New Apple 9.7-inch iPad thicker than iPad Air 2, returns to iPad Air dimensions

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPad edited March 2017
Apple has returned to the slightly larger iPad Air sizing for the new 9.7-inch iPad, reverting to an older, thicker case size for the new "flat-out fun" offering.




The new 9.7-inch A9-powered iPad, released on Tuesday, has an A9 processor, base 32GB of device storage, and is 240mm tall, 169.5mm wide, has a thickness of 7.5mm, and weighs 469 grams with wi-fi and 478 grams with LTE.

The original iPad Air with A7 processor from October 2013 is dimensionally identical to the new iPad, including weight.

The iPad Air 2 with A8X processor was originally released in October 2014 and is also 240 mm tall, and 169.5mm wide -- but is 6.1mm thick. The iPad Air 2 weighs 437 grams with wi-fi and 444 grams with LTE.

The 9.7-inch A9X iPad Pro has the same external dimensions as the iPad Air 2. At this time, it is not yet clear why Apple returned to the slightly thicker size for the new iPad.

For comparison, the original iPad is 242.8mm tall, 189.7mm wide, 13.4mm thick, and weighs 680 grams.

The return to the iPad Air sizing has implications for accessory makers. The slightly thicker iPad Air may create a renaissance for tight-fit cases and other size-dependent peripherals, the same as the iPhone SE did when it resurrected the iPhone 5 form factor in 2016.

On Tuesday, Apple revealed a special edition (Product)Red iPhone 7, the doubling of storage on the iPhone SE without changing the price of the device, and a new Clips app for social media video generation.
«134

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 61
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member

    But this will interfere with the narrative that Apple is "obsessed with thin, that Apple will sacrifice anything to make things thinner and thinner.

    Oh!  Maybe that's why there was no event!  They were so ashamed that it was fat, that they couldn't stomach the thought of going on stage to present it. \s

    MetriacanthosauruswigginRayz2016andrewj5790bdkennedy1002fastasleepdoozydozenlolliver
  • Reply 2 of 61
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,284member
    Ensures that the new, less expensive case will not fit the 9.7" Pro, even if you never used the Smart Connector.
    Metriacanthosaurus
  • Reply 3 of 61
    MetriacanthosaurusMetriacanthosaurus Posts: 880member
    sog35 said:
    I'm glad they went with the slightly thicker case in order to drop the price.
    Would love to hear your rear-end's explanation for this comment.
    king editor the grate[Deleted User]elijahgtyler82doozydozenlolliver
  • Reply 4 of 61
    kdinenokdineno Posts: 1member
    The battery size on the iPad Air 2 was was 27.7 watt-hours
    the battery on the new iPad is 23.4 watt-hours. This probably explains at least part of the thickness increase.
  • Reply 5 of 61
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,358member
    The 9.7-inch A9X iPad Pro has the same external dimensions as the iPad Air 2. At this time, it is not yet clear why Apple returned to the slightly thicker size for the new iPad.
    I'd like to understand why Apple went with a thicker or deeper shell. If it was to house more battery that would be fine, but the battery life is the same as the Air 2.

    I wonder if it's to further differentiate it from the 9.7" Pro, making the Pro more attractive. Schiller will tell Gruber or someone why they did it, and I hope it's solid reasoning. I doubt they had a bunch of leftover Air bodies and decided to 'use them up'. 


  • Reply 6 of 61
    schlackschlack Posts: 720member
    Good. This solves one of the worst issues with the current gen iPad. The protruding camera. Honestly, one of the major reasons I hadn't upgraded since the iPad Air.
    mobirdpatchythepiratekayess
  • Reply 7 of 61
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    sog35 said:
    I would love a Red iPad...........

    I'm glad they went with the slightly thicker case in order to drop the price.
    WTF does the thickness of the case have to do with price? I'm glad they made it thicker because the Air 2 had way too much sound vibration.
    jbishop1039
  • Reply 8 of 61
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    macgui said:
    The 9.7-inch A9X iPad Pro has the same external dimensions as the iPad Air 2. At this time, it is not yet clear why Apple returned to the slightly thicker size for the new iPad.
    I'd like to understand why Apple went with a thicker or deeper shell. If it was to house more battery that would be fine, but the battery life is the same as the Air 2.

    I wonder if it's to further differentiate it from the 9.7" Pro, making the Pro more attractive. Schiller will tell Gruber or someone why they did it, and I hope it's solid reasoning. I doubt they had a bunch of leftover Air bodies and decided to 'use them up'. 


    We don't know yet either. We're working on it.
    macguipatchythepiratedoozydozen
  • Reply 9 of 61
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,358member
    kdineno said:
    The battery size on the iPad Air 2 was was 27.7 watt-hours
    the battery on the new iPad is 23.4 watt-hours. This probably explains at least part of the thickness increase.
    Did you get those numbers reversed? There'd be no need to change the new iPads case dimensions if it had a lesser capacity battery.
    elijahgjbdragonsmaceslindoozydozenlolliverrandominternetperson
  • Reply 10 of 61
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,358member
    schlack said:
    Good. This solves one of the worst issues with the current gen iPad. The protruding camera. Honestly, one of the major reasons I hadn't upgraded since the iPad Air.
    Ah, now the "flat-out fun" bit makes a little sense. My current iPad is an Air 2, but I got cases for all of them, so the camera wouldn't matter to me.
  • Reply 11 of 61
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    macgui said:
    kdineno said:
    The battery size on the iPad Air 2 was was 27.7 watt-hours
    the battery on the new iPad is 23.4 watt-hours. This probably explains at least part of the thickness increase.
    Did you get those numbers reversed? There'd be no need to change the new iPads case dimensions if it had a lesser capacity battery.
    32.4 watt-hours on the new iPad.
    elijahgpscooter63doozydozenration al
  • Reply 12 of 61
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Bigger thicker battery?

  • Reply 13 of 61
    andrewj5790andrewj5790 Posts: 296member
    kdineno said:
    The battery size on the iPad Air 2 was was 27.7 watt-hours
    the battery on the new iPad is 23.4 watt-hours. This probably explains at least part of the thickness increase.
    They went thicker to put in a smaller battery? 
  • Reply 14 of 61
    steinm88299steinm88299 Posts: 80member
    The timing here means the new Samsung Tab S3 is pretty much DOA. Apple just killed them on price for a much more capable device. 
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 15 of 61
    frantisekfrantisek Posts: 756member
    The price could be much more attractive to schools.

    Thickness is + because it really have larger battery to power brighter display, has no camera bump and fit into old accessory.
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 16 of 61
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,668member

    But this will interfere with the narrative that Apple is "obsessed with thin, that Apple will sacrifice anything to make things thinner and thinner.

    Oh!  Maybe that's why there was no event!  They were so ashamed that it was fat, that they couldn't stomach the thought of going on stage to present it. \s

    Or maybe Jony has cured his techno anorexia? Or maybe 'fat' is back in vogue! Or maybe it was designed by someone for whom the words 'xx% thinner' didn't produce orgasms.

    Roll on with the fat iMacs and fat Mac Pros! ;-)


  • Reply 17 of 61
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    First it was criticized as too thin.
    Now it's criticized as too thick.
  • Reply 18 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Add in the A9's additional performance and test for battery life and I think you have a winner, despite the extra weight and thickness.



    PS: Can we finally put and end to Apple always goes thinner, when we see plenty of examples—like today—that they don't.
    edited March 2017 slprescotturaharapscooter63lolliver
  • Reply 19 of 61
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    suddenly newton said:
    First it was criticized as too thin.
    Now it's criticized as too thick.
    Who is criticizing it as too thick?
    tallest skil
  • Reply 20 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Mike Wuerthele said:
    suddenly newton said:
    First it was criticized as too thin.
    Now it's criticized as too thick.
    Who is criticizing it as too thick?
    Perhaps not this thread, but every time Apple has made it thicker people have complained. This is the third time an iPad of a particular display size has increased in thickness, but we started at a half an inch in 2010, so any bellyaching would be disingenuous or shortsighted.
Sign In or Register to comment.