A new video has surfaced that reportedly shows off Apple's upcoming iPad mini 4. The tablet closely resembles last year's iPad Air 2, appears thinner than the current iPad mini 3 and drops its mute/lock switch for a microphone.
Apple unveiled the original 7.9-inch iPad mini alongside the fourth generation iPad in 2012, and even though the smaller iPad lacked the Retina Display and faster processor found on its older sibling, the tablet was an instant hit and reportedly outsold the larger 9.7-inch iPad.
When Apple debuted the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 in 2013, the company upgraded the mini's screen to a 2,048 by 1,536 Retina Display and shipped the slate with the same powerful 64-bit A7 processor found in the larger iPad Air. Apple decided to switch things up when it unveiled the iPad Air 2 and iPad iPad mini 3 in 2014, which disappointed many iPad mini fans.
At the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 launch, Apple decided to differentiate its latest iPads by choosing to make the larger iPad Air 2 significantly more powerful than the iPad mini 3 by using a faster 64-bit A8X processor, while the iPad mini 3 retained the same A7 processor used in the mini 2. The iPad Air 2 also featured a thinner and updated design, while the mini 3 was virtually identical to its predecessor, except it now had Touch ID and a new gold color option.
A new report claims that Apple is planning on giving the iPad mini 4 a tweaked redesign that closely matches the look of the iPad Air 2. Nowhereelse.fr posted images and a video of what it claims is the rear case of the iPad mini 4.
As you can see in the video below, the iPad mini 4 takes some design cues from the iPad Air 2. The lock/mute switch has been replaced with a microphone hole and its speaker grill now has a single row of larger cutouts like the iPad Air 2 instead of the smaller double row of speakers holes found on the iPad mini 3. The aluminum case is also reportedly thinner than the current iPad mini 3.
Apple is expected to launch the iPad mini 4 in the fall, and we'll be sure to keep you posted on any new information regarding Apple's upcoming iPads.
