The new Apple iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2: rumour round-up

Apple is all set to reveal the next generation of its world-conquering tablets at an event tomorrow, but the rumours have been flying all year and thanks to a series of leaks we now have a fairly good idea of what to expect from the new models…

The iPad 5 has apparently been redesigned to match the styling of the iPad Mini. It’s claimed that the new iPad will retain its 9.7-inch Retina Display, yet has been trimmed around the middle so will be around the same thickness as its Mini brethren - an impressive feat if true.

It also seems that the iPad 5 will get a gold casing option just like the recent iPhone 5S, as shown in the below picture from CTechCN. Handy if you like colour-coordinated gadgets.

In terms of specifications we’re not expecting a huge boost in power for the iPad 5, the iPad 4 is already very fast so this is likely to be a small bump rather than a major leap ahead.

Most likely the iPad 5 will be using a variation of the A7 chip found in the iPhone 5S (dubbed the A7X, if previous naming conventions are anything to go by) and offer a slight improvement in graphics processing power to drive the higher resolution display.

There are also rumours of an improvement in the camera, probably along the lines of an upgraded lens and sensor like that found on the iPhone 5S, which helped with low-light photography.

One thing that’s not likely to change is the screen. Apple’s Retina Display already provides an immense 2048 x 1536 resolution and holds its own as one of the best tablet screens out there.

The iPad Mini has proven a tremendous success so there’s every reason to believe that Apple will be unveiling a sequel with improved specs to continue the momentum.

The headliner here is going to be the inclusion of a Retina Display. With 7-inch Android tablets like the new Google Nexus 7 boasting high resolutions screens Apple will have to upgrade to stay ahead of the game and equipping the Mini with the same resolution as its bigger brother gives it an instant advantage.

The Mini will almost certainly get a power boost to go along with this, though probably move to an A6 chipset (like the iPhone 5) rather than the 64-bit A7 of the iPhone 5S. It’s also rumoured that the iPad Mini 2 will receive an Apple Touch ID fingerprint sensor, as shown in this image from DoNews.

Externally, the iPad Mini 2 does not appear to be changing much. Leaked images show the design is all but identical, except it will come in a choice of colours including gold and silver.

If Apple does indeed unveil these devices tomorrow then they should go on sale very shortly afterwards, perhaps in as little as a week or two. The one hitch may be a supply of Retina Displays for the iPad Mini, which commentators have suggested could be in short supply until next year.

If you’d like to be kept updated about the availability of the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2, just enter your details in the form below and Broadband Genie will contact you with the latest iPad deals.

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The new Apple iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2: rumour round-up

Apple is all set to reveal the next generation of its world-conquering tablets at an event tomorrow, but the rumours have been flying all year and thanks to a series of leaks we now have a fairly good idea of what to expect from the new models…

The iPad 5 has apparently been redesigned to match the styling of the iPad Mini. It’s claimed that the new iPad will retain its 9.7-inch Retina Display, yet has been trimmed around the middle so will be around the same thickness as its Mini brethren - an impressive feat if true.

It also seems that the iPad 5 will get a gold casing option just like the recent iPhone 5S, as shown in the below picture from CTechCN. Handy if you like colour-coordinated gadgets.

In terms of specifications we’re not expecting a huge boost in power for the iPad 5, the iPad 4 is already very fast so this is likely to be a small bump rather than a major leap ahead.

Most likely the iPad 5 will be using a variation of the A7 chip found in the iPhone 5S (dubbed the A7X, if previous naming conventions are anything to go by) and offer a slight improvement in graphics processing power to drive the higher resolution display.

There are also rumours of an improvement in the camera, probably along the lines of an upgraded lens and sensor like that found on the iPhone 5S, which helped with low-light photography.

One thing that’s not likely to change is the screen. Apple’s Retina Display already provides an immense 2048 x 1536 resolution and holds its own as one of the best tablet screens out there.

The iPad Mini has proven a tremendous success so there’s every reason to believe that Apple will be unveiling a sequel with improved specs to continue the momentum.

The headliner here is going to be the inclusion of a Retina Display. With 7-inch Android tablets like the new Google Nexus 7 boasting high resolutions screens Apple will have to upgrade to stay ahead of the game and equipping the Mini with the same resolution as its bigger brother gives it an instant advantage.

The Mini will almost certainly get a power boost to go along with this, though probably move to an A6 chipset (like the iPhone 5) rather than the 64-bit A7 of the iPhone 5S. It’s also rumoured that the iPad Mini 2 will receive an Apple Touch ID fingerprint sensor, as shown in this image from DoNews.

Externally, the iPad Mini 2 does not appear to be changing much. Leaked images show the design is all but identical, except it will come in a choice of colours including gold and silver.

If Apple does indeed unveil these devices tomorrow then they should go on sale very shortly afterwards, perhaps in as little as a week or two. The one hitch may be a supply of Retina Displays for the iPad Mini, which commentators have suggested could be in short supply until next year.

If you’d like to be kept updated about the availability of the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2, just enter your details in the form below and Broadband Genie will contact you with the latest iPad deals.

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Apple iPhone 5S and 5C rumour round-up

It’s now approaching a year since Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, which means rumours about its next model are coming thick and fast. 

With the announcement allegedly set for next month there are increasingly solid details and pictures flooding from anonymous sources, Far East manufacturers and knowledgeable industry commentators.

Here’s a brief rundown of what we can expect...

Apple generally sticks with the same design for two generations, tagging an ‘S’ onto the second model. Scuttlebutt points toward them following previous naming conventions (3GS, 4S) so the iPhone 5S will likely feature a very similar external appearance to the iPhone 5, with most of the changes occurring under the hood. Good news if you don’t fancy buying yet another case or more peripherals!

There’s no reason to think the screen size is increasing and, despite rumours to the contrary, it therefore seems unlikely that the resolution of the iPhone 5S will change either. Apple’s Retina Display is already one of the best on the market and they’ve never seemed too concerned about keeping up with the competition in packing the most pixels.

A processor upgrade is almost certainly on the cards, though. Macrumors received leaked photos claiming to show the internals, complete with a new processor model number. The existing chip is dubbed the ‘A6X’, so A7 is a good guess as the name name for the iPhone 5S CPU. There's no change to the amount of RAM far as anyone knows - it’ll still be 1GB.

The battery is getting a leg-up also, though it’s a fairly minor improvement. Macrumors thinks it’ll move to 5.92 Whr from 5.45 Whr.

The other area getting a boost is the iPhone’s photographic capabilities. The existing camera has already been highly praised, so any further upgrades are a welcome bonus.

There has been talk of it receiving a 13 megapixel sensor up from the 8 megapixel camera in the iPhone 5, though Apple has a tendency to lag behind the rest of the market rather than cramming in the most megapixels possible. 

What does seem more certain is that the flash is now a dual-LED. This was visible in the Macrumor pictures, though interestingly it appears that one LED is a different colour, which The Verge suggests could be utilised to improve white balance. They also believe the aperture will be widened to allow the sensor to collect more light, giving it improved low-light capabilities.

There have been persistent rumours that Apple would throw a fingerprint sensor onto the iPhone since it purchased security firm AuthenTec in 2012, and it now seems likely this is happening with the iPhone 5S.

Reliable sources have been talking about the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor for some time, and there are images showing changes to the internal layout which appears to backup the rumour that it would be situated underneath the home button.

The new home button will allegedly be convex to accommodate the additional electronics, and be coated in tough Sapphire crystal to prevent damage to the protruding switch. This material is already used on the iPhone 5 to protect the camera lens.

A fingerprint sensor would be an unusual move. They’ve been used on smartphones before without much success, and Apple has typically shunned such gimmicky features. If they’re including it on the iPhone 5S it must mean they’re happy with the accuracy of the technology and have some solid ideas for its implementation. 

As well as unlocking the iPhone we’d expect to see deep integration with iOS so fingerprints can be used to control the likes of in-app purchases, or perhaps even encourage the use of the iPhone as a digital wallet.

None of us will be too surprised when an updated iPhone is revealed this year, but a new entry in the Apple smartphone line-up would be a major change.

Chatter of a budget iPhone has been floating around for years but recent leaks seem to indicate this may now been happening. For real.

Dubbed the ‘iPhone 5C’, it will allegedly feature similar dimensions to the iPhone 5/S - retaining a 4-inch display - but with a plastic casing to reduce costs. The casing will apparently come in a series of bright colours, much like the iPod Touch range.

It would also be reasonable to expect a cut-down specification in comparison. iLounge suggests it might be powered by a single-core A5 CPU similar to that found in the Apple TV, which it notes was “quietly updated” recently. Still, we wouldn’t expect the 5C to be much of a step down in horsepower as Apple will want to avoid fragmenting the app ecosystem by giving developers the headache of having to support a significantly slower handset.

The 5C may not be all that “budget” either. While Apple is probably hoping to appeal to emerging markets, this new model is almost certain to replace the iPhone 4 and 4S as the entry level option, and even the 8GB iPhone 4 starts at £319. Cheap for an iPhone but still pricey compared to sub-£200 Android smartphones.

A source speaking to AllThingsD has pegged the 10th of September as the date Apple will unveil its new iPhone(s), as well as the next edition of Mac OS X.

Apple rarely leaves a big gap between announcement and release, so going by previous launches we can therefore expect to see new iThings on sale by the end of September, or early October at the latest.  

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