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Young Turk

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 9, 2002
503
69
I've read descriptions that the back of the mini is "matte" and pictures of the black slate back on Apple.com make the back look almost rubber-like. Is it rubber or aluminum?
 
I've read descriptions that the back of the mini is "matte" and pictures of the black slate back on Apple.com make the back look almost rubber-like. Is it rubber or aluminum?

Why would you think Apple, or any other tablet manufacturer would use rubber as a backing material?

Hint: matte black super cars don't have rubber as their shell either.
 
black anodized or silver aluminum

why would apple use anything inferior?
 
Any scratches on your iPhone 5 or is it cased?

No case. Ghost Armor (1 piece), kiosk installed, back only. Highly recommended.

My wife installed Ghost Armor on the back of my iPad 3, and it looks great as well. No case for it either, just the Smart Cover.
 
Is the reason Apple doesn't go with a rubber back because of heat issues or something else like aesthetics?

Best device I've ever held was a B&N Nook. Very ergonomic and no slip rubber back. Kinda wish I would see this in the Mini.
 
Is the reason Apple doesn't go with a rubber back because of heat issues or something else like aesthetics?

Best device I've ever held was a B&N Nook. Very ergonomic and no slip rubber back. Kinda wish I would see this in the Mini.

Apple doesn't use rubber. Just glass and aluminium (as ive would say).
 
I would assume it feels the same as the new iPod touch. I picked one of those up it feels quite nice.
 
Is the reason Apple doesn't go with a rubber back because of heat issues or something else like aesthetics?

Best device I've ever held was a B&N Nook. Very ergonomic and no slip rubber back. Kinda wish I would see this in the Mini.

Not sure if you have noticed... Rubber degrades overtime and becomes sticky :)

Not good if it's part of the iPad and you want to keep for more than a few years.
 
If you get the black, make sure you get a case or skin. The back will surely scratch.

How so? My iP5 has been naked since launch day, and lots of use no scrathces....and that thing sees tables and all sorts of surfaces more than any iPad would.....it's a matter of not using your phone like a caveman and you'll get no scratches....
 
Not sure if you have noticed... Rubber degrades overtime and becomes sticky :)

Not good if it's part of the iPad and you want to keep for more than a few years.

It's not that rubbery where you would have to worry about that happening. I've had many rubber cases on devices that feel pretty much the same as they did from day 1.

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Apple doesn't use rubber. Just glass and aluminium (as ive would say).

Yeah, that sounds like Ive. In the end, a case would probably help out as well.
 
black anodized or silver aluminum

why would apple use anything inferior?

A no slip rubber coating like the Nook feels a lot better in the hand when holding for long periods. The rest of the Nook felt cheap, but the back was the one outstanding part of it.
 
Apple would never use rubber. I think Steve Jobs ghost would haunt Jony Ive for the rest of his life.
 
I like the rubber backed tablets too. In my opinion the best small tablet made in terms of size and feel was the Blackberry Playbook, but approximately 0 people bought one. I would expect aluminum from Apple though because their entire product line has been aluminum for years.
 
I like the slightly grippy soft feel too, but really the reason I'd like to see a different material on the back is because the aluminium scratches easily. I'm not just talking about the anodized aluminium. If the iPad 3 had a hardier back then using it with smart cover alone would feel great in the hand. As it is a lot of people sought out back covers because the back is susceptible to scratching.
 
I like the slightly grippy soft feel too, but really the reason I'd like to see a different material on the back is because the aluminium scratches easily. I'm not just talking about the anodized aluminium. If the iPad 3 had a hardier back then using it with smart cover alone would feel great in the hand. As it is a lot of people sought out back covers because the back is susceptible to scratching.

This is why I went with Ghost Armor for the back of my iPad 3. Highly recommended.
 
Rubberized plastic isn't the same as rubber. HTC makes a lot of their products using rubberized plastic. It's a finish that is applied to the plastic to make it feel softer and have higher grip. Apple will not use rubberized plastic since they have completely moved away from plastic due to environmental and cost concerns. Their policy is to always use premium materials in product construction as long as it is on the exterior. The current trend is towards aluminum. They are also constantly playing with liquid metal which may be able to be a future material that they use in their products.
 
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