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Yesterday’s iPhone event revealed nothing about new iPads, but if a new video is to be believed, there’s an iPad Mini 2 waiting in Apple’s wings — and its feature set is definitely open to interpretation.
Unbox Therapy, which recently showed a very convincing-looking iPad 5 shell, claims to have the back plate that will house the iPad Mini 2. Like the white first-gen Mini, it sports an aluminum finish, but this time with a mirrored Apple logo — same as the rumored iPad 5. Take a look:
The key takeaway, of course, is that the iPad Mini 2 will have the same physical dimensions as its predecessor. If that’s the case (no pun intended), what’s left that can be new about the new Mini? The insides, of course.
The next Mini will almost certainly have a faster processor, though it remains to be seen whether it’ll be the current iPad’s A6X or a newer A7X. The current Mini runs on Apple’s A5 chip. (Quick poll: Does anyone find the Mini to be slow?)
A camera upgrade is also likely, though the Mini already matches the iPad 4’s 5-megapixel sensor and 1080p video-recording capabilities.
The big question is whether the Mini 2 will get a Retina Display. Apple already faces stiff competition from rivals offering vastly superior screens, which is why at least one analyst indicated a strong likelihood of Apple releasing a Retina version of the Mini this year, and not in 2014 as previous reports have suggested.
On the other hand, the barely changed back plate could just as easily indicate that Apple is preparing a lower-cost version of the current iPad Mini.
What do you think? Would you prefer a non-Retina Mini priced at, say, $249, or a Retina-equipped model with the current price tag ($329 and up)? And do you think this new back plate is the real deal or just a little YouTube-powered fakery? Share your thoughts in the comments.
