ipad

Display panels for the iPad Mini Retina should begin leaving the factory in the coming months, according to market researcher IHS iSuppli, echoing recent comments from other analysts.

Panel production for the high-resolution Mini will be "less than 3 million" units in the third quarter, Sweta Dash, senior director of LCD research at IHS iSuppli, told CNET.

That scenario more or less jibes with what NPD DisplaySearch told CNET in May.

And that means Apple's next small tablet should follow sooner -- or later. "We see it coming in the second half," Dash said. "… Read more

There was a missing device at Apple's 2013 WWDC keynote, and it's one of the company's most popular product lines. iPad, where were you?

iOS 7, a product of Jony Ive, Apple's design mastermind, took the stage at WWDC -- but the iPhone 5 was the featured runway model. Apple's Web site shows app after app on the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen. iOS 7 beta is available, but just for iPhone and iPod Touch. the iPad was mentioned for all of a few seconds. Macs and iPhones ruled the day.

The iPad beta is … Read more

Google makes a great tablet. But Apple does too. Neither are great writing platforms, though.

After picking up the Nexus 10 a while back, I've been finding it hard to put down. It's lighter and thinner than the 9.7-inch iPad 4 (and it certainly feels that way), it's fast (packing Samsung's latest dual-core A15 with quad-core graphics), has more system memory (2GB), has a gorgeous screen (boasting even higher resolution than Apple's Retina), and comes with the latest version of Android (4.2) -- also very likable.

Like I said, it's very hard … Read more

A big-screen iPhone 6 should show up next year while the highly anticipated iPad Mini Retina may be delayed until the fourth quarter, according to Citi Research.

In a research note to investors Friday, Citi began by saying that production of the upcoming iPhone 5S "has been delayed by two to four weeks."

The note continued. "And while this does not preclude a September iPhone 5S launch date, we suspect volumes in September may consequently be challenged," Citi's Glen Yeung wrote, citing "our field work in the hardware supply chain."

At the end … Read more

Tim Hickman, founder and CEO of Gumdrop Cases, has made it a tradition to announce cases for major Apple products ahead of their launches. He's currently batting 4 for 5, only whiffing badly in 2011 when another of his companies -- Hard Candy Cases -- released an iPhone 5 case in advance of the iPhone 4S launch and it didn't fit. It wasn't even close.

Now Hickman is stepping up to the plate again, trotting out new cases for the iPad 5, which he expects Apple to unveil at next week's 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) … Read more

Shipments of the second-generation iPad Mini will trail those of a new version of the 9.7-inch iPad by months, according to an Asia-based publication.

Volume production of the fifth-generation iPad will begin in the July-August time frame, while volume production for the iPad Mini 2 may be pushed back to November -- so claims Taiwan-based DigiTimes in a Monday report, citing "supply chain" sources.

The delay is attributed to either mass-production problems or a deliberate decision by Apple to postpone introduction of the Mini 2. The latter reason is based on "market watchers" belief that … Read more

Talking Tom Cat 2 is the kind of interactive experience that only the iPad can offer, but for numerous reasons it is also one that is well suited for only certain personalities. The gimmick of the app wears off quickly, and while there are numerous things you can do beyond putting words in the cat's mouth, sputtering animations and simplistic jokes make it a limiting app.

In Talking Tom Cat 2, there is an animated cat onscreen that will mimic whatever you say. Talk to your device and the cat will repeat it back to you. The effect is … Read more

Walk into any Best Buy and you're hit with an ugly truth: PCs aren't pretty.

A 15-inch HP Windows 8 laptop that sells for $270 (Best Buy's "Deal of the Day" on Saturday) isn't meant to be pretty. It's meant to be practical.

But a $330 iPad Mini is also very practical for a lot of people. And pretty too (consumers and reviewers seem to think so). Pretty and practical are two reasons Apple can sell tens of millions of Minis.

Why bring this up? I was struck by a statement from an … Read more

Those of you eyeing an iPad Mini or fourth-generation iPad can now save a bit more money on refurbished models courtesy of Apple.

As of Friday, Apple is offering 15 percent to 17 percent discounts on all flavors of refurbished units of the iPad Mini and the iPad 4.

The 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Mini is selling for $279, 15 percent off the usual price. The 32GB Wi-Fi Mini is available for $359, 16 percent off the full price. And the 64GB Wi-Fi Mini can be had for $439, 17 percent off the regular price.

The 16GB Wi-Fi version of the … Read more