When the iPads become Full Screen, they hit some really nice “natural” sizes

[jozero]

The iPad Pro is my over all favourite device bar none. I love consuming content on it like books, web articles and comics, but then also using it for learning and notes with the pencil. I am really excited about rumoured Full Screen iPads this year, and have noticed full screen versions of the current product line hit some really nice sizes.

All rumours indicate a full screen iPad this year. I think we can mostly agree on general wishes:

- integrated Pencil holder that is like the AirPods, holds and charges the Pencil. Likely on the cases
- keyboard cover with adjustable angles
- no home button. No more accidentally hitting home while writing with the pencil

I’m curious on everyone’s thought on sizes. Generally, as a rough measure, a full screen iPad will add ONE inch to the size of an iPad.

12.9” iPad - This is the most straight forward gain. 12.9 plus an inch is 13.9. The diagonal length of a standard 8.5” by 11” piece of paper is 13.9”. The true full sized paper iPad

The rest of the line becomes more of a mystery. I have some theories though:

The 7.9” iPad mini could become an 9” screen. If we make it a bit bigger, like when Apple went from the 9.7” ipad to the 10.5” iPad, the “mini” could end up with the same screen size as the regular iPad at 9.7”. So thats my guess on why we haven’t seen a mini upgrade. It is going to become slightly bigger, become full screen, and eventually end up replacing the normal iPad.

The regular 9.7” iPad then eventually fades into the sunset, in a few years.

The 10.5” ipad becomes an 11.5” iPad. Why is this important? This is a bit of a stretch, but then at this point the screen sizes matches the legendary smaller MacBook Air 11”, and is close to the current Macbook 12”. The workhorse iPad hits the screen size that lot of people consider minimum size for more “serious” work.

As Jony Ive said when the iPhone X was released, they have been wanting full screen devices since the start. I bet they chose the current sizes we have partially because of what they become when full size.

 

[RudySnow]

I personally don’t want full screen, edge-to-edge. I need to hold the iPad somehow without my fingers making some sort of errant command. The iPhone is a better form factor for bezel-less as it’s small enough to hold on the sides of the device.

 

[millydog]

I think that if Apple do make the iPads edge to edge then they will build in good edge holding detection, so I don’t think that it will be a problem from that perspective. Case and keyboard cover designs may have to change to accomodate that though or the bottom edge in landscape could be hard to touch.

Anyway, I like the options listed here. I am not yet convinced that the mini is going to hang around though. It’s a great little tablet though and works for me as a ‘pocket’ or ‘handbag’ iPad, alongside my bigger iPad. At the moment, I use both a 10.5” and a 12.9”. I have a mini 2 as well, but it doesn’t see a lot of use now that my other iPads feel so much faster. I love the size of the 12.9, but like the 10.5 for portability. It could be that I’d replace both with an 11.5 if there was one. If I could connect external hard drives to an iPad (or iPad dock) and have full file manipulation (I can do this now by connecting the drives to a Mac and accessing via the iPad, but it’s slow) then I’d possibly go for the larger (13.9) iPad as my laptop replacement and then id probably want a mini to complement it for portability, but if they don’t release a new one, I still do have options, either my mini 2 or 10.5.
Writing this down now has me actually contemplating that I’d possibly update my mini 2 to a mini 5/Pro if they release one this year. I’d more than likely hold on to my 10.5 and 12.9 for another year and then upgrade one of them next year. I really need to wait and see what Apple announces.

 

[eVolcre]

The iPad Pro is my over all favourite device bar none. I love consuming content on it like books, web articles and comics, but then also using it for learning and notes with the pencil. I am really excited about rumoured Full Screen iPads this year, and have noticed full screen versions of the current product line hit some really nice sizes.

All rumours indicate a full screen iPad this year. I think we can mostly agree on general wishes:

- integrated Pencil holder that like the AirPods, charges the Pencil. Likely on the cases
- keyboard cover with adjustable angles
- no home button. No more accidentally hitting home while writing with the pencil

I’m curious on everyone’s thought on sizes. Generally, as a rough measure, a full screen iPad will add ONE inch to the size of an iPad.

12.9” iPad - This is the most straight forward gain. 12.9 plus an inch is 13.9. The diagonal length of a standard 8.5” by 11” piece of paper is 13.9”. The true full sized paper iPad

The rest of the line becomes more of a mystery. I have some theories though:

The 7.9” iPad mini could become an 9” screen. If we make it a bit bigger, like when Apple went from the 9.7” ipad to the 10.5” iPad, the “mini” could end up with the same screen size as the regular iPad at 9.7”. So thats my guess on why we haven’t seen a mini upgrade. It is going to become slightly bigger, become full screen, and eventually end up replacing the normal iPad.

The regular 9.7” iPad then eventually fades into the sunset, in a few years.

The 10.5” ipad becomes an 11.5” iPad. Why is this important? This is a bit of a stretch, but then at this point the screen sizes matches the legendary smaller iPad Air 11”, and is close to the current Macbook 12”. The workhorse iPad hits the screen size that lot of people consider minimum size for more “serious” work.

As Jony Ive said when the iPhone X was released, they have been wanting full screen devices since the start. I bet they chose the current sizes we have partially because of what they become when full size.

I’ve been waiting for someone to do this calculation. 11.5 is really what I want. The 12.9 is too big and the 10.5 too small. The MacBook Air 11” (still have my 2011 MBA) running as a media server was probably my favorite laptop after my original 12” PowerBook g4.

One thing I disagree with is that I don’t think they’ll update the entire line. I see a iPhone X strategy coming into play. Update the 10.5 and 12.9 and create a new iPad X with the 10.5 body and 11.5 screen.

Let’s see what happens but I really hope we have something in the 11.5 range. That’ll be my dream portable machine with an iMac at home for other duties.

Change the Smart Keyboard as well. Backlighting and a top row of media and shortcuts is needed. Otherwise regardless of bulk I’ll go with the Zagg slimbook.

 

[jozero]

I like the options listed here. I am not yet convinced that the mini is going to hang around though. It’s a great little tablet though and works for me as a ‘pocket’ or ‘handbag’ iPad, alongside my bigger iPad.

The Mini name would be dropped. Or just imagine the regular non pro 9.7 without bezels, maybe with a slightly smaller screen. At this point it essentially has the same size and shape of the current Mini.
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I’ve been waiting for someone to do this calculation. 11.5 is really what I want. The 12.9 is too big and the 10.5 too small. The MacBook Air 11” (still have my 2011 MBA) running as a media server was probably my favorite laptop after my original 12” PowerBook g4.

One thing I disagree with is that I don’t think they’ll update the entire line. I see a iPhone X strategy coming into play. Update the 10.5 and 12.9 and create a new iPad X with the 10.5 body and 11.5 screen.

Let’s see what happens but I really hope we have something in the 11.5 range. That’ll be my dream portable machine with an iMac at home for other duties.

Change the Smart Keyboard as well. Backlighting and a top row of media and shortcuts is needed. Otherwise regardless of bulk I’ll go with the Zagg slimbook.

Completely agree the 11 / 12" MacBook were the sweet spot in size while still being very functional. I hope the 10.5 does become the 11.5, it would replace my current 9.7" pro.

I see what you are saying about not doing the entire line at once, you are likely right. Do the Pro line first, and then when these full screen curved corner LCD panels become cheap enough, along with reduced pricing on the entire FaceID assembly, then do the 9.7 / Mini iPad replacement.

 

[eVolcre]

Oh I’m even moRe drastic Than that. I’m saying they won’t even update the Pros but create a new category called X and hit the pros later.

There’s a precedent. iPhone C came out but the iPhone 8 and 8+ kept the same body style with updated internals. In 2018 the full line gets the bezelless treatment.

 

[TinaBelcher]

If it’s true I hope the 10.5 gets a full keyboard inside.