Rumour Mill: iPad mini 2 will feature high resolution display

According to Digitimes’ sources, the iPad mini 2’s display will get a boost in resolution, which isn’t all that surprising considering how most, if not all, consider the current mini’s 1024×768 display to be its weakest link.

Apple’s next-generation iPad mini will focus mostly on enhancing the device’s display resolution, according to Taiwan-based backlighting industry sources.

The sources have yet to specify whether the device will use Apple’s Retina Display technology to enhanced resolution, but market observers said it is highly likely based on the development of past Apple products such as the iPhone and 9.7-inch iPad series.

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iPad Mini screen protector product page up on Zagg.com

The iPad Mini hasn’t even been announced yet, but that hasn’t stopped numerous manufacturers in China from selling cases based on (presumably) leaked specs. Now Zagg, makers of the ZAGGFolio Keyboard Case (TMA review) and  invisibleShields for mobile devices, has added a landing page on their website for the Apple iPad Mini Screen Protector. You can’t actually buy it yet, or even pre-order the Mini’s invisibleShield, but it shows that it’s coming soon and there’s an option to submit your email to be notified when it does become available. As it stands, the only option mentioned is the Screen Coverage for $24.99, though it maybe safe to assume that a full body protection coverage option will be offered at a later time.

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WSJ: iPad Mini now in Production

Mockup of iPad Mini by Nickolay Lamm / InventHelp

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s ‘Asian component suppliers’ have begun mass production of the iPad Mini. Citing two sources, production of the upcoming iPad’s screens is said to have started last month, with both LG Display and AU Optronics being named as the manufacturers of the display. The same sources confirmed that the iPad Mini will feature a 7.85-inch LCD screen and that it will have a lower resolution than the iPad 3. It has been speculated in the past that the Mini will have a resolution 1024 x 768 pixels. Two days earlier, Japanese blog Macotakara claimed that production of the smaller tablet has already begun in Foxconn factories located in Brazil.

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Latest iPad Mini leak shows off tablet’s front and backside

Most would agree that the iPhone 5 was one of the worse kept secrets in the tech world. By the time it was unveiled in the media event on Sept. 12, those who followed the rumour mill closely weren’t all that surprised with the ‘5’ thanks to factory design and spec leaks. With the way things are going, the iPad Mini isn’t too far behind – at least in the leaks department. The latest Mini leaked images to appear on the web comes from Chinese site BoLoPad.com, which posted several shots of Apple’s long rumoured 7.85″ tablet.

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iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen in action [Video]

With the release of the iPhone 5 just weeks away (more specifically, on Sept 21st as rumor would have it), no doubt one of the most anticipated new features of the phone is its 4″ screen. With the larger real estate, more apps and content will naturally be squeezed in. So in case you’ve been wondering what it’ll all look like, check out this this great video MacRumours had put together. With a screen resolution of 1136×640, this video demo shows how games, apps and movies might appear on the next gen iPhone. Of course, how iOS 6 will run on the taller iPhone is purely speculative at the moment, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this mock up turns out nearly identical to the real thing.

iPhone 5 poses next to iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G

New photos of the iPhone 5 were published today by Nowhereelse.fr and in them, the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 are shown side-by-side. The upcoming iPhone is noticeably slimmer and taller, while maintaining its width (at least from the 4/4s). The two-toned design is consistent with what we’ve seen previously, though these images don’t provide a view of the phone’s bottom, where all signs are pointing to a newly positioned earphone jack, a smaller dock connector and redesigned speaker grill. It’s certainly interesting to see how the iPhone has evolved over the past several generations, not to mention that for the very first time, it has made the leap to a 4″ display (from 3.5 inches). Check out the rest of the comparison shots after the break.

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Report: iPhone 5 pre-orders available on September 12th, International launch to follow in first week of October

Several weeks ago, iMore was the first source to claim that Apple would be holding a special event to unveil the iPhone 5 on September 12th. And now, Rene Ritchie is reporting that iPhone 5 pre-orders will begin on the same day as the Sept 12th announcement, with a US (and possibly other countries) release planned for September 21st, 2012. This info comes from sources who have provided them with accurate iPhone launch dates in the past. Unlike how the iPhone 4S pre-orders were made available 3 days after it was introduced, it would appear that the new iPhone will be following the new (2012) iPad’s launch strategy – where pre-orders went live shortly after the unveiling.

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Detailed hands on video of iPhone 5 front glass panel vs iPhone 4S

ETrade Supply has posted a detail look at an allegedly leaked iPhone 5 front glass panel, even providing some exact measurements of its dimensions. This comes about 2 months after they posted a video comparing the shell of the two-toned next gen iPhone with that of the 4S. In ETrade’s latest report, the iPhone 5 glass panel measured in at 4.065 inches diagonally, 90.25mm tall while maintaining its previous width of 51.60mm (vs 3.61″ x 76.65mm x 51.60mm on the iPhone 4S). It’s also 0.1mm thinner (perhaps thanks in part to the new in-cell technology) and the home button area has shrunk from 18mm to 15.4mm (the actual home button is also 0.3mm smaller).

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iPhone 5 rumoured to have 8 pin connector, enhanced Bluetooth 4.0 linking feature in iOS 6

Several days ago, Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge dropped some details surrounding the release of the next gen iPhone and other iDevices. Today, their sources have revealed 2 more pieces of info regarding the smaller dock connector and the improved bluetooth functionality that’ll be found in iOS 6.

It had been rumoured that the smaller dock connector would either have 16 or 19 pins, though according to these very sources, the new connector will in fact only feature 8 pins – a significant drop from the 30 pins found in the current dock connectors. Moreover, they could potentially be connected like a MagSafe, where the male-end of the connector can be inserted in either orientation. If you’ve ever tried plugging in a USB cable to your iPhone/iPad (while in the dark) for an overnight charge, this could be huge (for me anyway).

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iPhone 5 (and iPad Mini) rumoured to be announced on Sept 12, go on sale Sept 21st

According to iMore's sources – ones they claim have proven accurate in the past – Apple is planning to unveil the iPhone 5 during a special event that'll be held on September 12th, with a release date to follow 9 days later, on September 21. The iPad mini, along with an all new iPod Nano (and likely iPod Touch) is set to be announced as well during the same event. From what iMore is hearing, the iPad Mini will be exactly the same as the 9.7″ big brother, only sized down to 7.x inches. A recent rumour had pegged the smaller iPad to feature a 7.85″ IGZO screen and a $250-299 price tag.

Meanwhile, iLounge has also published a report this morning providing a number of juicy tidbits regarding the release of the new iPhone and other iDevices. Here's what their “highly reliable source” is saying:

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