Three New iPads Said to Launch in March, Including Bezel-Free 10.9-Inch Model

[Mascots]

Oh, sales of iPad are declining?

Let's just make another model to throw in the mix

 

[macTW]

Tell that to the Surface....

There's a lack of happy surface users.

 

[Rob_2811]

Wtf?!? An 10.9"bezel free is like the 9.7" shape wih no bezels. It could be the same product

Um, no..

Yeah, this makes no sense having an odd-ball model without bezel.

If true, so much for simplifying their offerings. Especially when you add the non-pro lineup, and iPad mini as well.
Their laptop lineup still needs to tidy up, where the MBA is the odd step child.

It makes absolute sense. They are improving the screen/body ratio of the iOS devices to bring them closer in line with the competition. Expect the next iPhone to take a similar direction, it is in desperate need of reducing the chin/bezels compared to some of the other smartphones on the market.

Improving the screen/body ratio will likely allow them to sell more of the plus model phones aswell thus increasing the average selling price on the iPhone. I personally would love the 5.5 inch screen real estate on my phone but the plus model iPhones are just to big. I think I'm right in saying the Samsung S7 edge packs a 5.5 inch screen into a phone which is a fair bit smaller than the plus model iPhones.

Why is a bezel-free iPad a good thing?

Because it allows for more screen real estate without making the device any bigger. This device will likely be a similar size to the current 9.7 inch Air/Pro models. Measure one of those devices corner to corner, they are roughly 10.9 inches.

Not sure a bezel-less iPad would work. How do you hold it when reading books, magazines, newspapers, etc?

Same as it does now.

 

[tech4all]

There's a lack of happy surface users.

Do you have a source to back up that claim?

 

[rowspaxe]

Its called the "ipad pro" but professional applications are often massively complicated and/or obscure. Who is it that will be porting all of these to ios?

no one.

 

[Mr Staunton]

Launched in March, available Late April, or mid May, or June.

 

[Rava]

While trying to read this on my mini 2, safari crashed 3 times, 1 of those times losing the page completely. Performance on my mini 2 has become downright painful lately, but I've been able to hold on because the previous article this site posted rumored a mini pro would be released in March 2017.

Come on Apple, I really want to give you money! It doesn't even need to be a big update, just refresh the processor, update the colors and maybe add force touch and I'll be ecstatic. The Mini 4 is using 2 year old tech at this point, it's extremely frustrating that the Mini keeps getting overlooked.

 

[Misaki]

What about the Mac mini and Mac Pro? They're in desperate need of updates!

If and when Apple updates these, I'd expect them to rebrand what they offer as the Mac Pro, to the Mac Mini Pro, and only offer a headless notebook for the Mini (eg whatever is in the iGPU-only MacBook Pro, maybe even use the same PCB.)

What Professional users want (not necessarily the PROsumers that Apple seems to think are Professionals) is expandability and more build your own specifications.

At the rate Apple is going, they may as well just license macOS Sierra (OS X 10.12) to Dell to build desktops/servers with the stipulation that they must use only the parts/designs approved by Apple, and Apple can keep building these prosumer laptops for the journalists, hollywood props, and industrial design.

 

[jadot]

I can't see the benefit of producing the same form factor, just without the bezel. The 9.7 screen is big enough for this class - wouldn't it make more sense to reduce the overall size down to 9.7inches to take advantage of the bezel reduction?
Yes, I know: battery size etc... but iPad Mini.

Besides this, I'm not sure that a bezel free iPad would be that welcome for people who want to mount the iPad in a case to watch movies or whatever. At least having a bezel 'Frames' the screen. Sure, they could minimise it down to 3 or 4mm for a more attractive device, but the rumours for wrap around screens et al aren't necessarily thinking practically about what real world problems this could introduce.

 

[zombierunner]

I think the foldable tech Samsung was talking about could be quite useful. You could have a 5inch iPhone that you can open up into a 10 inch tablet

 

[blackcrayon]

I can't see the benefit of producing the same form factor, just without the bezel. The 9.7 screen is big enough for this class - wouldn't it make more sense to reduce the overall size down to 9.7inches to take advantage of the bezel reduction?
Yes, I know: battery size etc... but iPad Mini.

Besides this, I'm not sure that a bezel free iPad would be that welcome for people who want to mount the iPad in a case to watch movies or whatever. At least having a bezel 'Frames' the screen. Sure, they could minimise it down to 3 or 4mm for a more attractive device, but the rumours for wrap around screens et al aren't necessarily thinking practically about what real world problems this could introduce.

There will probably be a little bit of bezel left... Most cases leave the entire front of the iPad viewable except a mm or two. So it would still work (I'm typing now on one of those laptop-like keyboard cases, if the bezel were completely removed it wouldn't make a difference).

My question would be for the home button, it seems unlikely they'd do a "hidden" home button on the iPad before the iPhone, but you never know...

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

[QUOTE="DCIFRTHS, post: 23904457, member: 155462”]Also, from the article: I don't see how a Home button could be completely removed with out a major overhaul of iOS [/QUOTE]

This may not be as far fetched as you think. Touch ID is already being removed from the home button (included in the Touch Bar of the new rMBP). There exists a software home button in the form of the accessibility option, Assistive Touch. I also recall a recent patent that shows a way to embed touch ID in an LCD display, or something to that effect. Point is, the underpinnings may very well be there.

 

[Kabeyun]

Because it allows for more screen real estate without making the device any bigger. This device will likely be a similar size to the current 9.7 inch Air/Pro models. Measure one of those devices corner to corner, they are roughly 10.9 inches.

And you then hold onto it how?

The original iPad was designed that way so you could hold onto it without your fingers obscuring what was on the screen.

Can't do that with no bezel, unless you get some sort of handle case (which would still probably obscure a little at the edge) or enjoy balancing your expensive gadget on your open hand.

 

[Rob_2811]

And you then hold onto it how?

The original iPad was designed that way so you could hold onto it without your fingers obscuring what was on the screen.

Can't do that with no bezel, unless you get some sort of handle case (which would still probably obscure a little at the edge) or enjoy balancing your expensive gadget on your open hand.

With your hands. Do you never touch any part of an iPad other than the screen when using it ? It wouldn't significantly obscure anything on the screen. We don't know what contingency will be made in software either.

 

[Kabeyun]

With your hands. Do you never touch any part of an iPad other than the screen when using it ?

Sure. Fingers on the back and thumb on the...bezel. No suction cup fingers.

It wouldn't significantly obscure anything on the screen.

I'm inclined to disagree.

We don't know what contingency will be made in software either.

A dynamic bezel?? Wouldn't that be worse than your thumb? Or do you envision the screen contents squishing away from the thumb on it?

 

[DCIFRTHS]

This may not be as far fetched as you think. Touch ID is already being removed from the home button (included in the Touch Bar of the new rMBP). There exists a software home button in the form of the accessibility option, Assistive Touch. I also recall a recent patent that shows a way to embed touch ID in an LCD display, or something to that effect. Point is, the underpinnings may very well be there.

I don't think it's far fetched. I just think it is a bad idea.

I don't like capacitive buttons that appear and disappear, or the on-screen accessibility home button. Embedding touch ID in the screen, would probably be good (once they get it to work properly - which means at earliest it will be the second generation). Honestly, I don't see a good way to change screens, exit an app etc., but that's just me.

 

[lederermc]

Do we really need 4 different iPad screen sizes? Not to mention, we have 3 screen sizes now, but 5 iPad models to choose from, before considering 3/4 colors, 3 capacities, and 2 connectivity options.

It's starting to seem a lot like Android devices, except with hardware, not software, fragmentation.

You: No. Me: yes I'll like a 10.5"screen.