The photos show a shell very similar to that of the current iPad mini, although from some angles it does appear to be slightly thicker. It is difficult to tell, however, whether the apparent increased thickness is a genuine design change needed to add a Retina display and accompanying battery improvements to the device or if it is simply a bit of an optical illusion due to the fact that the edges of the shell have not yet been chamfered as they are in the final product.
The photos also show a bright blue Apple logo and "iPad" text on the rear shell, but it is possible that this is simply part of the process used to create the mirrored logo and text as seen on the current product. Alternatively, it may be an effort to add additional color to the iPad mini as Apple did with the iPod touch last September and has been rumored to be using for an upcoming lower-cost iPhone.
Perhaps notably, the forum user who posted the images had posted back in December [Google translation] sharing images of what he said was the initial machining process for the iPad mini rear shell. Their legitimacy is, however, unconfirmed.
Update 12:24 PM: Nowhereelse.fr has taken a close look [Google translation] at the two photo sets from December and this week, noting in both sets the presence of boxes labeled "Catcher", which is indeed one of Apple's primary casing suppliers. The site believes, however, that the latest batch of photos is of the current iPad mini rather than a second-generation model.
A new iPad mini?! But I just bought mine last November and it won't work anymore when the iPad mini 2 will be available! Let's sue Apple for updating products!
Friday February 3, 2023 1:13 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released iOS 16.3 in late January following nearly six weeks of beta testing. The software update is available for the iPhone 8 and newer, and while it is a relatively minor update, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes.
Below, we've recapped new features in iOS 16.3, including support for physical security keys as a two-factor authentication option for...
Tuesday February 7, 2023 12:41 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released updated firmware for the MagSafe Duo charger that is designed to work with the Apple Watch and MagSafe-compatible iPhone models. The new firmware is version 10M3063, but in the settings app, you'll see a 256.1067.0 version number, up from 186.0.0.0.
The MagSafe Duo was first released in 2020 alongside the iPhone 12 models, and it has not had a firmware update before....
Tuesday February 7, 2023 10:11 am PST by Juli Clover
Chinese smartphone company OnePlus today announced the official debut of the OnePlus 11 5G, which is the company's latest flagship smartphone. The device was already announced in China, but today marks the global launch so we thought we'd compare the OnePlus 11 5G to the iPhone 14 Pro Max to see how the camera measures up.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple's...
Monday February 6, 2023 10:13 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 software updates, with the software coming two weeks after the tvOS 16.3 and HomePod 16.3 updates were released.
According to Apple's release notes for HomePod software 16.3.1, the update includes general performance and stability improvements. Notes for tvOS 16.3.1 are unavailable as of yet, but are probably similar to the HomePod...
The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a "buttonless design" thanks to additional Taptic Engines, according to multiple corroborated reports, so what do we know about the change so far?
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the volume and power buttons on this year's two high-end iPhone models will adopt a solid-state design, similar to the iPhone 7's home button, replacing a...
Sunday February 5, 2023 6:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has discussed selling a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside the Pro and Pro Max models in 2024 at the earliest, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the device would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup or later.
In a September 2022 edition of his weekly "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said there was "potential" for an iPhone 15 Ultra to replace the iPhone 15 Pro...
Tuesday February 7, 2023 5:38 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has reportedly considered releasing a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside future Pro and Pro Max models, tentatively referred to as "iPhone Ultra," and one designer has taken it upon himself to envision what such a device could potentially look like.
German industrial designer Jonas Daehnert came up with this impressive-looking concept (pictured) by marrying design elements of the...
Apple usually releases a new entry-level iPad every year, but the current lineup and rumors for 2023 may indicate that this will be the first year when the company breaks this convention.
When Apple introduced the 10th-generation iPad last year, it added the device to the lineup above the ninth-generation model from 2021. As a result, Apple currently sells both the ninth- and 10th-generation ...
Apple on January 23 released iOS 16.3, delivering support for Security Keys for Apple IDs, changes to Emergency SOS functionality, support for the second-generation HomePod, and more.
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