We will naturally have to take this leak with a grain of salt, but it looks like we are getting our first look at the upcoming fifth-generation iPad from Apple. There aren’t too many surprises here, as it has been rumored for months that the next iPad would borrow much of its design inspiration from the smaller iPad mini.

This is just a look at the back plate and the leak comes by way of a China-based iPad accessories maker. The back looks like it will have the same black and slate appearance as its smaller cousin, along with thinner casing and chamfered edges. We’re also hearing that the overall footprint will be smaller, because Apple will be shrinking the bezel around the 9.7-inch display. You’ll also notice the top portion of the back plate, which seems to indicate that this would be the LTE model.

When can we expect to see the iPad 5 announced and hitting the market? There are two conflicting rumors at this point. On the one hand, some people are saying that the fifth-gen iPad could launch as early as March. On the other hand, with the 128GB version of the iPad 4 just launching now, it is possible that the iPad 5 isn’t quite ready. Given that, we’re hearing an October launch window is more likely.

[Source]

The post Leaked: First Look at the Upcoming Apple iPad 5 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The surprising thing is that even though the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ starts at a full $200 cheaper than the starting price for the Apple iPad ($299 vs. $499), the specs on paper are actually very, very comparable.

Display

The iPad has a slightly larger 9.7-inch 2048×1536 display, but the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ isn’t that far behind with its 1920×1200 panel. In fact, at 254ppi, the Kindle Fire HD has a touchscreen that’s only a touch less pixel-dense than the 264ppi iPad.

Dimensions and Weight

Because they have similarly-sized displays, it’s not surprising that the physical dimensions are pretty close too. The Kindle Fire HD is 164 x 240 x 8.8mm, while the iPad is 185.7 x 241.3 x 9.4mm. Similarly, the weight of the Kindle Fire HD is 567 grams, which is a little lighter than the 653g iPad.

Performance Specs

The new iPad is powered by a dual core Apple A6X processor running at 1.5GHz, while the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ has a dual-core TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz processor. They both have 1GB of RAM too. Based on this, the actual performance for the average consumer should be roughly comparable.

Storage

The starting point for the both tablets is at 16GB. The Kindle Fire HD can get bumped to 32GB, as can the iPad, but it’s only the iPad that can go even further with 64GB of storage. Of course, you’ll have to pay more money for that too.

Wireless Connectivity

Both tablets are available in your choice of WiFi-only or Wi-Fi plus LTE. If you need to stay connected, either tablet will do the job.

Camera

While both tablets have a front-facing camera (1MP on the Kindle Fire HD, 1.2MP on the iPad) for video chats, only Apple’s tablet has a 5MP rear camera. This isn’t a huge deal–the Nexus 7 doesn’t have a rear camera either–but it could be an important differentiator for some people.

OS and Apps

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ is powered by a modified version of Google Android, but it does not have access to the full Google Play Store. You can only go through the Amazon Appstore, which limits your options. At the same time, some people might prefer the Amazon-ified OS over a more conventional Android interface, since it is simpler and more geared toward media consumption. The iPad, of course, is powered by iOS and comes backed by Apple’s gigantic App Store. If you want tablet apps, not much can compete with Apple’s juggernaut at this point.

Price

As mentioned at the top, this is really where the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ beats the new iPad by a long shot. Starting at $299, Amazon’s tablet is only a little more than half the price of an equivalent iPad. Considering that the core guts are so comparable, it may be hard to justify the Apple tax on the iPad, but it is arguable that iOS is superior and there are more iPad apps.

For my part, if you’re choosing between these two and you’d rather buy into the Apple ecosystem rather than the Amazon ecosystem, it might make more sense to consider the $329 iPad mini instead. It’s not as powerful as its bigger iPad 4 cousin, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper too.

The post What’s Better: Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ or New Apple iPad? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Have a new iPad, iPad Mini or iPhone 5? Ready to ditch those older 30-pin speaker docks in favor of something based on the new lightning standard? Harman JBL OnBeat lightning speaker docks might be exactly what you are looking for.

There are actually two different versions, one is smaller and is called the OnBeat Micro. This is designed for use with the iPod and iPhone, though it does have a USB port for connecting devices that aren’t based on lightning. It also has a 3.5mm stereo input. The device itself is just .8-poudns and has two full-range transducers. Best of all, it’s pretty affordable at just $100.

Looking for something a bit bigger that you can use with the iPhone as well as your Mini or full-size iPad? Look no further than the OnBeat Venue LT. This thing has two tweets, 30 watts amp, two full-range transducers, video out for your TV and adjustable EQ settings. This model has quite a bit of extra features but also doubles the price at $200.

Interested in one of these Harman JBL speaker docks? Both are available now for pre-order and the OnBeat Micro will be in-store at Apple and other major retailers by Black Friday. For now, the Venue LT doesn’t have an official target for in-store sales.

[ source ]

The post Harman JBL lightning speakers ready for pre-order, starting at $100 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Easily the most noticeable difference between the iPad Mini and the 4th-gen iPad is the size. The iPad Mini has a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024×768 (163ppi), whereas the 4th-gen iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina Display with a resolution of 2048×1536 (264ppi), offering you four times the number of pixels on a larger display. Of course, the iPad Mini is physically smaller at 200×134.7×7.2mm and about 308 grams, compared to the 241.2×185.7×9.4mm dimensions of the iPad 4, which also weighs about twice as much at 652 grams (for the Wi-Fi only model).

Both the iPad Mini and the iPad 4 come in your choice of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage, and they both come in WiFi-only or with 3G/LTE support as well, though the iPad Mini uses a nano-SIM, whereas the iPad 4 has a micro-SIM. They also both get Siri. The cameras are effectively the same and they both use the new Lightning connector. The iPad 4 is the more powerful of the two with its upgraded dual core Apple A6X processor with quad-core graphics, compared to the dual core A5 in the Mini.

Assuming that you’re bent on an iPad and iOS, and you won’t let Android or Windows tablets enter the conversation, the real decision here is based on two factors: If you want something smaller and more portable, the iPad Mini is likely the better choice. If you want a little more power by way of the A6X processor and you want to have more pixels, then the Retina Display-touting iPad 4 is for you.

The post Comparing the iPad Mini vs. New iPad 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As far as outward dimensions, they’re comparable but different. They’re both 9.4mm thick, but the Surface RT takes on a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it narrower and longer compared to the more shorter and wider iPad 4. The weight is also comparable at 680g (Surface) vs. 653g (iPad). While the 9.7-inch iPad has a much more impressive resolution of 2048×1536 (264ppi) compared to the 1366×768 resolution (148ppi) on the 10.6-inch Surface, the ClearType tech is supposed to make the Surface look sharper than it really is.

Raw power should also be comparable with the iPad 4 getting the dual core Apple A6X processor (presumably running at 1.3GHz) along with quad-core GPU. The Surface RT gets a quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 (1.4GHz) chip, which is similar to what you find on many current high-end smartphones and tablets. The Surface RT does have double the RAM at 2GB, though, compared to what we think is the same single gig on the iPad 4 as was there in the iPad 3.

Apple is notorious for not providing a memory card slot and that hasn’t changed in the fourth-gen iPad. You get the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB that’s already on board, compared to the microSD slot on the Surface RT to complement its 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The iPad is available with 3G/LTE though, whereas the Surface is currently a WiFi-only device. The iPad also sounds like it wins in the camera department too with a 5MP rear (1080p) and 1.2MP front (720p) shooter, whereas both Surface cameras are 720p. They haven’t specified the actual megapixel count.

Of course, there are all those other things that you need to consider. The iPad has access to a tremendously huge App Store, whereas the Windows Marketplace for RT is not nearly as developed, especially since RT can’t run native Windows programs. That said, the Surface has the cool Touch Cover and Type Cover, and you do get a version of Microsoft Office right out of the box.

At the end of the day, which tablet you choose really depends on your needs and preferences. And let’s not forget about the plethora of Android options too, like the less expensive Nexus 7 or possibly the upcoming Nexus 10, as well as trusty standbys like the Galaxy Tab and Asus Transformer Pad families. Whatever the case, it looks like this could be a great holiday shopping season for tablet lovers.

[Source]

The post What Should You Buy? Microsoft Surface RT vs. Apple iPad 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Can’t decide if you want to have an iPad or a MacBook Air? If you pick up the CruxSKUNK Keyboard Case from CruxCase, you can almost have the best of both worlds. This is a protective case for the iPad 2 and the “new” iPad, but what it really does is transform that tablet into a notebook. You get a complete Apple-style keyboard that very much mirrors what you get from the MacBook series, except you’re still being powered by iOS.

The CruxSKUNK goes even further by providing a 360-degree hinge. What this means is that when you don’t want to use the keyboard, the case can be rotated all the way through so that you can more easily use the touchscreen. The keyboard portion is just 6mm thin and the whole thing is made from aircraft-grade aluminum. The CruxSKUNK uses Bluetooth to connect to your iPad and the built-in 350mAh battery is said to last about a month.

CruxCase has even integrated Smart Cover technology, so just like the regular Smart Cover from Apple, your iPad will turn itself on and off when you open and close the CruxSKUNK. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, but with over $87,000 raised of the $90,000 goal with 36 days to go, I think they’re in good shape. Pledge a minimum of $135 to get your hands on one of the first CruxSKUNK cases, plus a bonus leather sleeve. Shipments are expected to commence in December.

The post CruxSKUNK: The Best iPad Case Ever? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

This flex cable picture is noteworthy for a few reasons. First, the cable appears to be showing the rumored smaller dock connector and, while it’s a little hard to tell, it looks like they’re moving toward the 8-pin or 9-pin variation that we’ve been seeing. That’s in line with the most recent rumors about the smaller dock connector, which leads us to believe that the number of pins won’t be in the “teen” range. This should be the same dock connector that we’ll be seeing on the next-generation iPhone too, which should also be revealed next month.

That said, there is at least one thing that is strange about this flex cable for the iPad mini. Yes, the home button connector looks like it’d be around the right place, but why is the headphone jack located just to the left of there? This would imply that Apple is moving the headphone jack to the bottom of the iPad mini, which is very different from the top-mounted placement for every other iDevice on the market right now, including the current iPad and iPhone. Other rumors have already told us that the headphone jack would stay at the top, so now we’ve got conflicting “evidence.”

At the same time, iFixit’s Kyle Weins is saying that this photo is “consistent with being an Apple component,” but there’s no way of knowing whether this is truly legitimate until the iFixit guys tear apart a real deal iPad mini. That’s okay. We’ve only a month to go, right?

[Source]

The post iPad Mini Spy Pic of Parts Confirms Mini Dock Connector appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

At first, I thought this iPad case would be the complete opposite of useful. It looked like it would block out about half of the touchscreen and then you would presumably load some sort of app to simulate the old Mac operating system. And then, I realized I was wrong. The “Mac” part of this Padintosh case is really for the back of the iPad and not the front. This way, when you decide to hold up your iPad to take a picture of Bill and Melinda Gates in London, they can stare right into the faux Mac screen that reads “hello.”

Go ahead and “party like it’s 1984″ with the Padintosh Case. It’s available now through Thinkgeek for a fairly reasonably $24.99. Since it’s only the back part of the case, you can still use your Smart Cover for the front. If only they made a 1984 style Smart Cover to match…

[Source]

The post Padintosh Case Brings your iPad back to 1984 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

“We think consumers who initially planned to purchase the 13” MacBook Pro and Air will turn to the 13” Retina MacBook Pro instead because it has an attractive panel, its price is similar to MacBook Pro and it has a better balance between power consumption and form factor,” writes Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities. “However, as supply is limited due to panel and assembly yield rate issues, shipment of the 13” Retina MacBook Pro won’t be able to satisfy demand. And we think consumers’ budgets will transfer to new iOS products after Apple launches them, which suggests that overall MacBook shipments will not grow meaningfully on the 13” Retina MacBook Pro.”

Meanwhile, Kuo expects to see a new version of the iPod touch and the iPod nano also for this fall, as well as the rumored iPad mini, a modified new iPad, and new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs. The new iMac will be powered by Ivy Bridge, but they’ve been delayed by screen lamination issues. And let’s not forget that the iPhone 5 is supposed to come out in September or October too.

It looks like Apple and its suppliers are going to be really busy for this back to school season. You’ve got to wonder, though, whether that will hurt potential sales because consumers will have to choose where to spend their money.

[Source]

The post Retina Displays Coming to 13-Inch MacBook Pro This Fall appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Here we go again. Rumors of a smaller Apple iPad have been around for as long as the iPad itself, but with the arrival of the Google Nexus 7, a so-called iPad Mini could really see the light of day. Of course, we have to remember that Steve Jobs himself said that Apple would never release a 7-inch tablet, but he’s not around to stop that anymore.

Even though Android tablets have been around for a while, they’ve barely put a dent on the iPad’s domination in this space. However, with prices starting at $199, the Tegra 3-powered Nexus 7 is incredibly compelling, even more so than the Kindle Fire. And so, it’s starting to sound more and more like Apple wants to exert its dominance in the realm of more affordable 7-inch tablets too.

According to “two people with knowledge of the plans,” Apple is working on a new model of iPad that will have a 7-inch to 8-inch screen, but it won’t be a Retina display presumably to save costs. While I doubt Apple would price the iPad Mini at $199, it should be cheaper than the iPad 2 or the “new” iPad. The current rumor points toward an October announcement and launch.

[Source]

The post Apple iPad Mini to Challenge Google Nexus 7 for Tablet Supremacy appeared first on Mobile Magazine.