Monday, July 22, 2013

WSJ: Apple Testing 13

Apple is prototyping larger versions of the iPad and iPhone, according to The Wall Street Journal's supply chain sources overseas. Details are scare, but the report states that Apple is considering a 13-inch display for the iPad, which would be quite the increase from the current 9.7-inch display.


In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally, they said. The current iPhone 5 has a four-inch screen, while the iPad has a 9.7-inch screen. The iPad Mini, a stripped-down version of its tablet computer, has a 7.9-inch screen.


It's important to note that Apple often prototypes all kinds of devices that never see the light of day, so this doesn't mean that the company will ship a MacBook-sized iPad anytime soon. The Journal says that this piece of news points to pressure from Samsung, but the likely story is that Apple just likes to experiment with different form factors.


A larger iPhone has been circulating in the rumor mill for quite awhile, with some reports suggesting that Apple is looking at screens larger than 5 inches. And the infamous 'iPad Maxi' rumor from several months ago got quite a bit of attention.


The iPhone 5S is on track for this fall with upgraded specs alongside a cheaper, 'budget' iPhone model. The fifth-gen iPad is expected to retain the same screen size with a thinner profile. Opinions have been rather split on the second-gen iPad mini, with some saying that we'll see a Retina version either this year or 2014.



Alex Heath is a news contributor at Cult of Mac. He previously served as an editor for iDownloadBlog. You can find out more about him on his personal site. And please do follow him on Twitter because that would make his day.


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