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Tag: rounded

  • Early drop tests indicate iPhone 15 Pro’s rounded titanium band may be less durable than the iPhone 14 Pro’s design

    Early drop tests indicate iPhone 15 Pro’s rounded titanium band may be less durable than the iPhone 14 Pro’s design

    The new iPhones have begun to emerge, as have efforts to damage and/or destroy them to see just how durable the new hardware is.

    Flying to Australia, AppleTrack’s Sam Kohl submitted the first iPhone 15 drop tests via YouTube. Based on the video, it appears that Apple’s nifty new rounded titanium edges are not better for drop test durability than the remarkably enduring iPhone 14 Pro design. In the past, the flat stainless band on the iPhone 14 was able to absorb much of the impact. This doesn’t seem to be the case with the iPhone 15 Pro, which seemed to cause the impact to spread into the front and back glass, causing spiderwebbing cracks.

    Comparing the titanium and stainless steel edges directly, the stainless steel band of the 14 Pro is seemingly quicker to show dings and scratches. Still, the structural integrity helps the phone fare better overall.

    Since a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s the drop test as it took place:

    Granted, this kind of testing tends to be notoriously unscientific, and will require repeat tests under controlled circumstances. Still, if you’ve snagged an iPhone 15 Pro, it never hurts to look into a good case for it, enjoy your new smartphone, and please be careful with it.

    Via 9to5Mac and AppleTrack

  • iFixit posts teardown of 10th-generation iPad, notes space constraints that prevent use of second-generation Apple Pencil, other changes

    iFixit posts teardown of 10th-generation iPad, notes space constraints that prevent use of second-generation Apple Pencil, other changes

    The cool cats at iFixit shared a video teardown of Apple’s 10th-generation iPad, which offered a closer look at its components and an explanation as to why the tablet lacks support for the second-geernation Apple Pencil.

    The teardown reveals the internal layout of the iPad, including its two-cell 7,606 mAh battery, logic board with the A14 Bionic chip, and more.

    The teardown also shows that components for the iPad’s landscape-positioned front camera occupy the space where the wireless charging coil would have been located for the second-generation Apple Pencil. As a result, the device is only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, with an adapter required for pairing and charging.

    The 10th-gen iPad also features stretch-release battery pulls tabs, as seen in the fifth-generation iPad Air and the sixth-generation iPad mini. These tabs make it easier for repair shops and customers to replace the battery. In comparison, the ninth-generation iPad and many other older iPads have completely glued-in battery cells.

    iFixit also noted that the iPad’s USB-C port is soldered to the logic board and that Apple’s self-service repair program does not currently offer parts, manuals, or tools for iPads, making it harder for customers to complete their own repairs.

    The 10th-generation iPad was released in late October and offers new features such as a 10.9-inch display with slim bezels, flat edges, A14 Bionic chip, USB-C port, Touch ID power button, landscape-positioned FaceTime camera, 5G support on cellular models, Wi-Fi 6, and a new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a row of function keys. Pricing starts at $449, while the ninth-generation iPad remains available for $329.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and iFixit

  • Leaked icon hints at updated iPad Pro with no Home button, rounded corners, set for announcement at Apple’s media event in Brooklyn on October 30th

    Sometimes it’s the small chunks of a beta that reveal what’s to come in the Apple universe.

    In the case of the fifth beta of iOS 12, a discovered icon showed an iPad with no Home button, rounded corners and no notch, but it was a small icon designed to be used in the battery widget.

    Late last week, a new icon found within iOS offers a more detailed view of the 2018 iPad Pro, which is expected to be announced during the Tuesday event in Brooklyn. This icon shows an iPad with rounded corners, no Home button and no notch. An interesting aspect of this icon is how large the bezels look when compared to the recent iPhones.

    (more…)

  • Rumor: Apple to debut thinner next-gen iPad, iPad mini with Retina display in 2013

    The upcoming iPad could be thinner for the full iPad and feature a Retina display for the mini version.

    Per Bloomberg, Apple will launch a Retina iPad mini and a slimmed down full-size iPad by the end of 2013.

    The publication cites sources familiar with Apple’s plans as saying the company will not only debut a redesigned 9.7-inch iPad in the fourth quarter, but is also looking to release a hotly anticipated iPad mini with Retina display before the year is out. It is unclear if the models will launch simultaneously.

    One source stated the next-generation iPad will take its design cues from the current iPad mini, including a thinner side bezel and rounded corners. There have been a number of supposed parts leaks, as well as analyst predictions, regarding Apple’s next iPad, most of which point to a redesigned exterior and enhanced innards.

    As for the next-gen iPad mini, Monday’s report was light on specifics, only mentioning that the tablet would include a high-resolution Retina display. Similar rumors have been present since June with few, if any, true specifics to be had here.

    Stay tuned for details as they become available and let us know what you think in the comments.

  • Leaked video shows translucent bezel, other changes for fifth-generation iPad

    It’s hard to say how legit it is, but the video looks damn cool.

    Per Mac Otakara and nowhereelse.fr, the following video has surfaced of the fifth-generation iPad bezel:



    As seen above, the 30-second video appears to show a partially assembled 9.7-inch iPad with design cues taken from the existing iPad mini, including rounded corners, thinner bezels and a rear-facing microphone. For reference, the purported next-gen tablet is sitting between current-generation models of the iPad and iPad mini.

    Noticeably absent are the tablet’s internals, including basic circuitry like a home button. However, because the assembly is missing a display, the black front panel stands out in sharp relief against the assumedly aluminum rear shell, granting a look at how thin the side bezels are compared to a current iPad.

    Also seen through the front glass is the Apple logo, which is revealed to be a translucent white color when viewed from the back, much like Apple’s MacBook lineup. By contrast, current iPads feature an opaque black plastic insert that acts as a window for radio signals.

    While unlikely, the design could allow for an illuminated logo lit by the LCD panel’s LED backlighting system. Such a feature would be difficult to implement, however, as adhesive is used to secure the tablet’s large battery pack to the interior shell wall, a design that covers the Apple logo in both the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini. In theory, a light pipe or some other mode of light transport could supply adequate illumination, but the added build and parts costs may be prohibitive.

    Although not much can be gleaned from the short clip in the way of new information, it does offer one of the first looks at what Apple’s rumored fifth-generation iPad may look like.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.