Apple’s Thin Crusade Continues With iPad Air 2-Inspired, 6.1mm Thick iPad Mini 4
When Apple introduced the iPad mini 3 alongside its iPad Air 2 last year, it seemed like the Cupertino outfit was losing interest in the smaller size tablet. Apple didn't spend a lot of time talking about the iPad mini 3, and the upgrades were pretty ho hum -- Touch ID and support for Apple Pay was added, and not much else. Was Apple going to discontinue the iPad mini line?
Probably not. Though it seemed that way at the time, leaked iPad mini 4 renderings suggest that there will be at least one more version. What's more, the fourth generation iPad mini is shown to be even thinner than its predecessor, reaching parity with the super skinny iPad Air 2. Specifically, the renderings show the iPad mini 4 being a scant 6.1mm thick, just like its bigger sibling.
For the sake of comparison, the iPad mini 3 is 7.5m thick. Shaving 1.4mm off is impressive, especially for a device that can be wielded with one hand, though let's be real, it's not like the iPad mini 3 is chunky by any stretch of the imagination.
Of course, leaked renderings should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, notorious tipster and Twitter user @OnLeaks is the one who posted the renderings, and his track history is pretty darn good. His renderings also go in line with various rumors and reports, such as one from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed the iPad mini 4 would be along the lines of the iPad Air 2 in terms of physical design. We should also point out that just a few months ago, Jony Ive explained that it's Apple's desire is always to make new generation products thinner than the previous version.
There's also been talk of the new tablet getting some of the same hardware and features of the iPad Air 2, including Apple's custom A8 processor, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
Probably not. Though it seemed that way at the time, leaked iPad mini 4 renderings suggest that there will be at least one more version. What's more, the fourth generation iPad mini is shown to be even thinner than its predecessor, reaching parity with the super skinny iPad Air 2. Specifically, the renderings show the iPad mini 4 being a scant 6.1mm thick, just like its bigger sibling.
For the sake of comparison, the iPad mini 3 is 7.5m thick. Shaving 1.4mm off is impressive, especially for a device that can be wielded with one hand, though let's be real, it's not like the iPad mini 3 is chunky by any stretch of the imagination.
Of course, leaked renderings should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, notorious tipster and Twitter user @OnLeaks is the one who posted the renderings, and his track history is pretty darn good. His renderings also go in line with various rumors and reports, such as one from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed the iPad mini 4 would be along the lines of the iPad Air 2 in terms of physical design. We should also point out that just a few months ago, Jony Ive explained that it's Apple's desire is always to make new generation products thinner than the previous version.
There's also been talk of the new tablet getting some of the same hardware and features of the iPad Air 2, including Apple's custom A8 processor, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
