iPad mini

Legit shots of gold iPad mini 2 with Touch ID or an elaborate hoax?

Today, the Wall Street Journal has come to the rescue establishing there'll be a Retina iPad mini tomorrow. Thank God for that - otherwise we'd be left in the dark. As for yours truly, I've had a great time watching some of the respondents in our non-scientific poll go from the previous 'no Retina = no buy' to the newest 'no Touch ID = no buy' complaint.

Ming Chi-Kuo's last-minute predictions have only added fuel to the fire by shooting down the gold colorway and Touch ID upgrades for both new iPads, the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2. Of course, not all of this particular analyst's magic tricks work out as he plans.

For starters, we've previously seen high-resolution photographs of purported iPad mini 2 and iPad 5 shells in Space Grey so there could easily be a gold colorway in the pipeline. Let's also not forget about Chinese sources that have recently leaked out an iPad mini front part with a Touch ID Home button - our strongest indications to date of Apple adopting fingerprint reading as standard across the board.

For doubting Thomas' out there, here's another last-minute leak claiming to represent a nearly-assembled iPad mini 2 in gold - and yes, proudly sporting the sophisticated Touch ID thingie...

iPhone 5c is narrowing on iPhone 5s lead, according to analytics firm

The popularity of Apple's iPhone 5c is increasing. After a string of reports suggesting more iPhone 5s handsets were being sold, new numbers shop the sales gap shrinking. In a curious move for a smartphone first thought to attract mainly emerging markets, the iPhone 5c popularity in the U.S. is higher than overall global demand.

According to researchers at Localytics, the ration of iPhone to iPhone 5s sales is 1.9, much smaller than the 3.4 ratio reported during the first week of sales for Apple's two new iPhones...

Poll: which new iPad are you looking forward to?

We're less than 24 hours away from tomorrow's big reveal at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT so all eyes are on Apple's next-generation iPads.

By all accounts, Tim Cook & his sidekicks should unveil a fifth-generation full-size model featuring bumped up specs and a thinner and lighter iPad mini-style appearance. A second-generation iPad mini with the sought-after Retina display treatment should be on tap as well.

Even though it's customary for major Apple media events that some of the predictions pan out while others never come to be, these new iPads should be a no-brainer and we'll find out soon enough for sure.

Until then, iDB invites you to participate in a non-scientific poll and tell us which iPad you are looking forward to the most...

Another report claims Retina iPad mini inventory will be limited at launch

With Apple's tablet event just a few days away, speculation continues to mount on what we may see unveiled on stage. A redesigned iPad 5 seems like a given, but there are still some unknowns regarding the new iPad mini.

The biggest question on everyone's mind is if the 7.9-inch slate will get the Retina treatment this time around. According to Peter Misek, the answer is yes. The analyst fully expects Apple to introduce a hi-res mini next week...

Apple sends out invites for October 22 iPad event: ‘we still have a lot to cover’

The Wall Street Journal-owned technology blog, AllThingsD, reported last week that Apple's next media event will take place on October 22, that's next Tuesday. Sure enough, the company just sent out invites for the October 22 event to select members of the press. The invitation-only press conference will be held at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and will begin at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT, John Paczkowski of AllThingsD first reported and The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple subsequently confirmed.

The invite graphics features a close up of the Apple logo set against the white background and a bunch of colorful apple leaves. "We still have a lot to cover," reads the tagline...

iPad rumors: redesigned Smart Covers, Retina iPad mini could bulk up slightly

In today's roundup of the somewhat obvious Apple rumors, a new report has suggested that the upcoming iPad mini 2 will be a tad thicker than its predecessor, presumably in order to accommodate a bigger battery needed to drive Apple's power-hungry Retina display. This is newsworthy as none of the leaks to date has pointed to added bulk.

The thicker iPad mini meme isn't unexpected: watchful readers will remember that Apple's third-generation iPad with Retina display turned out to be slightly thicker than the previous iPads, due to the larger battery inside...

iPhones and iPads remain the top pick among US teenagers

Despite Samsung's attempt to label the iPhone as past its prime, Apple remains the top pick among US teenagers. More than half of American teens own an iPhone with nearly three quarter of young people choosing an iPad when it comes to tablets.

When it comes to purchasing decisions, popularity of cheaper Android devices have barely moved the needle, if at all. The figures from Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster bode well for Apple and its continued growth among the key consumer demographic now driving technology purchases...

DisplaySearch: Retina iPad mini, larger iPhone in the pipeline

Highly-regarded NPD DisplaySearch issued a new research note late last night, offering up several bold predictions for Apple's future product plans. It believes the company is preparing to revamp the displays across nearly all of its devices.

Among the forecasts, the marketing research firm says it agrees with the rumors that the new iPad mini Apple is expected to unveil later this month will have a Retina display. And it also concurs with the ongoing 'larger iPhone screen' chatter...

iPad and iPad mini found to have most responsive tablet touchscreens

Apple's iPad mini has the most responsive tablet touchscreen, according to some new tests by Agawi. The app-streaming company recently ran it and several other slates through its rigorous TouchMark benchmark to measure the field.

The mini registered a 75ms delay on the latency test, coming in just 6ms ahead of the iPad 4, which posted an 81ms lag. And the rest of the competition was pretty far behind, with the Surface RT at 95ms and the Kindle Fire HD at 114...

New concepts depict the iPad mini 2 in gold and blue

Last week, a couple of photos popped up on the web of an alleged next-gen iPad mini with a gold shell. If legit, the leak would seemingly confirm reports that the new tablet will be offered in the same 3 colors as the iPhone 5s.

But as usual, the underground photos didn't do a very good job of showing off the device in its entirety—in fact, you can only see the bottom. But never fear, Martin Hajek has drawn up some concepts to give us all a closer look...

New report calls for 8MP camera in both iPad 5 and iPad mini 2

Get ready, it looks like iPad-wielding picture-takers are about to multiply. According to a new report, Apple is going to beef up the iSight cameras in both its fifth generation iPad and second generation iPad mini this year.

Highly regarded analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sent out a note to investors this afternoon, claiming that the two tablets—which are expected to be unveiled later this month—will feature 8-megapixel shooters with larger apertures...

Retina iPad mini could face severe supply constraints

Despite the fact that we've seen conflicting reports on the topic, the consensus seems to be that Apple is working on an iPad mini with a high resolution display. And it's expected to introduce the tablet at a media event this month.

According to a new scoop from Reuters, however, even if such a product is unveiled in the near future, it may be a while before you can get your hands on one. The outlet says initial supplies for the slate will be severely constrained...