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Tag: ipad mini

  • iPad Mini with Retina Display and Apple HDTV reported for 2013

    2012 has been one heck of a year for Apple. Lots of new devices, lots of new software. Now the attention shifts on what to expect from Apple in the year 2013. Business Insider has gotten some juicy reports on two major products we can expect in 2013.

    iPad Mini with Retina Display is the first one. As the name suggests, it’s the regular iPad Mini but with a much higher resolution screen. Update internals? Most likely since the A5 is old enough as it is. March 2013 is the expected release date for iPad Mini with Retina Display.

    In November 2013 Apple will release the very highly anticipated HDTV. The sizes varying from 42-inch to 55-inch. Price ranging from $1500-2000.

    In June 2013 Apple will preview iOS 7 and the next version of OS X. MacBook Air with Retina Display previewed too. This is WWDC 2013. Both software updates will have John Ive’s design language.

    Other products include an iPhone 5S, new iPad and a spec bumped iPad Mini later next year. iPhone 5S is a minor spec bump, and the new iPad (iPad 5?) will be totally redesigned.

    There’s nothing too shocking about this possible next years lineup. Like 2012, 2013 will be equally exciting and product filled for Apple fans.

     

  • Partial iPad Mini jailbreak achieved

    iPad mini is a great tablet according to review, and Apple has also sold a sizeable amount of it already. However no matter how great it might be, there are a lot of potential customers who’d rather have it jailbroken before they purchase it. An image posted on Twitter recently by jailbreaking Dream Team, MuscleNerd, the iPad Mini jailbreak has been achieved. However it comes with certain amount of strings attached.

    ipad1 240x320 Partial iPad Mini jailbreak achieved

    The method to achieve such jailbreak is commonly known as ‘failbreak’. This means in order to jailbreak an iPad Mini you will need a developer account. This makes it kind of useless for the general public. But only for now. This is similar to the jailbreak we saw on the new iPad 4 which too required a similar developer account to work. Unfortunately such is the case with all A5 and A6 powered iDevices. Unless security methods on them are bypassed the iPad Mini jailbreak will be limited to a developer account only.

    The fact that a year old A5 chip has yet to be jailbroken isn’t comforting. But all hope is not lost. Even a failbreak is an achievement itself. Let’s hope work developers continue to do the work they’re doing and we get a full untethered iPad Mini jailbreak.

  • iPhone and iPad mini sales stronger than expected

    The last few months have been quite busy for Apple. They released the next chapter in the iPhone story, the iPhone 5. And the much awaited iPad Mini was also released a month later. Both these products have gotten great reviews. Although there have been numerous issues with the iPhone 5, like camera and keyboard, the general demand has been great.

    According to Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, iPhone and iPad mini sales are greater than previously expected. A few weeks ago an estimate was put at 46 million units for the number of iPhone 5 and 23 million iPads that will be sold by the end of the year. Katy Huberty believes Apple will surpass this number. She also went ahead and claimed that Apple will also beat March 2013 estimates of 43 million iPhones and 19 million iPads.

    It’s going to be an interesting Q4 2012. Initially Apple suffered with supply issues for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini, but now that they have been resolved, they might actually be able to sell close to 50 million iPhone 5 by the end of this year. Suppliers also indicated that the iPhone 5 and iPad mini are expected to sell well in China. The competition however is quite tough this time around.

  • Apple officially announces the iPad mini

    The time we’ve been waiting for. Forget the leaks, forget the reports, forget all rumours. Because it’s now as official as official gets. Apple has just announced their first attempt at small tablets, and it starts with the iPad mini. What is this iPad mini? Let’s have a look at the rundown of some basic specs and features.

    ishot 4 Apple officially announces the iPad mini

    First and foremost is obviously the size of this iPad mini. It measures in at only 7.2mm in thickness and 0.68 pounds in weight. It’s got the same anodized edges we first saw on the iPhone 5. The screen measures in at 7.9-inch with a resolution of 1024 x 768. This means all the 250,000 apps that run on the iPad 2 will run just as well on the iPad mini. It’s even got the same A5 chip as the iPad 2 but it now supports LTE connectivity. The front camera is upgraded to Facetime HD and the rear camera is the new iSight 5MP unit. Battery life is at 10 hours.

    ipad mini apple Apple officially announces the iPad mini

    The base version of the iPad mini, which is 16GB without cellular, will cost $329. Pre orders will start on the 26th with shipping on November 2nd. The iPad 2 is still available for purchase for $399 for the 16GB version.

  • iPad mini rumored to be thinner than current iPad

    It’s that time of the year again. We’re nearing the time when Apple announces new hardware for the tech world. While we already know of the iPhone 5, the new rumor going around the block recently is regarding the iPad mini. This iPad mini will pack in a 7.85-inch screen with the resolution of 1024×768. Now there are some new rumors regarding what to expect from this mystery device. These rumors are not specs, but design related.

    ipad and mini ipad iPad mini rumored to be thinner than current iPad

    The iPad mini will be as thin as the iPod touch 4G, giving the tablet a thickness of only 7.2mm. The current third generation iPad measures 9.4mm in thickness so this is a substantial decrease in fat. This is even thinner than the Kindle Fire. According to reports the design of this mini iPad will be borrowed heavily from the iPod touch. Height wise it’s comparable to the Nexus 7 but it is wider. That is because of the aspect ratio Apple uses on its device screens.

    Certainly some interesting numbers regarding dimensions. The throwback to the old iPod touch design will be a change from the aluminum ridden 10-inch iPads. That being said the mirror finish on the iPod touch is very scratch prone so I hope Apple does something about this issue. The rest of the looks should be the same as the bigger iPad

    iPad mini, if real, should see the light of day this fall. The unveiling will occur alongside iPhone 5 so it should be an event worth watching. The iPad mini is rumored to fall under the 200-250$ price range which makes this a direct competitor of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire somewhat. There is still plenty of time to Fall 2012 which gives Google a few months advantage to further strengthen its tablet.

  • Apple orders 10M units of iPad mini according to WSJ

    When Tim Cook claimed that Apple is doubling down on secrecy, apparently that didn’t apply to the iPad mini. Rumours of this iPad mini have been flying high for a few months but now that the dust has settled on the iPhone 5 launch, recently they’ve become stronger with realistic claims.

    12.10.04 iPadmini 5 446x480 Apple orders 10M units of iPad mini according to WSJ

    Now Wall Street Journal is claiming that reports have come in about a possibility of Apple ordering nearly 10 million units of iPad mini. This is only  a week after WSJ reported that production has already begun. The expected release date for iPad mini is in the 2nd or 3rd week of October. Apple is suppose to send invitations on the 10th of this month. We’re already in the 2nd week so for all we know we might get to see the actual product in flesh in less than a week.

    With 10 million units it looks as if Apple is confident of initial preorders and sales. It will however face very tough competition from Android tablets like the new Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7. It will all come down to what kind of hardware Apple packs in the iPad mini and most importantly, how they price it.

     

  • AU Optronics making up ground on iPad mini display production

    iPad mini is quickly turning out to be one of the most anticipated launches of this year. And the most interesting thing about it is that we barely know anything about the device apart from some leaked pictures and some rough specs. Apple seems to be doing a better job of hiding the specs at least than they did with iPhone 5. The report that comes in today is regarding the production levels of iPad mini.

    AU Optronics is one of the companies responsible for producing the display for the iPad mini. They make up 40% of the targeted 5 million panels for this quarter. LG being the other 60%. There were reports coming in that AU Optronics is having some difficulties to maintain such high levels of yields which resulted in the company only proving 400,000 units instead. This was going to result in a severe shortage of supply for Apple.

    Fortunately for future buyers, the company has resolved whatever issue was plaguing production. AU Optronics is now producing two million panels per month to three million at Apple’s request. Usually products are available a week after Apple announces. Let’s hope this production boost has not come too late and there won’t be any shortages of iPad mini.

  • Apple now shipping LTE capable iPad Mini

    Apple announced the iPad Mini a few weeks back and the new tablet was of to a great start. Positive reviews from the web and strong sales figures meant that the iPad Mini, which many were skeptical about, was indeed a success at least until that point. Apple mentioned during the unveiling that the LTE capable iPad Mini will be available a few weeks after the WiFi only version.

    Well that time is now. If you were waiting for a LTE capable iPad Mini, you can go grab one now on Apple’s website. Those who pre ordered it are now getting confirmation from Apple that their tablet is now being shipped. The orders are scheduled to arrive this Friday, Nov. 16. Both the white and black versions are available. Initially Apple was suffering with supply shortages for the iPad Mini, but it looks as if they have subsided for now.

    Now that the LTE capable iPad Mini is rolling off the assembly line, it will further increase the previously stated 3 million commulative sales figure. Although Apple has so far not revealed the iPad Mini specific sales figures. The iPad Mini will go head to head with the Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire.

  • Apple charges 43% over iPad mini parts value

    Apple’s newest iPad mini was announced a little over a week ago. The 7.9-inch tablet has gotten great reviews for being beautiful and having a great eco system. There’s not a lot to dislike about the iPad Mini, but if there was something to nitpick, it would be the $329 price tag for the base model. But how much exactly does it cost Apple to make one unit?

    parts Apple charges 43% over iPad mini parts value

    The folks over at IHS iSuppli stripped apart the 16GB version of iPad Mini and found out some interesting facts. Calculating individual costs of each material and adding it up makes the price of the iPad Mini $188. Taking into consideration the $329 price tag means Apple earns a healthy 43% gross margin. Profit margin for the 32GB and 64GB version is 52 percent and 56 percent respectively. The 7.9-inch display and corresponding parts total at $80.

    The 43% margin might sound a lot considering the likes of Amazon or Google just break even on their tablets. But Amazon and Google have the service part of their products where they make up for the lack of any margin on hardware. In addition to that the 43% doesn’t include the countless man hours spent and the millions spent on R&D prior to product launch.

  • iPad Mini reviews roundup

    The iPad Mini was upon us a little over a week ago. In a special event, Apple unveiled its foray into the sub 10-inch tablet market. iPad mini, for all intents and purposes is a shrunken down iPad 2. It’s got the same resolution screen (smaller of course), the same A5 SoC powering it and the same iOS that we have all come to love (or hate). Initial murmurings across the web were somewhat negative, with people calling it too expensive. However now that the device is out, somewhat, let’s have a look at some excerpts from iPad mini reviews from across the web.

    Verge

    • The iPad mini hasn’t wrapped up the “cheapest tablet” market by any stretch of the imagination. But the “best small tablet” market? Consider it captured.
    • There’s something endearing about the mini that makes you want to keep it on-hand and use it often
    • Battery life was — not surprisingly — everything Apple claimed it would be

    Engadget

    • This is, in many ways, Apple’s best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life.
    • To consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet.
    • Colors are very pleasing to the eye and viewing angles, as ever with an Apple display, do not disappoint
    • Overall, the tablet is very comfortable to hold; its thinness and lightness are both attributes that must be perceived first-hand.

    CNET

    • it’s really shockingly nice to hold.
    • If you’re an obsessive over crisp text, you’ll notice the fuzziness. If you’re comparing the Mini to a laptop, you won’t.
    • What’s unique about the Mini? Without a doubt, it’s the design. It’s cute, it’s discreet, and it’s very, very light.

    TIME

    • If your budget’s got more wiggle room, the iPad Mini is the best compact-sized tablet on the market

    Fox

    • Despite the cheaper price, the iPad mini doesn’t feel cheap. Quite the opposite. When I picked it up, I was reminded of the first time I held a first-generation iPhone. It feels sturdy. Hand-crafted. Expertly made.

    TechCrunch

    • Apple isn’t looking at this as $329 versus $199. They’re looking at this as an impossibly small iPad 2 sold at the most affordable price for an iPad yet. In other words, they’re not looking at the tablet competition. This isn’t a tablet. It’s an iPad. People love these things.

    Click on the links to read the respective iPad mini reviews. So far the initial reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, something not many were expecting from what is effectively a small iPad 2