GizChina points to several case designs for the upcoming 7.85" iPad Mini. The new smaller iPad has been rumored to be launched later this year. The most recent rumors have suggested the new device will look closer to a large iPod touch, than a smaller iPad. Specifically, the side bezels are expected to be narrower as shown in the previous rendering.
Some case manufacturers seem to be taking similar dimensions into account with new case designs intended for the 7.85" iPad. As shown here, the side-bezels are much narrower than the top and bottom. The case designs also show off the Facetime Camera and a hole for the rear camera.
The iPad depicted within the case shows the new smaller dock connector, but those device images tend to be rendered mockups based on circulating expectations. In the past, the case designs themselves have been sourced from leaked/stolen specifications of the upcoming Apple device.
Other images show the usual microphone opening at the top of the device, though there is also an extra upper-back opening, the purpose of which isn't clear.
Friday January 9, 2026 8:17 am PST by Tim Hardwick
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop.
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Thursday January 8, 2026 2:56 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Monday January 12, 2026 7:38 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with CNBC today, Apple confirmed that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri that is slated to launch later this year.
"After careful evaluation, we determined that Google's technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we're excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users," the statement...
Monday January 12, 2026 11:38 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Elon Musk today expressed concern about Apple and Google partnering on a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google's generative AI platform Gemini.
"This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that [they] also have Android and Chrome," wrote Musk, in a post on X.
Musk serves as CEO of xAI, the company behind Gemini competitor Grok.
It is unlikely...
Monday January 12, 2026 1:15 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones.
iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer.
Below,...
Friday January 9, 2026 4:24 am PST by Tim Hardwick
The Unicode Consortium has published a draft list of emoji that could come to smartphones and other devices in the future. The list shared by Emojipedia outlines 19 emoji candidates under consideration for Emoji 18.0, which is expected to be finalized in September 2026.
Among the proposed additions are a squinting face emoji, left- and right-pointing thumb gestures, a pickle, a lighthouse, a ...
Friday January 9, 2026 10:08 am PST by Eric Slivka
Back in late 2022 and early 2023, Apple rolled out a new architecture for its Apple Home platform to deliver improved performance and compatibility, although the rollout came with some hiccups that forced Apple to pull and later re-release the upgrade.
Three years later, Apple is now on the verge of ending support for the old version of the Home architecture, which may result in access to...
Monday January 12, 2026 8:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple and Google today announced that Google Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.
"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the companies said, in a statement. "These...
Yawn. Didn't we ride this merry-go-round last year? https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/15/case-mate-preps-for-release-of-iphone-5-cases-with-revamped-design/
It's quite interesting that Apple (if the product is even released) has allowed the bezel to be that slim, because when you imagine holding it, your thumb would likely cover the edge of the screen. I'm guessing that this is their way to, if you like, differentiate the iPad Mini as a more e-reading friendly/mobile device from the original iPad, because that bezel and design for the speaker grill/dock connector is almost identical to the new iPhone.
The bezel size depends on the size/weight of the thing. the iPhone bezel is quite small. That's because you don't need your thumb to brace the device. So, a large bezel isn't automatically necessary -- it depends on the device heft.
Sure Apple tell us every year what we actually want....but im not sure we need this.
Im sure they will sell really well initially, but im pretty sure after a good run of sales, the full size iPad eat up all the sales.
Its a stupid product. Why design a tablet, tell the world how mazing everything is this size in your hand, then later on say, actually we can do it smaller too..
Its still too big to fit in a pocket, or too big to be a phone+, so whats the point in it exactly?
People with smaller hands lol?
This is exactly why you're not on Apple's product design team. Obviously there are a ton of people who want an e-reader sized device. You're views are not the same as the other millions of Apple consumers.
I mean, why are there different sized computers? different sized iPods? different sized everything.....
Sure Apple tell us every year what we actually want....but im not sure we need this.
Im sure they will sell really well initially, but im pretty sure after a good run of sales, the full size iPad eat up all the sales.
Its a stupid product. Why design a tablet, tell the world how mazing everything is this size in your hand, then later on say, actually we can do it smaller too..
Its still too big to fit in a pocket, or too big to be a phone+, so whats the point in it exactly?
People with smaller hands lol?
I have an iPad. I took it on vacation out to SDG and Comic Con.
It was great for having at the hotel, airport and at my friends house.
It was not so great for sight seeing, taking around and actually at Comic Con. Just too bulky for on the go and you need a backpack or case for it. The mini would fit in your cargo pants pocket or a womans purse, etc.
The whole time, I actually was like 'man...I hope they come out with that mini-ipad' because it would be great for things like I just did.
Sure Apple tell us every year what we actually want....but im not sure we need this.
Im sure they will sell really well initially, but im pretty sure after a good run of sales, the full size iPad eat up all the sales.
Its a stupid product. Why design a tablet, tell the world how mazing everything is this size in your hand, then later on say, actually we can do it smaller too..
Its still too big to fit in a pocket, or too big to be a phone+, so whats the point in it exactly?
People with smaller hands lol?
Perfect size for a woman's handbag though, current iPad too big for most... That's a pretty big market.
