Now that Apple has established the iPad mini brand, the sleepless tech industry wearily looks forward to the horizon, endlessly speculating what will comprise the next iteration of the device. The rumor mill is just getting started, but a few tidbits are already flying around. So, what should techies expect in the next go around?
Well, according to "Taiwan-based backlighting industry sources" close to DigiTimes, the mini 2.0 will likely feature a Retina Display to enhance the gadgets resolution to 2058x1536 and 326ppi. Aside from changes to the screen, Apple is reportedly looking to make the mini even more mini by paring down the tablet's weight. However, don't expect the screen size to change much.
At a financial earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook asserts, "Let me be clear: we would not make one of the 7-inch tablets. We don't think they're good products, and we would never make one...One reason is size-the difference in just the real estate size in 7.9-inches versus 7-inches is 35 percent. When you look at the usable area, it's much greater than that: it's from 50 to 67 percent."
The current iPad mini features a Dual-Core A5 Processor, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology , a 7.9-inch diagonal LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology, a 1024 x 768, fingerprint-resistant coating, a front-facing 1.2 Facetime HD camera, and a 5-megapixel iSight Camera. The LTE device is available starting at $459 for the 16GB, $550 for the 32GB, and $659 for the 64GB version.