14 DAY TRIAL // All eyes are on the next-generation iPhone, but Apple is hard at work on some pretty big changes for the iPad as well, including what could be the complete removal of the home button.
A new report from Japanese blog Macotakara and citing people with knowledge of the matter indicates that Apple is getting ready to ditch the home button on at least one of the upcoming iPad models, with some thinking that this is done in anticipation of a similar change planned for the iPhone.
Specifically, the source says that future iPads could come in three sizes, namely 9.7, 12.9, and 10.9 or 10.5 inches - information regarding the size of this last model is still contradictory, but there’s a big chance that Apple could go for 10.9 inches and achieve a bigger difference versus the 9.7-inch model.
Smaller or no bezels at all
One of the changes Apple is aiming for is a bezel-less design, or at least one that has substantially smaller bezels as compared to the existing models.
A very small strip at the top of the tablet is very likely in order to hold the FaceTime camera, but the bottom bezel is likely to go away completely because of the removal of the headphone jack.
This could all lead to size changes for the revamped iPhone lineup, and the Japanese source claims that the 10.9-inch iPad is likely to be 7.5mm tick, just like the iPad Air and the iPad Mini.
The 12.9-inch will most likely measure 7.2mm, 0.3mm over the existing generation, probably because Apple is moving part of the technology that’s currently in the bottom part under the display for a bezel-less approach.
As with everything Apple, these are all just rumors for the time being, but Macotakara has a solid track on Apple leaks, so there’s a good chance that there’s some truth behind these words. We’ll hear more about Apple’s plans in the coming months, as the unveiling of the new iPads is likely to take place in the spring.