Purported cases for Apple's 'iPad 5' again show iPad mini-like design
Images showing the purported rear casing for the next generation of Apple's iPad have once again emerged, showing off a design shift that brings the larger tablet in line with the look of its smaller sibling, the iPad mini.
Images of a supposed mould for the iPad 5 case showed up on the blog Tactus on Tuesday. The moulds hint at a device that maintains the same general shape as previous iPads, but sports a smaller bezel. Should the next iPad conform to these moulds, it would also be a much thinner device, reportedly close to the iPad mini's depth.
The report also holds that the "iPad 5" will "be backed in shiny modern aluminum" and that the volume rocker and power input for the device are in the same location as on the iPad mini.
Meanwhile, images out of Hong Kong of a separate third-party case seem to corroborate the latest account. A supposed case for the next iPad has shown up in the wild, pictured by Engadget in a post on Tuesday. The case adheres to the same design features: thinner bezel, with the same screen size, a thinner design, and an iPad mini-like body.
The notion of a new full-size iPad with smaller bezel also gained support last week, when photos of a supposed cover glass surface for a new iPad appeared online. The components pictured also had shallow rounded corners like the mini does.
Since Apple introduced the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad, rumors have circulated that the fifth-generation iPad would adopt the design cues of its smaller counterpart. Supposed cases have popped up from time to time, each time adhering to a scaled-up version of the mini's design.
Some current speculation has Apple readying a rapid follow-up to the fourth-generation iPad for some time this summer. Details on the device are scarce, but it is possible that it will have lower thickness and weight due to the use of more efficient LEDs.
Images of a supposed mould for the iPad 5 case showed up on the blog Tactus on Tuesday. The moulds hint at a device that maintains the same general shape as previous iPads, but sports a smaller bezel. Should the next iPad conform to these moulds, it would also be a much thinner device, reportedly close to the iPad mini's depth.
The report also holds that the "iPad 5" will "be backed in shiny modern aluminum" and that the volume rocker and power input for the device are in the same location as on the iPad mini.
Meanwhile, images out of Hong Kong of a separate third-party case seem to corroborate the latest account. A supposed case for the next iPad has shown up in the wild, pictured by Engadget in a post on Tuesday. The case adheres to the same design features: thinner bezel, with the same screen size, a thinner design, and an iPad mini-like body.
The notion of a new full-size iPad with smaller bezel also gained support last week, when photos of a supposed cover glass surface for a new iPad appeared online. The components pictured also had shallow rounded corners like the mini does.
Since Apple introduced the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad, rumors have circulated that the fifth-generation iPad would adopt the design cues of its smaller counterpart. Supposed cases have popped up from time to time, each time adhering to a scaled-up version of the mini's design.
Some current speculation has Apple readying a rapid follow-up to the fourth-generation iPad for some time this summer. Details on the device are scarce, but it is possible that it will have lower thickness and weight due to the use of more efficient LEDs.
Comments
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Images showing the purported rear casing for the next generation of Apple's iPad have once again emerged, showing off a design shift that brings the larger tablet in line with the look of its smaller sibling, the iPad mini.
I buy it. I don't like it, but I buy it.
Also, what's with the hideous watermark? If anyone wants to steal your image as their own, they will. Just do it once and stop ruining images.
The report also holds that the "iPad 5" will "be backed in shiny modern aluminum"
Well, THAT'S horrible. And how is it 'modern' if Apple has been LEAVING that style with all its recent devices?
The obvious prediction made by everyone, every single day since the iPad mini went on sale, might be a true thing! Whooda thunk it?
Why anyone uses a case I will never understand, but that's another thing altogether.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacVicta
It's shed a lot of weight. Wonder if they can get it down to a pound.
Not to be picky, but I think you mean "volume" not "weight" (we don't know the weight yet), and it actually hasn't shed much volume in any case.
It looks the same thickness (or more) and has only shed a tiny bit of the edges, which might be more than made up for by the volume increase engendered by the changed profile (less tapered).
I hope they can get it under a pound this time too, but we shall have to wait and see. One thing the iPad mini has proven is that weight, and weight alone is a huge factor in differentiating tablet products. I know lots of folks like me that after picking up the iPad mini just once, refuse to go back to the "brick" that is the regular iPad. Apple should stop concentrating on adding features and other gimmickry and focus on the weight directly.
An iPad with the same specs but half the weight will apparently sell twice as well as the same product with the original weight. We really need to get out of the lumbering "dinosaur" age of tablets that are almost as big and heavy as their laptop alternatives, and get some nice small, lightweight portables out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Why anyone uses a case I will never understand, but that's another thing altogether.
I use one because I don't want to get any scratches. Is that really so hard to understand?
I use the clear Loveit case.
I always take very good care of my devices. For example my previous iPad and MBP, I kept all the packaging including all the plastic films, and because there was not a scratch on the devices, once repackaged they appeared brand new. I gave the iPad to my bookkeeper and the MBP to a friend's 6 year old. In both cases they opened up the box and enjoyed them as if they were brand new, not a hand me down.
You make way too many assumptions. I for instance, care more about the features than I do the weight. I understand the place of a iPad mini type tablet. However, the larger iPad is more for school/work for me. So I need fast processor, large screen area, the long battery life, and such. The iPad mini is a nice device but my iPad 2 has very similar hardware. I don't know when/if I plan to upgrade. But I will be focusing on the most benefits for my money. The iPad has most of these. I would like to see a stylus added, similar to samsungs. Even the nice Bluetooth ones on the market really don't have that great of reviews. And I am not going to spend 500 on an iPad and then spend 100 on a pen.
Anyway, the iPad mini is more for light work, portable, and more or less, (I do hate this term), "media consumption" (for average consumers). But I use my iPad all the time for school and work. And I almost always have it with me if I'm at either one. So the weight isn't an issue, I'm going to sit at a table and use it. I even hold it for hours at a time. It's not really heavy. Although, the iPad 3,4 may be much worse, although my 62 year old mom never complains about her iPad 3s weight.
I am by no meanings a fan of cutting or neglecting features for weight. Otherwise, why buy the device? My phone will do the same thing.
So speak for yourself on that one. Where do you get the figure of "twice". How do you know weight alone will sell twice as much? How do you know that maybe it's not just an issue of price rather than size? Please do a scientific survey and show me the results.
Really hope they add a stylus, I'd buy it ASAP. Otherwise, I'll wait a few years or go samsung. The stylus is a major, if not the mst important, feature for me. I'm hoping apple is working toward that. I feel, along with my other engineering friends, the iPad is really hurt by not having one. (As far as school and work are concerned, by work, I mean engineering jobs and internships)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Shocker!
The obvious prediction made by everyone, every single day since the iPad mini went on sale, might be a true thing! Whooda thunk it?
Why anyone uses a case I will never understand, but that's another thing altogether.
Fear.
600 euros for a tablet is a huge investment, and it must be perfectly functional for at least 5 years. Based on that, i can't blame anyone for using a case for the first year or 2.
However, some people do that to macs, iphones, ipads etc.
I use my air everyday, and it goes with me everywhere. No case, no BS. No scratches. Awesome machine.
Edit: looking at the other pics though, maybe it will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac_128
Still no stereo speakers? Surprising. I know they are cutting space out of the larger iPad by slimming the sides, but the mini has stereo speakers, and that just makes the more expensive one seem lacking by comparison. It's not like there wasn't a huge amount of space left inside the iPad 4 when they swapped out the 30-pin dock connector.
I'm not getting this stereo speaker problem. Does the green case on the left not have the same speaker configuration as the mini? The blue case on the right is the old 30 pin version or am I missing something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I use one because I don't want to get any scratches. Is that really so hard to understand?
I use the clear Loveit case.
I always take very good care of my devices. For example my previous iPad and MBP, I kept all the packaging including all the plastic films, and because there was not a scratch on the devices, once repackaged they appeared brand new. I gave the iPad to my bookkeeper and the MBP to a friend's 6 year old. In both cases they opened up the box and enjoyed them as if they were brand new, not a hand me down.
That's very generous of you....
I used to do the same with my iPods. Gave them to my sisters and nieces. Stopped buying iPods after I got the orig. iPhone, BTW.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I use one because I don't want to get any scratches. Is that really so hard to understand?
I use the clear Loveit case.
I always take very good care of my devices. For example my previous iPad and MBP, I kept all the packaging including all the plastic films, and because there was not a scratch on the devices, once repackaged they appeared brand new. I gave the iPad to my bookkeeper and the MBP to a friend's 6 year old. In both cases they opened up the box and enjoyed them as if they were brand new, not a hand me down.
I didn't mean to be offensive.
I guess I should just have said that I don't personally agree with any of the reasons for having a case.
I still have my original Ipad (Ipad One?) and this year bought a mini. The mini is so fabulous that my old Ipad feels like a brick in comparison. So I will be purchasing the next Ipad if it is anything like the mini. So as much as they say mini sales hurt Ipad sales, how many people are like I am? I was perfectly happy with old Ipad until the mini. And now I am going back for more!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I didn't mean to be offensive.
No offense taken. I just thought it would be pretty clear why people buy cases. I tried a very thin case for my iPhone 5 but it just felt uncomfortable removing and replacing in my jeans pocket so I bailed on it. I never used an iPhone case on my earlier versions either but the aluminum on the iP5 seemed like it would be more vulnerable than the other models. Surprisingly, I'm still scratch free but I never put anything else in that pocket and rarely place the phone on a hard surface that might scratch it. The iPads are often used on some hard surface and since they don't go in and out of a pocket, I find the case does not interfere with normal usage. I carry my MBP in a briefcase, but no fitted case.
No dual speakers? That's odd.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I use one because I don't want to get any scratches. Is that really so hard to understand?
I use the clear Loveit case.
I always take very good care of my devices. For example my previous iPad and MBP, I kept all the packaging including all the plastic films, and because there was not a scratch on the devices, once repackaged they appeared brand new. I gave the iPad to my bookkeeper and the MBP to a friend's 6 year old. In both cases they opened up the box and enjoyed them as if they were brand new, not a hand me down.
My iPad 2 bought on day one hasn't a single scratch. I realize I take a lot of care in those things.