPad or iPad mini? Chime in with your predictions in the comments.

Posted by Kelly on Sep 30, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

iOS 7.0.3 may be released next week, seeded to employees and partners

BGR reports that Apple has seeded iOS 7.0.3 to its employees and carrier partners for testing.

Apple had released iOS 7 couple of weeks back, and iOS 7.0.2 last week to fix the lock screen passcode bug.

Apple is widely expected to released iOS 7.1 with new iPads, that are rumored to be unveiled at a media event later this month.

BGR is not certain of the release date, but expects the update to be released sometime next week. The build number is 11B491.

BGR had correctly predicted the release dates for some of the beta versions of iOS 7.

They haven’t provided any details about the changes and improvements expected in iOS 7.0.3. I’m assuming that iOS 7.0.3 will include bug fixes, as a ton of them have been reported ever since iOS 7 was released.

[via BGR]

Posted by Gautam on Oct 01, 2013 - iphonehacks.com

Report claims Retina iPad mini launch may be delayed to 2014

The uncertainty over the launch of Retina iPad mini continues.

So far we have heard contradictory reports, some reports have suggested that Apple is indeed gearing up to launch an iPad mini with Retina Display this year, whereas some have cautioned that the Retina iPad mini will be launched only at the beginning of next year.

Reuters now reports that Apple may not launch the Retina iPad mini in 2013 due to supply constraints of Retina Displays. The report claims that Apple supplier have only started gearing up to make Retina displays, which indicates that Retina iPad mini will either be in limited supply if it is launched this year, or Apple may delay the launch to next year.

The report also notes that Apple is planning to launch an iPad mini with 8GB. We’re assuming that this would be a version of the current generation iPad mini, which will be offered as the entry-level iPad for $249 to $279 price range, when the next generation iPad mini is launched.

Frankly, I can’t see how Apple can launch a new iPad mini without Retina Display (163 pixels-per-inch) when you already have tablets like Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX that come with much better display (323 pixels-per-inch). If Apple has to keep the competition at bay and cash in on the year-end holiday shopping season, then it will have to launch a Retina iPad mini.

It is also difficult to believe that Apple will run into supply constraints for a product it probably started planning for last year. Every year before the launch of an Apple product, we hear reports of supply constraints, but they usually turn out to be wrong (except in the case of iPhone 5s).

According to rumors, iPad mini 2 will be powered by Apple’s new A7 chip with 1GB RAM and come with Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It may also be available in silver, gold and space gray.

Apple is expected to unveil iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 at a media event later this month.

Would it be a deal breaker if iPad mini 2 does not come with Retina Display? Let me know in the comments.

[Via Reuters]

Posted by Gautam on Oct 02, 2013 - iphonehacks.com