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Over the past few days, Digitimes has posted a series of rumors from its own supply chain sources and other reports out of Asia discussing a number of modifications reportedly being made by Apple on the third-generation iPad. Apple is said to already be making some of the changes, with a public launch of the revised model set for later this year. The changes include:

- As we mentioned in passing earlier this week, Digitimes last week cited a report from Taiwanese publication Apple Daily claiming that Apple is preparing to shift to thinner indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) display technology for the third-generation iPad. Apple had been rumored to be using IGZO in the new iPad in the months leading up to its launch, but the panels were not ready in time.

ipad_3_hand1-500x266.jpg

- Just yesterday, Digitimes reported that Apple has already made several tweaks to the third-generation iPad, enlarging the lens hole for the camera and modifying the battery. The changes to the battery are said to be intended to reduce overheating while also allowing for a lighter and thinner design.
The sources said the new iPad's battery is being revised, which will help prevent overheating issues and could possibly make the device slightly lighter and thinner than previously designed. However, no comments were offered as to why the lens is being enlarged.
The report also reiterates claims of IGZO displays coming to the iPad, with the revised models reportedly set for launch in time for the holiday shopping season later this year.

- And now today Digitimes is reporting that Apple is also moving from two LED backlight units to one, an effort that will reduce overheating and along with the battery changes will support the thinner design.
The extra LED is reportedly adding to overheating and that using one LED will help solve overheating issues since more backlights along with more power to heat those backlights is causing overheating.

Sources noted that the one LED backlight module, however, will not affect luminosity and clarity of Apple's Retina Display.
Taken together, all of the changes cited by Digitimes would make for much more than a mere tweak of the existing iPad design, and it seems extremely unlikely that Apple will release an updated model of the iPad before the end of the year.

Many readers may remember that similar claims of a shorter upgrade cycle for the iPad surfaced last year, only to see Apple continue its yearly upgrade cycle and wait until early 2012 to introduce the third-generation iPad.

Digitimes has been under fire in recent months due to its increasing reporting of rumors that have turned out to be inaccurate. While the site has occasionally offered very accurate information, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which claims to believe.

While talk of an "iPad mini" launch later this year has been ramping up, it seems hard to believe that Apple will be making any changes to the current 9.7-inch iPad before next year, and thus we are extremely skeptical of these claims. Consequently, we are posting this on our iOS Blog primarily for interest and discussion.

Article Link: Sketchy Claims of Revamped iPad with IGZO Display and Thinner Enclosure in Late 2012
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Maybe they are just misinterpreting 7" iPad rumors. Still, the 3rd gen iPad needs all of these improvements. It's a brute force effort to achieve specs in many, many ways.

With 32/28nm processes, IGZO displays, in-cell technology and Gorilla Glass 2, Apple has a lot of opportunities to slim down the thickness, weight and power profile for the next iPad.

I also hope they're going to push the envelope on things like through silicon vias to get some crazy memory bandwidth for their mobile CPUs and GPUs. The future is exciting in the mobile space.
 

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
I don't see them putting in a newer type of display. It's just not how they update their iPads.

I could however see them releasing an iPad mini which does use these new types of displays.
 

lazer155

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2010
150
0
I don't see them putting in a newer type of display. It's just not how they update their iPads.

I could however see them releasing an iPad mini which does use these new types of displays.

Do you not think that they would use the IGZO display because it is so new?

If they do wind up putting an IGZO display in the iPad doesn't that mean that they will include one in next year's rMBP?
 

wickerman1893

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2008
468
0
Too many products was one of the main reasons for Apple's fall in the late 90's. The more products you have leads to more confusion, IMO anyways. If they do make a iPad mini, they are going to have to get rid of the iPod touch as there will be no reason to buy one because the price point will have to be below the iPad. Very few people would buy a 32GB iPod touch instead of a 16GB(or even 8GB) iPad Mini. That's just my two cents. One thing Apple has now that they didn't have in the late 90's is leadership. Hopefully whatever they are doing turns out to be great.
 

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
With the greatest of respect, I get a little annoyed when people cite Digitimes as having 'accurate rumours' in the past. I mean, it's a Retina Display on a MacBook. They did it with the iPhone, then with the iPad. Not to mention all the high-resolution icons leaked in Mountain Lion & Lion. And this is Apple; they're quite obviously going to try to make a laptop thinner.

What I'm trying to say is that anything they've accurately reported has been nothing short of common-sense. Anything vaguely 'out there' that they've suggested has almost never happened.

I'd be willing to suggest that most people on MR are better at speculating about what Apple will do next.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Do you not think that they would use the IGZO display because it is so new?

Supposedly Sharp not being able to meet demand and/or quality kept it out of the iPad 3. So, it seems like they'll go to it when it's ready.

If they do wind up putting an IGZO display in the iPad doesn't that mean that they will include one in next year's rMBP?

Perhaps. Display is a lot smaller percentage of overall power usage in a laptop compared to a tablet or phone. Display thickness also isn't as critical. Seems it would be one of those eventual, but not right now things.
 

Aidan5806

macrumors 6502
Feb 20, 2012
312
0
I don't think this is very likely and i would actually prefer Apple wait and present a massive update for the next generation iPad until something big is ready.
 

cvaldes

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2006
3,237
0
somewhere else
I'd be willing to suggest that most people on MR are better at speculating about what Apple will do next.
No, they are not.

A few commenters here and at AppleInsider have more plausible ideas about what Apple might have in terms of product updates, but the vast majority of readers on most technology blogs have zero understanding about the design and manufacturing process of today's consumer electronics and even less understanding about basic economics.

The majority of commenters appear to be teenagers or college students and random other types who have never worked at a Fortune 500 technology company and have zero insight into how a thoughtfully managed publicly-owned corporation would actually go about handling their product lineup and their supply chain partnerships.

Now, I'm not saying that one needs to have worked at Apple, HP, Dell, Oracle, Cisco, etc. to be a contributing member of a technology bboard, however, some of the people who comment here have very tenuous grasp on the real world, i.e., the one that mommy and daddy aren't paying for.

That said, some of these outlandishly unrealistic predictions can be quite amusing. Too bad that those who make them are perpetually disappointed about probably everything in their lives. They're the kind of people who think they should be dating supermodels like Brooklyn Decker or Kate Upton. Even more hilarious is the palpable sense of entitlement that these people exude.

These forums have never been as entertainingly ridiculous as today. MacRumors makes for some great science fiction, far better than Battlestar Galactica, Serenity, whatever.
 
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iMcLovin

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2009
1,963
898
I dont care. and you know even if apple is gonna make a smaller ipad, it´s gonna be costly, because its Apple. So, I don´t really see what market this will take which they don´t allready own. I dont need anything inbetween my iphone and ipad.

anyway, it´s good rumors. Because I think they are highly unlikely...which makes it seem more probable that Digitimes rumors about the coming october retina imac is untrue - that increase my hop of an earlier release of the iMac.
 

lazer155

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2010
150
0
Supposedly Sharp not being able to meet demand and/or quality kept it out of the iPad 3. So, it seems like they'll go to it when it's ready.



Perhaps. Display is a lot smaller percentage of overall power usage in a laptop compared to a tablet or phone. Display thickness also isn't as critical. Seems it would be one of those eventual, but not right now things.

Really? I didn't know that display power consumption in laptops wasn't as much of an issue. I thought it was about the same proportionally to phones and tablets. I guess in that case, you're right, apple doesn't have a lot of incentive to bother adding new screens like the IGZO and switching screen suppliers to sharp especially when they just came out with a big screen improvement with their retina displays. Itll probably be a couple generations before they make another big screen improvement on a laptop. and maybe awhile for the iPad since sharp can't make a lot currently.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Really? I didn't know that display power consumption in laptops wasn't as much of an issue. I thought it was about the same proportionally to phones and tablets. I guess in that case, you're right, apple doesn't have a lot of incentive to bother adding new screens like the IGZO and switching screen suppliers to sharp especially when they just came out with a big screen improvement with their retina displays. Itll probably be a couple generations before they make another big screen improvement on a laptop. and maybe awhile for the iPad since sharp can't make a lot currently.

Mobile SoCs are 1 to 2W peak. Mobile CPUs like in the rMBP can peak over 30. I doubt the display uses up to 15 times as much too.
 

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
Do you not think that they would use the IGZO display because it is so new?

If they do wind up putting an IGZO display in the iPad doesn't that mean that they will include one in next year's rMBP?

No I think that they won't use it because allegedly it will result in thinner and longer lasting iPads, which sounds great! But Apple I don't think would want to annoy day 1 (and first few month) adopters.

I think they would more likely save the 9.7" IGZO upgrade until iPad 4 and use it as one of the major improvements.

I say that they will use it on the iPad mini (if there is one) because it will be a smaller size and therefore the displays should be easier to make in mass quantities, they can then also field test it in these smaller iPads before putting it in the major iPad.

In reply to the comment above stating that the iPad mini would result in the iPod touch being dropped I think is a false assumption. Millions of iPod touches are sold and many of them aren't because they can't afford an iPad. The iPad mini would be more or less direct competition to the Nexus 7 and Kindle fire. The touch is still for those people who want an MP3 player sized device but can't afford to fork out for an iPhone with contract. This is especially true if the iPad mini only comes in an 8GB varient (which is likely).

Just my thoughts on the matter. I also do think that once they can manufacture it fast and well enough IGZO will make it into other products of theres if they deem it a good step forward (which it sounds like it is).
 

macpeach55

macrumors 6502
Too many products was one of the main reasons for Apple's fall in the late 90's. The more products you have leads to more confusion, IMO anyways. If they do make a iPad mini, they are going to have to get rid of the iPod touch as there will be no reason to buy one because the price point will have to be below the iPad. Very few people would buy a 32GB iPod touch instead of a 16GB(or even 8GB) iPad Mini. That's just my two cents. One thing Apple has now that they didn't have in the late 90's is leadership. Hopefully whatever they are doing turns out to be great.

With all due respect, I disagree with your view that an iPad mini would kill the iPod touch. The great thing about that device is it has all the capabilities of an iPhone without the phone part. Not everyone buys into the iPhone concept, but wants the rest. And small as the iPad mini would be, it is still much to large to replace the portability and usability of the Touch, IMHO.
 

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,358
2,769
With the greatest of respect, I get a little annoyed when people cite Digitimes as having 'accurate rumours' in the past. I mean, it's a Retina Display on a MacBook. They did it with the iPhone, then with the iPad. Not to mention all the high-resolution icons leaked in Mountain Lion & Lion. And this is Apple; they're quite obviously going to try to make a laptop thinner.

What I'm trying to say is that anything they've accurately reported has been nothing short of common-sense. Anything vaguely 'out there' that they've suggested has almost never happened.

I'd be willing to suggest that most people on MR are better at speculating about what Apple will do next.

While that's true to some extent, they nailed the timing of the launch and pegged that it would first appear in the 15-inch MBP. Remember, this was last December, when we were still just getting vague hints from the HiDPI stuff.

They also were first to report the existence of the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, although that was specifically Ming-Chi Kuo who has since moved on and continued to report rather accurate information.

I'm certainly not defending all the times Digitimes has gotten things wrong, and it's frustrating trying to separate the wheat from the chaff with them. But they are closer to the supply chain than most other publications, and there are sometimes nuggets of truth there.

Just not in this case. :)
 

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
Are you serious? The retina display is basically the largest update to the iPad to date.

I meant in the way the original article says they will, via a mid cycle minor update.

I'm sure that they could very well bring out the iPad 4 with a beautiful IGZO display, but next year!
 

Mad-B-One

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2011
789
5
San Antonio, Texas
I'd be willing to suggest that most people on MR are better at speculating about what Apple will do next.

I'll have a try: They will come out with a new iPhone this fall with a longer display, same width. It will have a metal back, a thinner display, a better battery and quadcore graphics. You can get it in black or white. It will have 4G and a virtual wallet with short distance transactions. The headphone jack will be at the bottom and they come with a new connector. Most likely, they also come out with a smaller sized iPad.

Do I win a prize? Do I get cited all over because I was able to read rumors? Please, please? :D
 

applesith

macrumors 68030
Jun 11, 2007
2,774
1,570
Manhattan
I wouldn't consider replacing my iPad 3 that quickly unless they make a new connector and improve the battery for it to charge faster.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
I wouldn't consider replacing my iPad 3 that quickly unless they make a new connector and improve the battery for it to charge faster.

The problem isn't that the battery charges slow, it's the fact that they made it so much bigger (like 66%). If they can make the next iPad display and SoC use less power, they can decrease battery size and maintain previous battery life.
 

wickerman1893

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2008
468
0
With all due respect, I disagree with your view that an iPad mini would kill the iPod touch. The great thing about that device is it has all the capabilities of an iPhone without the phone part. Not everyone buys into the iPhone concept, but wants the rest. And small as the iPad mini would be, it is still much to large to replace the portability and usability of the Touch, IMHO.

Respected. So many possibly outcomes it's so hard to predict. :)
 
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