Rumor: Production of Apple's 33% lighter fifth-gen iPad to begin in July
Trial production of Apple's thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad is rumored to begin soon, with full-scale volume production to kick off in July, according to a new report.
Alleged details on Apple's next full-size iPad were reported on Monday by hit-or-miss tech industry publication DigiTimes. As usual, the report cited unnamed sources within Taiwan's supply chain, which have been known to provide unreliable information, but do sometimes prove accurate.
This time, those sources claim the new iPad will hit shelves as early as September. The device is expected to have a thinner glass substrate, down from 0.25 millimeters to 0.2 millimeters, along with GF2 touchscreen technology.
These changes expected in the fifth-generation iPad would make the device not only thinner, but significantly lighter. Monday's report claimed Apple could shed as much as 33 percent of the weight from the current 9.7-inch iPad.
In addition, it was said that the next iPad will use just one LED light bar for backlighting. To date, all Retina display iPads have featured two LED light bars.
Panels for the next iPad are expected to come from LG Display, Samsung Display and Sharp. Other various suppliers cited by DigiTimes are TPK Holding, Coretronic, Radiant Opto-Electronics, and Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology.
Lending at least some credibility to the report is the fact that some of the details align with what well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities indicated in April. In addition to GF2 screen technology, Kuo also expects the next iPad to have a smaller battery, 15 percent thinner frame, and smaller bezels like the iPad mini.
Alleged details on Apple's next full-size iPad were reported on Monday by hit-or-miss tech industry publication DigiTimes. As usual, the report cited unnamed sources within Taiwan's supply chain, which have been known to provide unreliable information, but do sometimes prove accurate.
This time, those sources claim the new iPad will hit shelves as early as September. The device is expected to have a thinner glass substrate, down from 0.25 millimeters to 0.2 millimeters, along with GF2 touchscreen technology.
These changes expected in the fifth-generation iPad would make the device not only thinner, but significantly lighter. Monday's report claimed Apple could shed as much as 33 percent of the weight from the current 9.7-inch iPad.
In addition, it was said that the next iPad will use just one LED light bar for backlighting. To date, all Retina display iPads have featured two LED light bars.
Panels for the next iPad are expected to come from LG Display, Samsung Display and Sharp. Other various suppliers cited by DigiTimes are TPK Holding, Coretronic, Radiant Opto-Electronics, and Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology.
Lending at least some credibility to the report is the fact that some of the details align with what well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities indicated in April. In addition to GF2 screen technology, Kuo also expects the next iPad to have a smaller battery, 15 percent thinner frame, and smaller bezels like the iPad mini.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoffdino
I want the iPad 5 to be as thin as the iPad 2. But then software must be the real killer. As it stands, I have no complaints whatsoever about the iPad 4
Its going to be as thin as iPod (mostly). Is that okay?
And, yeah... software must be the real killer. Waiting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
I'm assuming the Sharp displays will look the best because they'll be crisper?
Well, they'll be Sharp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoffdino
I want the iPad 5 to be as thin as the iPad 2. But then software must be the real killer. As it stands, I have no complaints whatsoever about the iPad 4
I can't decide if I want an iPad 5. My iPad 4 works just fine. But it would be nice to see if the thinner bezels it is rumored to have an nice or it will mean more fingerprints on the screen to hold it.
No complaints? It's my favourite product I've ever owned, but I have many requests to improve it. A faster backlight. A much improved OS that looks more modern and takes into account how I use the device more, and makes everything easier to do. A weight reduction. An even better camera. A more optimised OS for its proc. It's twice as fast, but has never felt it. But the most apposite improvement requests I have for iPad are improved speakers. I want speakers at least three times better than the crap the put in there. How do they do that? I don't know, it's not my job to know. But at the very least they need to seriously address this issue. And yes, it is an issue. I can never cook and hear my iPad properly. This is 2013. Apple are the experts, I want to see them pay more attention to speakers. For example, the speakers in my new iMac sound worse than my 5 year old iMac. I'm not gong to explain that last point. Suffice it say they do sound worse, and no, there is nothing wrong with them. The 5 mm chin was just a shitty trade off, and ultimately a bad design decision. This has actually put me off recommending the iMac as a product, and my last previous 4 computers were iMacs. That's five iMacs in a row I've owned.
My point is: We need something to take advantage of the iPad, before worrying about more horsepower, no?
I'm not talking about "heavier" programs, I'm talking about more functionality. Isn't it time to toy with the Apple Thunderbolt display? Put the thing (iPad) run OSX 10.9 when docked to the thunderbolt display, for example. Bang, the hybrids from Google and Microsoft are dead.
It has so much potential...
Quote:
Originally Posted by hentaiboy
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
In addition, it was said that the next iPad will use just one LED light bar for backlighting. To date, all Retina display iPads have featured two LED light bars.
Oh oh...I can see Backlightgate coming...
Wouldn't be better to use 2?
Having said that, if you want a fried brain, look at your iPad for 5minutes with maximum brightness.
Thre you go again complaining about speaker quality. This time on a handheld device, of all things!
Get a pair of decent Bluetooth speakers already, and get on wth it.
33% is HUGE. I just can't see it.
Ah!
Somebody got it!
Indeed. And that won't come from thinner glass. Battery looks like the best candidate for weight reduction.
Exactly. Bad speakers in Apple products are my fault. I need to shut up and quit spouting my honest opinion.
Grow up.
I predicted it would be 30% earlier this year. Honestly, it makes sense if you take in to account all the rumoured weigh reducing changes.
I totally agree. If newer revisions are worse than the older versions in any way, that's bad.
Who the hell wants to lug around Bluetooth speakers with a mobile device.
The form over function speakers/SD card slot/no DVD drive on the iMac has put me off upgrading.
The new iPad really does need better forward facing speakers, oh, and 2 of them please.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilution
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
Exactly. Bad speakers in Apple products are my fault. I need to shut up and quit spouting my honest opinion.
Grow up.
I totally agree. If newer revisions are worse than the older versions in any way, that's bad.
Who the hell wants to lug around Bluetooth speakers with a mobile device.
The form over function speakers/SD card slot/no DVD drive on the iMac has put me off upgrading.
The new iPad really does need better forward facing speakers, oh, and 2 of them please.
It doesn't need, but I would like that too.
About the iMac: you have no reason at all. The speakers are much better, DVD is useless, SD is fine. The computer itself is just leagues above the competition, especially form an engineering point of view.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pedromartins
It doesn't need, but I would like that too.
About the iMac: you have no reason at all. The speakers are much better, DVD is useless, SD is fine. The computer itself is just leagues above the competition, especially form an engineering point of view.
I keep reading comments on the Internet to the effect that the new iMac has "bad" speakers but the very first thing everyone I know who's actually bought one and uses it says when they turn it on is … "Wow, sounds a lot better."
The new iMac has noticeably deeper richer sound than all previous models which already sounded pretty damn good.
And while we're at it, could we stop with using the term "bad sound?"
None of Apple's products have ever had "bad" sound.
They may not have sufficiently good sound if you are some kind of audiophile nut, but to say that it's "bad" is just incorrect.
One can only rightly describe the audio as "bad" if most people agree so. They don't.
"Not good enough for you," does not equal, "bad."
1 - huh? What's slow about it now?
2 - so how much time do you spend "in the OS" vs. how much time you spend in Apps? Me: 1 vs. 99% --- If you're into OS tweaking, I've heard there's an alternative out there that would fit you just fine and it's all you can do, because the App experience is appalling!
3 - speculated in this rumour... and I surely wouldn't bet against that coming true.
4 - OK... I'll go with that.. but I imagine that's also a "given".
5 - More optimized? It's probably the most efficient and low-profile OS in existence, other than bare-bones UNIX. It's why the iOS experience is smoother than the competitors by an order 2, with half the processor power and RAM. But yes, it will be improved upon I'm sure.
6 - Anan. already replied succinctly to my thoughts on the matter