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Questionable Claim of 30% Slimmer 'iPad Mini Air' Launching in Late 2014

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According to a new report from Taiwan's Economic Daily News, Apple's third-generation iPad mini will be an "Air"-like model, featuring a design that shaves 30 percent off the thickness of the device. This thinness along with a powerful new A8 processor will be among the main selling points for the next generation iPad mini, claims the Asian sources (via GforGames).

ipad6-800x510.jpg
Mockups of the next generation iPhone, iPad Mini, and iPad Air from Apple.club.tw ​
While the sources of the rumor are given only as from the supply chain, the claim of a 30 percent thinner iPad mini seems to be an overly optimistic one. The original iPad mini measured 7.2 mm thick, and the device saw a slight increase to 7.5 mm with the move to a Retina display last year. The larger iPad Air moved in the opposite direction last year, slimming down from 9.4 mm in the fourth-generation iPad to match the Retina iPad mini at 7.5 mm.

A 30 percent reduction in thickness for the iPad mini would put it in the range of 5.25 mm, and how Apple would achieve such a reduction is unclear, especially given the increase in horsepower seen with the move to a Retina display last year. That move made the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini essentially identical with the exception of display size.

Apple is expected to release the updated iPad mini in the third quarter of 2014, likely following the iPhone 6 launch in September. Besides a possible thinner form factor and A8 processor, the next generation iPad mini also is expected to include a more durable Touch ID fingerprint sensor containing tin. Similar to the iPhone, the next generation iPad is expected to support iOS 8's new SDK that allows third-party developers to access the fingerprint scanner for verification purposes.

Besides the iPad Air and iPad mini, Apple is rumored to be expanding its iPad lineup with a larger 12.9-inch iPad. Dubbed the "iPad Pro," the larger model may not be released until 2015, claims DisplaySearch analyst David Hsieh. This prediction echoes a earlier report from KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo who also predicted a 2015 launch date for the oversized tablet device.

Article Link: Questionable Claim of 30% Slimmer 'iPad Mini Air' Launching in Late 2014
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/22/slimmer-ipad-mini-air-2014/
Chrjy

Chrjy

macrumors 65816
May 19, 2010
1,095
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Now that would be impressive! Along with a 48 hour battery life...!
 
Dekema2

Dekema2

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
856
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That's a long name for a product! If it was a real rumor, Apple would approaching the "Samsung Galaxy S III" caliber of names...
 
Yvan256

Yvan256

macrumors 603
Jul 5, 2004
5,081
998
Canada
That's amazing

In a few iPad generation, we'll be able to use them in the kitchen to cut vegetables.
 
Naimfan

Naimfan

Suspended
Jan 15, 2003
4,669
2,017
I really do wish Apple would get past this obsession with thinness.

The iPad itself is thin enough. Ditto the iPhone 5/5S, which almost feel flimsy (as does the MBA, for that matter).

Improve battery life and keep the same level of thin.
 
J

jahoys

macrumors regular
Jul 6, 2011
149
0
Earth
more likely it will go back to the original thinness of the first gen iPad mini. from 7.5mm to 7.2mm
 
keysofanxiety

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
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Chrjy said:
Now that would be impressive! Along with a 48 hour battery life...!
Click to expand...

Oh if only. :( Regrettably Ive's fetish for paper-thin devices means there's no hope for that ... unless battery technology makes some huge leaps.
 
M

malexandria

Suspended
Mar 25, 2009
971
427
Buying Air

At some point things will be so thin, we'll buy Air or an Apple Tatoo for our hands.

----------

What's the point of being thin if 95% of users will have a big bulky case around the device anyway?
 
G

GeneralChang

macrumors 68000
Dec 2, 2013
1,675
1,510
Yvan256 said:
In a few iPad generation, we'll be able to use them in the kitchen to cut vegetables.
Click to expand...

Great. Now I want this feature. I’m not buying another tablet until I can turn on my TV at 2:40 AM and see a very enthusiastic presenter demonstrating the ability of the latest iPad to slice a tomato without crushing it.

Ball’s in your court, Apple.
 
N

Nimrad

macrumors 6502
Jul 28, 2010
405
1,462
Fingerprint sensor would be a perfect excuse for Apple to introduce multiple accounts on iPads IMO.

Dekema2 said:
That's a long name for a product! If it was a real rumor, Apple would approaching the "Samsung Galaxy S III" caliber of names...
Click to expand...

How is that significantly longer than "Apple iPhone 5S"?
 
69Mustang

69Mustang

macrumors 604
Jan 7, 2014
7,895
15,043
In between a rock and a hard place
Thinner is neither a feature nor benefit when the product is already thin enough. Better battery? Yup. More powerful? Here here. Thinner? Yawn.

Apple is making it increasingly hard for me to want to add anymore of their offerings to my inventory. My iPad2 and 2011 MBA are perfectly serviceable and none of their recent offerings are compelling enough to me to warrant an upgrade. Screw thinner and give me a new mac mini.
 
Last edited:
Dekema2

Dekema2

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
856
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Nimrad said:
Fingerprint sensor would be a perfect excuse for Apple to introduce multiple accounts on iPads IMO.



How is that significantly longer than "Apple iPhone 5S"?
Click to expand...

But how often do you hear someone say "I have an Apple iPhone 5S?" Apple iPad Mini Air is long, and even worse would be Apple iPad Mini Air with Retina Display IF that ever came out
 
Michael Goff

Michael Goff

Suspended
Jul 5, 2012
13,329
7,421
iPad Mini Air wouldn't be so bad.


That being said, is anyone chomping at the bit for a thinner Mini?
 
R

recoil80

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,117
2,755
Naimfan said:
I really do wish Apple would get past this obsession with thinness.

The iPad itself is thin enough. Ditto the iPhone 5/5S, which almost feel flimsy (as does the MBA, for that matter).

Improve battery life and keep the same level of thin.
Click to expand...

I think they can reduce the iPad's weight a little more, while I'm happy with the iPhone in terms of thickness and weight
 
I

icanhazapple

macrumors 6502a
Feb 26, 2009
578
1,246
number of cores will differ at some point

mini will stick with two, regular iPad will go to four.

I really think some version of OS X will eventually come to the tablets, or a drastic iOS redesign will come in version 10. That would be elegant - once both are 10, they both merge. The iPhone/iPad mini will stick the traditional iOS environment, with the tablets gaining some desktop functionality.

Performance among the tablet operating system will be analogous to the performance differences between the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro. Different capabilities, with a meaningful difference in hardware specs between the two sizes.
 
TallGuyGT

TallGuyGT

macrumors 6502
Aug 8, 2011
390
991
NYC
The iPad's display is not laminated to the glass like with the iPhone, rMBP and iMac. That may save a very little space. I wish they'd laminate it if only to reduce reflections like with their other products.

I'm fine with the thickness of both iPads. Like the iPhone, I wish they'd take a break on reducing thickness and focus on significantly increased battery life.
 
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