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donrsd

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
269
1
South Florida
Since the iPhone 5 is a true 16:9 screen, will Apple change the iPad to also reflect a true 16:9 screen?
 

mrsir2009

macrumors 604
Sep 17, 2009
7,505
156
Melbourne, Australia
Probably not, although it would be nice :) Who knows, maybe the iPad Mini will be 16:9, because all the dummy models that have been leaked certainly weren't 4:3!
 

TheWheelMan

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2011
982
0
Since the iPhone 5 is a true 16:9 screen, will Apple change the iPad to also reflect a true 16:9 screen?

Why do people ask questions as if the members here all work at Apple and have free reign to blab all of their secrets?

And I certainly hope not. Many, maybe most, don't want a 16:9 iPad. Not for the big size anyway.
 

yegon

macrumors 68040
Oct 20, 2007
3,405
1,983
Next iPad will be identical res and size, only display change will be use of incell tech probably.
 

neutrino23

macrumors 68000
Feb 14, 2003
1,881
391
SF Bay area
Next iPad will be identical res and size, only display change will be use of incell tech probably.

You are probably right. I wish they would add a larger version about the size of a sheet of paper. It would be a nice lineup. An iPad mini for ultra portability, the current size for most people and a larger one for those of us who could use it.
 

Snowy_River

macrumors 68030
Jul 17, 2002
2,520
0
Corvallis, OR
?.. all the dummy models that have been leaked certainly weren't 4:3!

Uh... I think you're wrong. The bezel isn't uniform all the way around, making it look taller, but I believe that the dummy units have all been modeled assuming a 1024x768 screen that is 7.85" on diagonal. That's a 4:3 screen, just like all iPads before it...
 

Dmunjal

macrumors 68000
Jun 20, 2010
1,533
1,542
If the iTV ever comes a reality, I think the iPad has to go 16:9. The iPod Touch, iPhone, Macs, and eventually the iTV are all 16:9. Content is king and video/TV will be the next phase for Apple's growth. 16:9 is the right format for video and a consistent user experience is Apple's goal.
 

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
If the iTV ever comes a reality, I think the iPad has to go 16:9. The iPod Touch, iPhone, Macs, and eventually the iTV are all 16:9. Content is king and video/TV will be the next phase for Apple's growth. 16:9 is the right format for video and a consistent user experience is Apple's goal.

The 13" MacBook Air and all MacBook Pro models are 16:10. The maximum supported resolution for the Mac Mini and Mac Pro are 16:10. Only the 11" MBA and the iMac are 16:9. I wish the iMac was still the previous 16:10 ratio as the extra pixel height makes a big difference.

Apple goes with what they think is right. The 16:9 iPhone gives you a lot of screen area for a relatively small increase in finger reach.

I think the 16:10 ratio would be best for the iPad if they change it. You still have good width for portrait web viewing, but only get small black bars when viewing 16:9 video. It is also good for showing documents as the ratio is fairly close to paper sheets.

But that is if they do change it, which I don't think they will. It is a good shape now.
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
orig-11170191jpg.gif
 

zephyrnoid

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2008
255
0
Geneva Switzerland
I just had a long chat with my brainstorming buddy. Subjects included the ratio of the extant ipads versus Google Nexus 7 and the evolving paradigms of visual media viewing.
My take.
4:3 is dead (though I actually only own a 4:3 SD TV !!!) for the next steps in visual electronic media.
See, 4:3 was ideal in a world ruled by 8.5"X11" letter sized PAPER documents.
That world is rapidly being relegated to backup printouts of kitchen recipes etc.
16:9 is it IMHO
The closer that your ratio is to a square, the more static the page. So ideally....
1) Movies & modest panoramas... Horizontal 16:9
2) E-pubs... Vertical 9:16
3) Zoom E-pubs... Horizontal 16:9
If future ipads are delivered in anything fatter than Nexus 7 ratio , I'm out.:rolleyes:
 

urkel

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2008
2,795
917
here's something I've been thinking about.

The iPad 3's "natural" position for typing is horizontal because on a 9.7" screen that's the standard keyboard size.

The iPad Mini is a smaller device so the best typing orientation would be vertical so imagine the split keyboard size but actually connected. If the Mini is light enough and thin/tall (16:9) then that would actually be a comfortable typing size. So Imthinking the iPad Mini would be 16:9 so that it could feel like a big iPhone but have the apps of the iPad ecosystem.
 

yegon

macrumors 68040
Oct 20, 2007
3,405
1,983
Main reason the iPhone went 16:9 was because it was a fairly easy way to increase size, ala the competition, keep the same ppi and not disrupt the app system too much. Do you really believe it was about Apple wanting it better as a video player?

Also, have you ever held a 16:9 10" tablet? Hope Apple don't jump on that bandwagon any time soon, which they clearly won't anyway as 2048x1536 will be with us next year and probably the one after.

That said, 16:10 works quite well - I've a Galaxy Tab 7.7 (the good, expensive one with samoled+ display), and 1280x800 is great at that size.
 

djrod

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2008
1,012
33
Madrid - Spain
here's something I've been thinking about.

The iPad 3's "natural" position for typing is horizontal because on a 9.7" screen that's the standard keyboard size.

The iPad Mini is a smaller device so the best typing orientation would be vertical so imagine the split keyboard size but actually connected. If the Mini is light enough and thin/tall (16:9) then that would actually be a comfortable typing size. So Imthinking the iPad Mini would be 16:9 so that it could feel like a big iPhone but have the apps of the iPad ecosystem.

I use my iPad in portrait about 97% of the time
 

WilliamLondon

macrumors 68000
Dec 8, 2006
1,699
13
You are probably right. I wish they would add a larger version about the size of a sheet of paper. It would be a nice lineup. An iPad mini for ultra portability, the current size for most people and a larger one for those of us who could use it.

What size sheet of paper? A4? Only 2 countries in the world haven't adopted the A4 as the standard letter format (the US and Canada).

I'm with you on the ultra portability of the mini - can't wait to see if the rumours are true this week!
 

orfeas0

macrumors 6502a
Aug 21, 2010
971
1
Athens, Greece
I just had a long chat with my brainstorming buddy. Subjects included the ratio of the extant ipads versus Google Nexus 7 and the evolving paradigms of visual media viewing.
My take.
4:3 is dead (though I actually only own a 4:3 SD TV !!!) for the next steps in visual electronic media.
See, 4:3 was ideal in a world ruled by 8.5"X11" letter sized PAPER documents.
That world is rapidly being relegated to backup printouts of kitchen recipes etc.
16:9 is it IMHO
The closer that your ratio is to a square, the more static the page. So ideally....
1) Movies & modest panoramas... Horizontal 16:9
2) E-pubs... Vertical 9:16
3) Zoom E-pubs... Horizontal 16:9
If future ipads are delivered in anything fatter than Nexus 7 ratio , I'm out.:rolleyes:

As someone who has used both a 16:9 (or maybe 16:10) 10" tablet, and a 4:3 10" iPad, I gotta say: The 4:3 ratio is better in EVERYTHING (browsing, reading etc) except videos.
And tbh, I watch my videos on my big laptop monitor, not an iPad.
Reading on a 4:3 is 10x better than 16:9(/10), whatever way you hold, landscape or portrait.
Not to mention those widescreen ratios don't let you hold the tablet comfortably like the iPad.
 

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
I think they might. Because they are moving everything else to it, plus if they iPad mini even went 'retina' (with presumably the same screen as the big iPad ppi would go from (rumored) 163ppi to a more apple like 326ppi) then the dpi on that would blow the big one out of the water, and I don't think they will go much higher than the current high ipad 3 res unless they went to 16:9 and 2560x1600 (311ppi @ 9.7" - so probably a bit higher res to get it to around 326ppi) or something crazy! That could then letterbox existing iPad apps and also allow for new much larger area apps (theoretically)!

Don't see that happening until 2014 though, as they changed the res this year and I don't see a 'retina' mini until end of next year at the earliest.

This would let them have a high end retina ipad with big widescreen for everything, a low end (but 300k+ existing apps (plus iphone apps)) retina ipad mini for reading/web/some video etc.
 

imacken

macrumors 65816
Feb 28, 2010
1,232
127
Portrait mode 100% of the time for me. :)
High percentage portrait users I guess wouldn't want 16:9 then. It's a useful format for landscape use, with the extra side vision, but doesn't work the same in portrait.
 

Buckeyestar

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2011
804
39
I use mine in landscape 97% of the time.
Just like your computer or TV.

But but you're not holding your laptop or TV while in use. One of the great things about the iPad is that it's comfortable to use either way. A 16:9 iPad would feel very awkward to hold.
 

yegon

macrumors 68040
Oct 20, 2007
3,405
1,983
As someone who has used both a 16:9 (or maybe 16:10) 10" tablet, and a 4:3 10" iPad, I gotta say: The 4:3 ratio is better in EVERYTHING (browsing, reading etc) except videos.
And tbh, I watch my videos on my big laptop monitor, not an iPad.
Reading on a 4:3 is 10x better than 16:9(/10), whatever way you hold, landscape or portrait.

Almost totally agree. You're right that 4:3 is better at everything, bar video.

However, in smaller tablets in the 7" range, given they are aiming at maximum portability, I think 16:10 is the best option. I've a Tab 7.7, it fits easily into a jacket/coat pocket and even is okay in a trouser pocket in a pinch. The purported 7.85" 4:3 iPad mini will be much larger in width, no way is something that wide fitting in anything but massive jacket and coat pockets, which kind of negates the point of a smaller tablet if you have to bring a bag.
 

Jord5i

macrumors member
Jul 15, 2012
95
0
I am pretty sure they won't do that. For the iPad they had several prototypes and tried which one felt the best in your hands, I think a 16:9 is too wide, making it uncomfortable
 

deaglecat

macrumors 6502a
Mar 9, 2012
594
710
I would buy a bigger Ipad.

Ipad Maxi @12 inches or Mega at 14 inches.

Yeah baby...!
 
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