Since it’s been over a quarter since Apple released their last iPad, IDC worldwide tablet shipment numbers have shown not just that Android tablets have been gaining popularity, but that the whole market has slipped significantly. With a near 10% (9.7% to be precise) in worldwide tablet shipments this 2Q of 2013 compared to the […]
Rumors about the next generation iPad have slowly but surely started to trickle in. Just last week we saw a purportedly leaked rear aluminium shell of Apple’s upcoming tablet. Today we get to see a video that allegedly shows off the front and rear panels of the tablet, actually showing it in a partially assembled form. To make it absolutely clear from the get go, there’s no confirmation that these panels are authentic and do in fact belong to the next generation iPad, so it is advised that you take all of this with a grain of salt.
The short 30 second video shows off both the front and rear panels, the design of the tablet looks a lot like that of iPad mini. It has been rumored before that the next generation iPad might have a design similar to the iPad mini. The bezels seem a lot thinner than they are on the current iPad, we saw this in the previous leak as well. One can also see the translucent Apple logo on the back, this is a first, considering that iPads have always had a plastic insert on the back. It is possible that these parts may belong to an early prototype. Nevertheless one thing has been consistent in all leaks up till now, the design similarity with the iPad mini.
Next Generation iPad Purported Front And Rear Panels Shown Off In A Video original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Darrell: Google recently updated its Nexus 7 tablet, with a new design and brand new specs including a more powerful processor and much better screen. The device also has the distinction of being among the first in line for new Android updates, so it’s an early-adopter’s delight. But despite all the new, the Nexus 7 doesn’t really dramatically change the tablet space; it slots in more or less where the original version did, as a tablet that’s good for the price but unlikely to provoke any passion.
Chris: Well, maybe it doesn’t for you. But for a market teeming with people who are itching to buy tablets over more traditional computers, the new Nexus 7 represents a major step forward over the original without a corresponding increase in price. I suspect that a considerable chunk of people are going to look at this thing, mull their options, and take the plunge. And, you know what? They could do a lot worse.
Darrell: If anyone gets this instead of a computer, they’re in for a rough surprise.
Darrell: The Nexus 7 has a lot going for it on paper, not least of which is the super high resolution display. The 7-inch screen has 1980×1200 resolution, making it officially the sharpest knife in the drawer, if the drawer is filled with tablets and sharpest knife here refers to sharpest screen.
That’s not all that the Nexus 7 brings to the table; its other big selling point is price. In the U.S., the 16GB version retails for $229, which is $30 more than its predecessor, but still $100 cheaper than the iPad mini with the same amount of onboard storage and wireless connectivity. So that’s double the screen resolution, for a third less money.
Chris: Yeah, that’s fine, get on with it.
Darrell: It’s also smaller and lighter than the iPad mini (and has a smaller display, too). You’d think that would give it portability/usability benefits, but oddly it doesn’t. I can’t help but shake the feeling that the Nexus 7 is larger than the iPad mini, even though objective measures prove that isn’t the case. Is it the gargantuan top and bottom bezels? The slightly thicker case? Hard to tell exactly, but ergonomically it’s just not up to scratch with the Apple tablet.
Chris: Anyone ever tell you you’re sort of a tablet snob? Sure, it’s no iPad mini, but are you shelling out iPad mini money for this thing? No, you’re not. I agree that those bezels are huge and they make the Nexus 7 feel strangely long when you hold it vertically, but I certainly wouldn’t call them dealbreakers. Holding this thing is like holding a slightly heavier Paperwhite Kindle, which is most definitely a good thing — there’s definitely some heft there but I find it more reassuring than anything. The soft touch finish on the 7′s rear is a welcome addition too, as it helps you get a better grip on things if you’re playing games or furiously swiping through one of Darrell’s many Apple patent articles.
Darrell: Pricing arguments start to feel hollow when the difference is $100, and it’s only $50 if you go with Apple Certified Refurbished products. The Nexus 7 was a pricing bomb when it first hit and the full-sized iPad starting at $399 was the alternative from Apple, but no one’s going hungry over the difference now, so you can stop with the cries of class bias.
Darrell: It feels cheaper, too, but that’s because it is cheaper. And it doesn’t feel as cheap as some other third-party Android tablets I’ve held, so the build quality is actually a net plus for the new Nexus 7. Also top and bottom speakers make for better sound orientation when watching movies, but they don’t beat the sound quality on the iPad mini’s two bottom-edge stereo speakers.
Chris: I’ve got to give it you on that one. The stereo speakers that Asus loaded this thing up with produce reasonably loud, crisp sound, but they do fall flat when compared to the sort of sound that the iPad mini’s downward-facing pair can pump out. That’s honestly quite a shame considering that 7-inch 1920×1200 display is pretty great for taking in a mobile movie or two.
Darrell: This Nexus 7 comes with Android 4.3 (though you might need to update out of the box to get it up to speed), which brings a few new features for users including restricted access for multiple user profiles! Exciting! … sort of. If you have lots of mischievous children who share your device. Or if you want to keep your tablet porn habit hidden from your loved ones. It’s a nice addition, but Google certainly is not going to sell any tablets on the strength of Android 4.3 alone, unless dev shops are looking for new testing devices to cover their bases.
We’re not going to talk about cameras because if you’re buying a tablet based on its picture- or video-taking abilities you’re doing it wrong.
Chris: I’ll expound a bit since Darrell’s being sort of a grump — neither the 5-megapixel camera nor its 2-megapixel front-facing brother managed to produce anything worth writing home about. They’ll certainly do in a pinch if you’ve got absolutely nothing else on hand that could do the job, but you’ll definitely want to whip out your phone instead when the urge to snap selfies becomes too much to resist.
Darrell: Don’t listen to Chris: If it’s a choice between taking a pic with your tablet and missing the moment, you’ll always have your memories.
As for the other aspects of the Nexus 7′s performance, it’s absolutely fine in most cases, with some slowdown in Chrome when scrolling that’s a little disconcerting. Overall, nothing to write home about, but no problems that would annoy the average user to the point of making them want to return the device, either. Adequate, in other words.
Chris: Some people maybe nonplussed by the Nexus 7′s spec sheet since it isn’t loaded up with the absolute latest and greatest chipsets, but its 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and 2GB of RAM kept things chugging along with a minimum of headaches. I’m not much of a mobile gamer, but I didn’t notice any lag or performance issues while putzing around in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or losing at Riptide GP. And loading up and playing several high-definition films (that I, uh, own) didn’t present many issues for the 7 either. There was the occasional visual stutter, but that’s at least partially because most of the video player apps I use haven’t been optimized for Android 4.3 yet.
And there’s the battery, which has actually shrunk a bit since the last Nexus 7. I’ve been able browse web pages, fire up non-graphics intensive apps, answer emails, and basically mess around for about a day and a half before having to recharge. Loading up those videos definitely takes a toll on things though (especially if you’ve got that screen brightness cranked up) — I generally managed to get between six and seven hours of non-stop video going before everything went dark.
Darrell: The Nexus 7 is good for a few, very specific things: it makes an excellent e-reader; if you like digital comics they look amazing on this screen; and if you’re into acts of piracy such as torrenting it’s much easier to accomplish on Android than on iOS without getting a proper computer involved. But ultimately the Nexus 7’s screen isn’t enough to lure me away from the iPad mini permanently; if anything, it has only whetted my appetite for a Retina iPad mini, which indications suggest we’ll probably see before the end of the year.
Chris: I’d characterize it a little differently — the new Nexus 7 is a great generalist tablet. It’s reasonably handsome (those bezels aside), it can hold its own when it comes to pure horsepower, and that price tag can be awfully hard to resist. Is it a perfect tablet? Obviously not, but it’s definitely a worthy purchase for first-time tablet owners or people who want a hardy companion to throw in a bag every day.
Though the changes appear to be few, the next-generation casings for both the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2 appear to be hitting the factory floor with bits and pieces all their own. This double dose of Apple hardware – if it does indeed prove to be legitimate, shows the iPad family to be […]
It’s very likely that we’ll see an updated iPad mini later in the fall, but rumors about whether or not it will include a Retina display have been flying around like swarms of flies. However, another report claims that a Retina-equipped iPad mini will arrive sometime in the fourth quarter, with the display being made […]
Apple is indeed gearing up to put a Retina display in next version of the iPad mini, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The new version of Apple’s smaller, 7.9-inch tablet will have a high-resolution screen provided by Samsung’s display supply wing, as well as LG and Sharp. Originally, per the report, Apple wanted to skip Samsung for this round but wanted to ensure it could meet buyer demand.
The news that Apple is preparing to enter mass production on a Retina iPad mini starting in the fourth quarter of this year comes just as rumors circulated yesterday that Apple would likely skip putting a high-res display in the next version, and instead boost the processor that powers the device, which was based on hints in code found in the iOS 7 beta.
9to5Mac first reported the non-Retina A6-powered iPad mini, but did explicitly state that this doesn’t mean Apple is preparing to ship one. Apple routinely tests a variety of devices in its labs and brings only a select few to market, so it’s possible that a non-Retina version was in the works alongside a Retina variety. Apple must pay attention to the market, and the Nexus 7′s ultra high-resolution display (as well as other upcoming devices like the rumored Kindle Fire HD refresh) could in theory have prompted the company to choose one over the other.
The WSJ qualifies its report by saying that Apple often tests different designs too, and makes no claims that the Retina iPad will definitely make it to market. The timing and nature of the report seems like a controlled leak, however; Apple watchers and pundits were quick to criticize the possibility that Apple wouldn’t introduce a Retina display in a second-generation iPad mini. A sudden leak sprouting saying it will is the perfect way to assuage those fears while capitalizing on the spotlight focused by the earlier leak to build more product hype.
Apple wants to wean itself away from a supply dependency on Samsung, the WSJ reiterates, since the two are now primary competitors on the smartphone front and still embroiled in numbers court battles over intellectual property. But Samsung is a key supplier for many important components, not the least of which is displays, so it isn’t surprising to see them named as a source for a Retina iPad mini screen. The WSJ also says we could see multiple different colors for the new mini’s back cover, just like with the color iPod touch.
If Apple is ramping up for Q4 production of this device, we could see it arrive around the same time as last year’s first model, so around November this year. A Retina iPad mini before Christmas would definitely result in big benefits for Apple’s holiday quarter sales, so the timing fits.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple suppliers have been gearing up their production lines in order to churn out a new iPad mini with a high-resolution display—and it could, apparently, arrive sometime this year.
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When you have a high profile company such as Apple, any move that they make would definitely come under the microscope of the masses. Not only that, the world on the whole has generally stopped whatever they are doing in recent years just to see what new stuff Apple has thought up of, and the next generation iPad mini is definitely not an exception to this rule. In fact, we have had to go through a slew of rumors concerning the new iPad mini in the past few months, among them including its speculated release date, numerous delays and reasons accompanying it as well as some backtracking, not to mention LG, Sharp and AU Optronics being listed as possible display suppliers for the next generation iPad mini.
Well, we do know that Apple and Samsung’s working relationship is not one that would imply them being the proverbial “best buddies”, no thanks to some spats in the past, and while there were rumors going around earlier this year that Apple would not be working with Samsung for the new iPad mini, although the WSJ is reporting otherwise now. Apple might have managed to overcome display issues concerning the new iPad mini with the help of Samsung, where it was cited that “people familiar with the matter” informed WSJ that Apple had to settle for Samsung’s display division in order to deliver the visual goods for the new iPad mini.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | New iPad Mini To Use Samsung Retina Displays, Says WSJ original content from Ubergizmo. 
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No one knows for sure right now what Apple’s plans are with regards to its second generation iPad mini. We’ve heard a lot of rumors claim that the company will release a Retina display touting iPad mini, whereas others believe that a non Retina version will be released this year and that the Retina one will come in 2014. A developer has apparently sent proof of references in iOS 7 SDK to 9to5Mac that hint at the possibility of Apple testing a non Retina display iPad mini that is powered by an A6 processor. The system-on-chip is similar to the one inside iPhone 5.
Three variants of this particular iPad mini are apparently being tested. Codenamed J75, J76 and J77, one of these is a Wi-Fi only variant whereas the other two are said to be cellular compatible. The nomenclature for current iPad mini variants is iPad “2,5,” iPad “2,6,” and iPad “2,7.” The nomenclature for these new non Retina variants is iPad “2,8,” iPad “2,9,” and iPad “2,10.” Having the same A6 processor as the iPhone 5 would no doubt greatly improve performance on the tablet. Though one can’t take this as a confirmation that Apple is going to announce non Retina iPad mini this year. There exists a possibility that these variants might be limited to the testing stage, because right now, no one is discounting the Retina display touting second generation iPad mini.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Non Retina iPad Mini With A6 Processor Reportedly Being Tested original content from Ubergizmo. 
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The first remix of the iPad mini that’ll be hitting the market later this year has appeared in the software developer kit sent to developers for the newest iteration of iOS 7. This device has appeared in three iterations; one with basic Wi-fi, the other two matching the carrier editions already out in the USA.
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