Leaked 'iPad mini 4' renderings again reveal thinner 6.1mm design, iPad Air 2 influence

Posted:
in iPad edited August 2015
Leaked design renderings, purportedly for Apple's anticipated fourth-generation iPad mini, appear to support claims that the tablet will be even thinner than its predecessor, putting it on par with the iPad Air 2.




The so-called "iPad mini 4" should be about 6.1 millimeters thick, according to images and video shared by @OnLeaks. The Mini 3, by contrast, has a depth of 7.5 millimeters. The depicted device also has a look and feel similar to the iPad Air 2, Apple's current flagship tablet.

If authentic, the renderings echo multiple reports -- including one from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo -- pointing to both the thinner dimensions and the use of Air 2 design cues. Some rumors have also hinted at the device having the same internal specifications as the iPad Air 2, such as A8 processor, an 8-megapixel camera, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.



@OnLeaks is considered a generally reliable source, having previously supplied accurate leaks about devices like the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6. In April it also claimed to show photos of the "iPad mini 4" chassis.

At the time, more questionable rumors held that Apple might release a fourth-generation iPad mini early to make up for a lackluster iPad mini 3 launch last fall. That device sports the same design and internals as the iPad mini 2, but added just Touch ID and a new gold color option.

It's generally expected that Apple will release the "iPad mini 4" as a part of its regular fall iPad updates, alongside a so-called "iPad Air 3" as well as a possible 12.9-inch iPad referred to as the "iPad Pro." The company has launched new iPads in October in recent years, though a recent report alleged that Apple could reveal its latest iPads at an anticipated iPhone media event on Sept. 9.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    I hate the iPad Pro name. Seriously, rumor mill, invent a better name for it.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    iPad Plus :)
  • Reply 3 of 21
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,311member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    iPad Plus image

    iPad Double Plus Good

  • Reply 4 of 21
    I hate the iPad Pro name. Seriously, rumor mill, invent a better name for it.

    MacBook Air
    MacBook Pro

    iPad Air
    iPad Pro

    Get it? :rolleyes:
  • Reply 5 of 21
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,311member

    Actually, my desire is that the carriers and Apple would consider iPads, especially the iPad Mini, as iPhones for the purposes of service contracts. Give me unlimited data, Apple Watch compatibility, Apple Pay, and calling equal to the iPhone and the would be a better mobile office than an iPhone 6S and Apple Watch. Lots of small business and service persons could identify with this, I think, albeit bluetooth headsets might be a necessary accessory.

     

    Still, if I'm on a network, I can do all of that anyway.

  • Reply 6 of 21
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    If the new iPad mini specs match that of the new full sized iPad being released at the same time I'll grab one.

    If saddled with year old tech I'll pass on it.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    MaxiPad
  • Reply 8 of 21
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    I hate the iPad Pro name. Seriously, rumor mill, invent a better name for it.

    Don't worry. Apple won't name it iPad Pro. I would believe in iPad Plus more. Pro vs Air means for different classes of device. Since 12.9" iPad and iPad Air are pretty much the same except the size, I don't believe Apple will call it "Pro".

  • Reply 9 of 21
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post





    MacBook Air

    MacBook Pro



    iPad Air

    iPad Pro



    Get it? image

    No. Macbook Air and Pro are 2 different classes. 9.7" and 12.9" iPads are the same except sizes.

  • Reply 10 of 21
    Would it really be that big a deal to separate the stereo speakers? Who watches a movie in portrait mode and even if you did standing it up you can't hear the sound - just like when my hand covers the speaker on my iPhone when I hold it.

    Samsung (until recently) had left and right speakers of opposite ends why can't apple? Even if they put them separated on the longer side at least when watching a movie you could here sounds left and right

    Is there some obvious reason other than Jonny thought it was ugly? (I assume that's why they are where they are). And speaking of Mr Ive... please bring back cover flow! We did our entire 30 year catalogue of releases of all 5,737 songs on 437 releases (we're a record company) set up tagging the songs "jacket - disc - jacket - disc etc" making each release in iTunes look like it was going off into infinity. It took us three months to complete the scanning and tagging of all the colored vinyl and colored cd's - all wiped out in one fell swoop with one of Jonnys "let's make it flat and boring looking". In fact the new iTunes is such a confusing mess with Apple Music shoved in were thinking of just redoing the whole thing in a different program altogether.

    Before you guys start laying into me, I'm not a troll. My first Mac was the FX for $7,000. And have upgraded every year on the 11th month (to allow our buyer to extend apple care when they used to be able to - that's gone now too) so I'm quite loyal to the company and the product. We upgrade then offer our 11 month old device to our own members (we're a subscriber record company) and give them the product half price to convert PC users so we're doing our part here.

    I'm just saying sometimes things like cover flow just worked and not everything needs to be trashed for the sake of something new. Hell just make it a radio button you can click to use or not. God knows the beta of iOS 9 has doubled in that category. Lol
  • Reply 11 of 21
    Ugh. The iPad Mini is plenty thin enough. Give me more battery life, a better camera and a current generation CPU!
  • Reply 12 of 21
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by razormaid View Post



    Would it really be that big a deal to separate the stereo speakers? Who watches a movie in portrait mode and even if you did standing it up you can't hear the sound - just like when my hand covers the speaker on my iPhone when I hold it.



    Samsung (until recently) had left and right speakers of opposite ends why can't apple? Even if they put them separated on the longer side at least when watching a movie you could here sounds left and right



    Is there some obvious reason other than Jonny thought it was ugly? (I assume that's why they are where they are). And speaking of Mr Ive... please bring back cover flow! We did our entire 30 year catalogue of releases of all 5,737 songs on 437 releases (we're a record company) set up tagging the songs "jacket - disc - jacket - disc etc" making each release in iTunes look like it was going off into infinity. It took us three months to complete the scanning and tagging of all the colored vinyl and colored cd's - all wiped out in one fell swoop with one of Jonnys "let's make it flat and boring looking". In fact the new iTunes is such a confusing mess with Apple Music shoved in were thinking of just redoing the whole thing in a different program altogether.



    Before you guys start laying into me, I'm not a troll. My first Mac was the FX for $7,000. And have upgraded every year on the 11th month (to allow our buyer to extend apple care when they used to be able to - that's gone now too) so I'm quite loyal to the company and the product. We upgrade then offer our 11 month old device to our own members (we're a subscriber record company) and give them the product half price to convert PC users so we're doing our part here.



    I'm just saying sometimes things like cover flow just worked and not everything needs to be trashed for the sake of something new. Hell just make it a radio button you can click to use or not. God knows the beta of iOS 9 has doubled in that category. Lol

     

    I'm with you about Itunes though, but I've found it a mess for 7 years... So, its not a new thing....

     

    As for stereo and speaker placements. You hear good stereo separation from speakers that are the same width as your head from 2 feet away? Is that even physically possible?

  • Reply 13 of 21

    What I meant about the speakers was:  When you have two kids 4 and 6 years old and you have to sit between them to watch the movie so they won't fight <loL> with the speakers ONLY on one side then the other kid can't even hear the movie.  If they at least had one speaker on each side as in right left which is stereo if Im not mistaken - then at least each kid could hear the movie even if it wasn't true stereo.  Although it would be nice when an explosion happens on the right side of the movie, if that explosion actually came from over there, then on the left.  Again, who watches a movies long ways (portrait)?  and unless you held it upside down, if you lean in on your waist watching in bed you'd hear NO SOUND because its covering up both speakers 

  • Reply 14 of 21
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GrangerFX View Post



    Ugh. The iPad Mini is plenty thin enough. Give me more battery life, a better camera and a current generation CPU!



    No, exactly the opposite. :) Thinner and lighter weight, please. Plenty of other devices have cameras (don't waste the effort making this one's better, not every device has to have the best camera available), the current CPU is fast enough (though faster isn't a bad thing), and battery life is fine. I've got a gen 2 rMini which I'm hoping to replace with a newer one sporting a thinner chassis, something thinner than the lovely 1st gen mini would be ideal!

  • Reply 15 of 21
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by razormaid View Post

     

    What I meant about the speakers was:  When you have two kids 4 and 6 years old and you have to sit between them to watch the movie so they won't fight <loL> with the speakers ONLY on one side then the other kid can't even hear the movie.  If they at least had one speaker on each side as in right left which is stereo if Im not mistaken - then at least each kid could hear the movie even if it wasn't true stereo.  Although it would be nice when an explosion happens on the right side of the movie, if that explosion actually came from over there, then on the left.  Again, who watches a movies long ways (portrait)?  and unless you held it upside down, if you lean in on your waist watching in bed you'd hear NO SOUND because its covering up both speakers 


     

    Getting true stereo, subtle front positioning is pretty much impossible in such a small device with such crappy speakers put in such non optimal positions. You could get a bit of it from very wide effects, something completely to the right or left, or moving completely accross, but that's it.  Stereo for music, or 90% of Tv episodes and most films, forget about it.

     

    Use bluetooth speakers or headphone splitters, if you want stereo with such a thing.

  • Reply 16 of 21
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    MaxiPad

    what a moronic, sophomoric comment, of the sort we all saw five years ago during the original iPad launch by dimwits who wouldn't know what to do with a woman if they ever met one.

    way to aim high, sir.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    nolamacguy wrote: »
    MaxiPad

    what a moronic, sophomoric comment, of the sort we all saw five years ago during the original iPad launch by dimwits who wouldn't know what to do with a woman if they ever met one.

    way to aim high, sir.

    There'd be no children conceived if we aimed high. ;)
  • Reply 18 of 21
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    There'd be no children conceived if we aimed high. ;)

    true...
  • Reply 19 of 21
    I'm sorry you care enough about the world to change it one witty comeback at a time on an apple insider blog. You, sir, should run for president!
  • Reply 20 of 21
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member

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