iPad 5 to Use Same Touch Panel Technology as iPad Mini to Reduce Size
Apple's suppliers are preparing the next-generation iPad for mass production and will reportedly use the same touch panel technology as the iPad mini in order to make reductions in weight and size, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The same touch-panel technology that made the iPad mini thin and light will likely feature in the next iPad, which is currently being produced by Apple Inc.'s Asian suppliers, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
What many consumers generally call a “screen” consists of multiple layers, and the “touch panel” specifically refers to the layer equipped with touch sensors, between the liquid-crystal display and the outermost cover glass. The iPad mini, according to a teardown report by research firm IHS iSuppli, uses a film-based touch panel, which is thinner and lighter than the glass-based touch panel that the current full-size model uses. Following the iPad mini’s success, Apple plans to use the film-based touch panel in its next regular-size iPad, the people said.
Earlier this month, a number of photos from a parts listing claimed to be of a genuine front panel and digitizer from the fifth-generation iPad, and followed the release of a video that also allegedly showed the front panel and back shell of the fifth-generation iPad for the first time.
Both postings appeared to show a full-sized iPad that was notably reduced in size when compared to Apple's current generation iPad, and would fall in line with this new report. A number other rumors and leaks of parts and cases dating back many months have similarly indicated that the next-generation iPad will indeed be significantly smaller and thinner than the current design.
Apple is expected to introduce the fifth-generation iPad as soon as next month, with an updated iPad mini rumored to be following fairly soon after.
Popular Stories
The redesigned MacBook Air with the all-new M2 Apple silicon chip will be available for customers starting Friday, July 15, MacRumors has learned from a retail source. The new MacBook Air was announced and previewed during WWDC earlier this month, with Apple stating availability will begin in July. The MacBook Air features a redesigned body that is thinner and lighter than the previous...
Fifteen years ago to this day, the iPhone, the revolutionary device presented to the world by the late Steve Jobs, officially went on sale.
The first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, and went on sale on June 29, 2007. "An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator... these are not three separate devices," Jobs famously said. "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the...
Apple last week launched an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it is the first Mac that is equipped with an updated M2 chip. As it's using a brand new chip, we thought we'd pick up the M2 MacBook Pro and compare it to the prior-generation M1 MacBook Pro to see just what's new.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. For the video comparison, we're using the...
The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern today shared a new documentary about the evolution of the iPhone ahead of the 15th anniversary of the device launching on June 29, 2007. The documentary includes an interview with Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak, iPhone co-creator Tony Fadell, and a family of iPhone users.
One segment of the interview reflects on Android smartphones gaining larger...
With many customers choosing to upgrade their iPhone every two or three years nowadays, there are lots of iPhone 11 Pro users who might be interested in upgrading to the iPhone 14 Pro later this year. Those people are in for a treat, as three years of iPhone generations equals a long list of new features and changes to look forward to.
Below, we've put together a list of new features and...
Apple today began selling refurbished Mac Studio models for the first time in the United States, Canada, and select European countries, such as Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
In the United States, two refurbished Mac Studio configurations are currently available, including one with the M1 Max chip (10-core CPU and 24-core GPU) for...
There appears to be a serious bug in macOS High Sierra that enables the root superuser on a Mac with a blank password and no security check. The bug, discovered by developer Lemi Ergin, lets anyone log into an admin account using the username "root" with no password. This works when attempting to access an administrator's account on an unlocked Mac, and it also provides access at the login...
Top Rated Comments
Truly horrifying.
iPad 1 - 680g
iPad 2 - 601g
iPad 3 - 650g
iPad 4 - 652g
iPad Mini - 308g
the ipad 2 design is better than the ipad 3/4 design. That thickness and heaviness they introduced really sucks
In any design there are trade offs. For me retina screen beats any added thickness or weight. That's why I hope Apple moves ahead with a retina mini and also continues to sell the non retina mini. That way those who care most about weight and battery life can stay non retina and those who want the better screen and are willing to give up some battery life will also have an option.
The main thing I will be looking at is the ram. It needs 2gb at this point with 1gb on the ipad 3rd gen I definitely feel that there is a ram issue when using icab browser with multiple tabs. If it doesn't have 2gb I will not be upgrading