(UPDATE: Confirmed) Stereo Speakers on iPad Mini?

[rockyroad55]

OMG some of you are dim. It's not a second speaker it's a mic ffs. Look at your iPhone, see it has 2 "grills" on the bottom. Speaker and mic.

I don't think my iPhone is an iPad.

 

[TJ61]

Everyone appears to be arguing a moot point.

The REAL point is: how can you possibly notice (much less enjoy) stereo sound when the two speakers are within inches of each other? And, what about when you're viewing a movie in landscape mode, so that both speakers are on one side?

I'm guessing that's why they didn't make a big deal out of it; I'd be embarrassed to call that stereo.

Regards,
Tom

 

[d123]

OMG some of you are dim. It's not a second speaker it's a mic ffs. Look at your iPhone, see it has 2 "grills" on the bottom. Speaker and mic.

I wonder who is feeling a little dim now?

----------

Everyone appears to be arguing a moot point.

The REAL point is: how can you possibly notice (much less enjoy) stereo sound when the two speakers are within inches of each other? And, what about when you're viewing a movie in landscape mode, so that both speakers are on one side?

I'm guessing that's why they didn't make a big deal out of it; I'd be embarrassed to call that stereo.

Regards,
Tom

I think most people are excited by the fact that 2 speakers will equal better, louder sound. I've always found my iPad to be a little on the low side to watch TV with, 2 speakers should improve sound quality and volume.

 

[MartyCan]

You think you'd get the stereo effect from speakers that close together? You wouldn't. And what about landscape use?

Also, two tiny, tinny speakers would not sound better than one tiny, tinny speaker.

This.

 

[maclook]

The fact that the speakers aren't pointing backwards is the biggest plus for me.

 

[m0dest]

All current iPads have 2 stereo speakers.

This was spot on:

Technically the iPad 4, as well as all other iPads, have stereo speakers. They have a left and right channel speaker on the inside, but only one external sound baffle.

As it turns out, iPad 3 has two stereo speakers, too. The full-size iPad 4 probably does, too.

We've always known that iPads have two speakers. Two speakers ≠ stereo, but it's a start. The teardowns make this clear. (iPad 1 speakers, iPad 2 speakers)

I just tested an iPad 3 with sample audio that alternates between the left and right channels. Sure enough, the left channel plays only on the left speaker and the right channel plays only on the right speaker. Unambiguously. Run the same test yourself with GarageBand.

So, all current iPads have 2 stereo speakers with separate left and right audio channels. Apple never talked about it because the speaker placement sucks. People never noticed because both speakers were behind a single grill. Mystery solved.

 

[Harvey Specter]

were so spoiled, I remember tripping balls when the 2nd gen ipod touch got a built in speaker and how stoked I was about that

 

[tymaster50]

I know this is an old thread but yeah sound plays out of both speakers on the iPad Mini. Guess Apple just got bored lol