Sometimes prescient, sometimes pure fantasy, China’s iPad case makers always have an opinion, cast in plastic, epoxy and rubber, what Apple’s next-gen tablets will look like. Although the future will arrive next Tuesday, folks just gotta know now about the iPad mini Retina.
And, yes, if the casemakers are to be believed, then the iPad mini 2 will, indeed, feature a Retina display.
To be specific, we “know” this because of the shape and size of the cases on show at China Sourcing Show 2013 in Hong Kong. Japanese Apple rumor site, which has a decent though not unblemished record, is reporting the iPad mini Retina will be slightly thicker (7.2 vs 7.5 millimeters) and just a skinch wider (0.2 millimeters).
That said, when Apple transitioned its full-size tablet to a Retina display, the iPad 3 came to markert slightly thicker, wider and heavier.
Further, the cases on show also indicate the iPad mini Retina has a cut-out for a second microphone on the rear of the device, a feature that helps isolate and clarify audio for FaceTime video calls, for example, in noisy environments. Dual-microphone noise cancellation technology is already available in various iPhone models.
Apple is widely expected to introduce if not ship the iPad mini Retina and full-size iPad 5 on Tuesday, October 22. Ironically, the iPad 5 is expected to get thinner and narrower a la the mini.
via AppleInsider