Rumored iPad Mini 4 Rear Shell With iPad Air 2 Design Elements Shown Off in New Video

[uid15]

If it means a cheaper iPad Mini 3, I'm happy. Don't care about the rest, and to be honest, I don't care about the iPad Mini 3 that much - my brand new Mini 2 is perrrrfect. People need to spend more time USING their machines and producing things than obsessing over them, it's so utterly shallow and meaningless, and shows that people are using them for the odd bit of surfing, FaceBook/FaceTime and "Candy Crush", so they get bored quicker because the full potential and power combined with the amazing apps available, are being explored to about 0.5%... so they end up bored with the piffle they use the iPad FOR (surprise surprise...), and end up obsessing over the physical appearance and (perceived) benefits of "newer and better".

Ugh, what a pathetic, brainless society.

 

[wizard]

You don't have a leg to stand on here.

I can't keep up with these product releases... they all become a blur.

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And as soon as they do, you'll come out saying that 4GB is what they should've put in.

People will want more RAM when software demands it. Right now with iOS device it is extremely easy to end up suffering from the lack of RAM.

What can't you do with the current iPad right now due to RAM restrictions? Give three examples.

1. Switch between apps and not have Safari reload everything on you, often loosing data in the process.
2. Multitask well.
3. Run any number of advanced apps

More RAM is akin to a bigger gas tank.... would you rather a car engine that was super-efficient, or one with a giant gas tank? Apple strives for super efficient.

Not even close. Gas is used serially in an automobile.

(yah, I know RAM-to-gas tank comparison is not the best... but you get the point... bigger specs does not always mean better... because software just gets more bloated and requires higher specs, and on it goes... never being happy)

I really don't think you completely graps the situation, going from 1GB of RAM to 2 GB in an IOS device is a massive upgrade. This is due to the large amount of RAM used by Video, The OS and the apps Apple keeps running on the platform.

 

[uid15]

iOS ain't Java, we don't need all this garbage collection overhead. I don't know how many times people need to be told this... maybe I'll write an AI bot that detects discussion of iOS needing more RAM, detects lack of understanding, and then replies with thinly veiled sarcasm...

 

[wizard]

If it still has just 1 GB RAM, it would truly suck and affirm that Apple has stopped caring for user experience and their customers.

This is their last chance to prove themselves.

Look at what happened to iPod Touch! It is a pathetic example of Apple not giving a crap about their customers.

 

[swingerofbirch]

This is not the Apple where you might get a Dalmatian or Flower Power iMac. Their path is fairly obvious.

 

[wizard]

It should have 4GB actually, but 2 is currently the standard starting to be used in other lines, it makes sense to use them in all the lines. Why raise the bar in and not meet the new standard with the remaining products?

eDrawings, to answer your question. To use it smoothly I need to close all of my other apps, and need to completely close it to use any other apps to avoid memory crashes. I am currently struggling with this on 2GB of ram in my air 2. More is always better, but less than the standard is just unacceptable.

EDrawings is a great app! On most platforms it is now 64 bit only. This is just one example of an app that uses lots of RAM.

As for RAM in Apples devices, I'd rather see them offer mor win the up sell models to better justify the high prices they place on the little bit of extra storage. Frankly I wouldn't mind seeing the 2gb model continue and when we get to the top of the line we get 8GB of RAM.

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Considering the "other lines" barely work with 2GB, the comparison is spurious.; maybe you need 4GB on them to get the performance of 2GB on the air 2.

This is a misunderstanding about how systems work. Android certianly has a higher OS overhead however once that overhead is dealt with any extra RAM goes to the apps running.

Much of this talk about efficiency seems to be the direct result of people attempts to justify Apples cheapness with respect to IOS devices. Maybe it isn't so much cheapness as a desire to protect the Mac line. I don't really know of course but by being stingy with RAM Apple has a real impact on what their tablets can do.

 

[Nee412]

More interested in the iPad Air 3 than this to be honest. Though it's nice that the Mini lovers will be getting another upgrade.

 

[wizard]

Placebo's are a powerful thing.

Here's a good breakdown:

http://www.speirs.org/blog/2012/1/2/misconceptions-about-ios-multitasking.html

He may believe what he has written but the evidence is pretty clear, clearing out the "multitasking " bar does cure problems on IOS. That is why when an Apple rep takes a customers device the first thing they do is look at what is listed on that bar.

If the system needs memory, it takes it. Closing apps, other than in the case of streaming music or using locations services, does nothing.

Too many apps have skirted Apple guidelines and end up using excessive amounts of resources unless they are totally exited. This isn't a placebo effect and some big time apps (Facebook) are notorious in this regard.

 

[japanime]

Agreed. I don't really like reading books on my 6 Plus and the iPad Air is a little too large for it. iPad Mini hits that perfect sweet spot in size.

Interesting. Why don't you like reading books on your 6 Plus?

I've had iPads since the first one was released, using them almost exclusively for ebooks. When I went from the iPad 3 to the iPad mini, I felt the smaller device was, as you say, the sweet spot.

But when the 6 Plus was released, I thought that might be the perfect size for ebooks. But I don't want a phone that large, so I've been hoping that Apple would release an iPod touch Plus.

 

[wizard]

Two things I want:

- "True" multi-tasking

The multitask ping support is pretty good now, what would you expect?

- Stereo Speakers (perhaps top and bottom - in landscape mode while watching a movie the speakers could engage to create a left and right audio spectrum)

My problem with Apple isn't stereo speakers it is the overwhelming lack of volume on just about all of their new devices. Even my new MBP can't pump out enough volume to be useful in a noisy environment. With the iPhone it is even worst as the ringing can't be heard at work and the vibrations are just about useless.

Now if stereo speakers meant mor evolume then great.

I realize it's a small device for stereo sound, but other tablets do this well enough. I hate having to cusp my hand around the speakers when watching movies that could benefit from better speakers and placement.

probably the one big negative on the mini is that the speakers would take significant volume that the batteries could use.

 

[wizard]

iOS ain't Java, we don't need all this garbage collection overhead.

That means nothing. Some apps simply require more RAM, much more actually to work well or in many cases to work at all. Simple minded people can't digest the idea that the lack of RAM significantly limits the types of apps available to Apples tablets.

I don't know how many times people need to be told this... maybe I'll write an AI bot that detects discussion of iOS needing more RAM, detects lack of understanding, and then replies with thinly veiled sarcasm...

That would just make you look ill informed and technically illiterate. Apples own apps demonstrate daily the need for more, Much more actually, RAM in these tablets. Even modest use of Safari should demonstrate this completely. Beyond that many apps these days are being written to take advantage of the new capabilities in the latest Airs.

By the way have your ever run into an app on a desktop OS suggesting far more RAM then you I have installed? You might be able to run said app with less than the recommended RAM but you suffer a performance loss due to paging. IOS doesn't support paging of user data which puts a significant crimp on what Apples can do in an effective way under IOS.

 

[Dmunjal]

Wondering if the people defending Apple's use of 1GB of RAM in the iPad the same ones attacking Microsoft for only putting 2GB of RAM in the new Surface?

 

[ActionableMango]

By all means, I'm not against more RAM in new models (especially because the LPDDR4 is now out). I'm just tired of this forum jumping to "moar RAMz!" in response to any and all issues. No one matches the efficiency of Apple's memory management.

On a somewhat philosophical level, I'd just like the iPad Mini to be a smaller and lighter iPad Air, not a model gimped with less memory and less processing power. In other words, want a smaller iPad that's every bit as good as the iPad Air. I don't want a cheaper iPad with last year's hardware.

On a more realist level, I don't really have any complaints about the memory except the same complaint that everyone makes--Safari reloading tabs all the time when I do nothing other than swap between two tabs.

Anyone else just underwhelmed with the "retina" display on the iPad minis? I don't know why but compared to the iPad Air's, the iPad Mini's display just seems a bit fuzzy/Not sharp?

I'm a bit underwhelmed due to the poor color gamut. But the sharpness is fantastic.

 

[SHirsch999]

I was hoping to see an updated design to the iPads this year. Something like the rounded edges of the iPhones 6 which make the device so comfortable to hold.

I'll be surprised myself if the iPad mini carries the same design for a 4th year in a row.

The iPhone 6/6+ display models felt like a bar of soap to me. I kept dropping them in the store. As soon as I bought my 6 I put it in a case. My preference for the future iPads is to keep the current design.

 

[oldmacs]

Bloody hell Apple, stop getting rid of the mute button!!! I LOVE MY MUTE BUTTON :'(

 

[CEmajr]

Interesting. Why don't you like reading books on your 6 Plus?

I've had iPads since the first one was released, using them almost exclusively for ebooks. When I went from the iPad 3 to the iPad mini, I felt the smaller device was, as you say, the sweet spot.

But when the 6 Plus was released, I thought that might be the perfect size for ebooks. But I don't want a phone that large, so I've been hoping that Apple would release an iPod touch Plus.

Too much pinching and zooming required. The iPad Mini is kind of like the size of an actual book. I find that I don't need to zoom and scroll around to read through pages on it.

That's not the case with all books as some of them scale perfectly fine to a readable level on the iPhone but many of them don't. Especially the textbooks.

 

[littyboy]

I can't keep up with these product releases... they all become a blur.

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And as soon as they do, you'll come out saying that 4GB is what they should've put in.

What can't you do with the current iPad right now due to RAM restrictions? Give three examples.

More RAM is akin to a bigger gas tank.... would you rather a car engine that was super-efficient, or one with a giant gas tank? Apple strives for super efficient.

(yah, I know RAM-to-gas tank comparison is not the best... but you get the point... bigger specs does not always mean better... because software just gets more bloated and requires higher specs, and on it goes... never being happy)

But you do understand developers are limited by the hardware right? So the answer to your question is that you can do a lot more... Do not need to be specific.

 

[DanGoh]

This will replace my iPad Air if it's thinner, has a better display, 3 cores like the Air 2 and better battery life.

Anybody know if the the 2GB of RAM on the iPad Air 2 helps it at all. 1 GB is fine on my iPhone but I can't have more than 2 tabs open in Safari without it refreshing or crashing.

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If it means a cheaper iPad Mini 3, I'm happy. Don't care about the rest, and to be honest, I don't care about the iPad Mini 3 that much - my brand new Mini 2 is perrrrfect. People need to spend more time USING their machines and producing things than obsessing over them, it's so utterly shallow and meaningless, and shows that people are using them for the odd bit of surfing, FaceBook/FaceTime and "Candy Crush", so they get bored quicker because the full potential and power combined with the amazing apps available, are being explored to about 0.5%... so they end up bored with the piffle they use the iPad FOR (surprise surprise...), and end up obsessing over the physical appearance and (perceived) benefits of "newer and better".

Wow. That's some real s***. I agree with you so much.

People need to stop whining, and live in the moment.

 

[subjonas]

Not at all likely. The mini is the perfect size for reading e-books.

If you compare it to other e-readers, it's actually really big. I got a mini mainly for e-reading but I ended up returning it because it wasn't that comfortable to hold. I think an ideal e-reader you should be able to palm in one hand comfortably.

 

[dampfnudel]

That's more like it. Now just add a display with a much improved color gamut and A9/M9 chips and I'll be very interested!

Anyone else just underwhelmed with the "retina" display on the iPad minis? I don't know why but compared to the iPad Air's, the iPad Mini's display just seems a bit fuzzy/Not sharp?

I may trade in my iPad Air for the iPad mini 4, if the color gamut/screen quality is similar to the iPad Air 2/3. I'm also hoping for the A9 and 2GB of RAM.

 

[japanime]

Too much pinching and zooming required. The iPad Mini is kind of like the size of an actual book. I find that I don't need to zoom and scroll around to read through pages on it.

That's not the case with all books as some of them scale perfectly fine to a readable level on the iPhone but many of them don't. Especially the textbooks.

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like you're reading rich-content ebooks, not just text-based books. So, yeah, I can see why the mini would definitely be a better choice.

For me, a 6-plus sized iPod touch still might be ideal, since I'm only reading text-based ebooks.

 

[a0me]

What can't you do with the current iPad right now due to RAM restrictions? Give three examples.

Isn't the reason why iOS keeps refreshing apps after switching and why Safari tabs keep reloading due to the lack of RAM?

A mid-range Android phone such as the Asus Zenfone 2 has 4GB of RAM and cost a third the price of the iPhone 6.

Specs are not everything but it's getting ridiculous to have the top of the line iPhone performing significantly worse than a bargain bin Android handset...

 

[krspkbl]

i will be getting one of these! bought an ipad mini 3 recently for a family member and having tried it out it's a great device. it feels nice/comfortable in my hands. however the performance isn't that great. i hope the Mini 4 brings a more powerful cpu and more RAM. also hope to see iOS 9 run nice and smooth on it.

 

[Neodym]

I think an ideal e-reader you should be able to palm in one hand comfortably.

Plus:

• It should be as light as possible. The mini for example weighs in at ~50% more than a Kindle Paperwhite.
• It should be easy on the eyes. Current illuminated e-Ink readers are so much better than the tablet LED's that tire the eye much faster any time of the day and try to burn out your eyeballs in low-light situations (in comparison).
• It should be readable in bright environments / direct sunlight. I have no experience with the optically coated iPad Air 2 screen yet, but older iPads are simply unusable for reading when sitting outside on a sunny day.

For me, a 6-plus sized iPod touch still might be ideal, since I'm only reading text-based ebooks.

While the iPhone 6-plus makes for a nice reader, I personally prefer the Kindle (owning a Keyboard and a Paperwhite).

As you're only reading text-based ebooks, I recommend you to try out the Kindle Paperwhite, which is very affordable at 99,-€ (currently an easter promo is running on Amazon Germany, offering a 20€ gift coupon on purchase).

If you don't like it, you simply send it back to Amazon. But if you do like it, I'd also recommend to get the original Kindle case from Amazon. While not exactly cheap, it helps with gripping the Kindle better and also adds more of that "book-feeling", by integrating a Sleep/Wake mechanism via magnets. Not to mention the protective aspect.

 

[Lennholm]

What can't you do with the current iPad right now due to RAM restrictions? Give three examples.

1. Open a third tab in the browser without all of them refreshing when switching between them
2. Open a fourth tab in the browser without all of them refreshing when switching between them
3. Open a fifth tab in the browser without all of them refreshing when switching between them

Having five tabs open at once is nothing unusual.