Tag: apple ipad

Patents Reveal Apple Could Be Working on Clamshell Foldable With an Interesting Hinge Design: Report

Compared to what other smartphone brands have on offer, Apple seems to be far behind the competition when it comes to foldables. The Cupertino giant has yet to launch or even showcase its first ever foldable device with a folding display while other brands have at least one foldable model in their existing lineup of smartphones. Recent rumours have pointed out that Apple is working on bigger foldable devices, with the latest report pointing towards the development of a foldable MacBook laptop with a 20-inch display. A more recent report pointed out that Apple’s iPhone has been delayed to 2027 and even goes on to claim that Vision Pro staff have now been directed to work on the foldable device instead. Now, an older patent which was filed last year, has been published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), suggesting that Apple is indeed working on clamshell foldable designs.

The patent (US 20240147644 A1) was filed in October last year and was published by the USPTO on May 2, 2024. According to a report by Patently Apple, which was the first to bring these details to light, Apple has a very interesting hinge design for what seems to be meant for a smaller or compact foldable, which in Apple’s case could be a Plus or a Max-sized iPhone or an iPad Mini. To make things crystal clear, Apple does refer to the device in question as something that could be a cellular phone, a computer, or a portable electronic device.

Every foldable device in existence today relies on a reliable hinge mechanism and a foldable display. Apple’s designs appear to be similar to what most smartphone manufacturers have currently achieved with their foldables. This would include the two halves of the chassis held together by synchronised gear plates with interlocked teeth to guide the opening and closing mechanism and protect the inner folding display. The foldable device according to the diagrams seems to be held together using interconnected links (like the metal links of a metal watch bracelet) with restricting rotation. The mechanism in these interconnecting links seems to be far more complex compared to what most manufacturers have in place today.

A quick glance also shows that Apple’s hinge design due to its complexity does seem substantially thicker than what’s available on most foldable smartphones today. And given how thick it seems from the patent’s diagrams, it could indeed make more sense in a foldable iPad than in an iPhone, which points back at older rumours about Apple working on a foldable iPad instead of a foldable iPhone.

Designing a hinge for a larger tablet or even a laptop would also reduce Apple’s challenges compared to designing one for an iPhone as most tablets and computers don’t require stricter IP ratings, which some manufacturers have only partially struggled with so far. Samsung’s currently available Galaxy Z Fold 5 (Review) for example offers an IPX8 rating (which offers minimal protection against dust and debris) while its regular smartphones offer a proper IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple’s First Foldable Could Be an iPad With Small-Scale Production Said to Begin End of 2024: Report

Apple that has for long steered clear of foldables may be joining the segment soon. Earlier reports have shed light about a foldable iPad, instead of a foldable iPhone, but these were mainly guesses by noted analysts. Turns out, there is now some more evidence on that front with a source claiming that a foldable iPad will hit production next year and even possibly go on sale next year. Samsung may have had a nice head start with foldables over the past several years, but Apple seems to be targeting a different segment entirely going by the latest data.

More smartphone manufacturers have gradually started showing interest in the foldable smartphone category lately after Samsung’s dominance over the same many years. Samsung has been the only smartphone brand to announce and launch its foldable lineup in India year after year. It’s only over the end of last year and earlier this year, where more players like Motorola and Oppo have entered this space, with OnePlus being the only brand to launch a full-sized premium horizontal foldable after Tecno’s Phantom V Fold debuted earlier this year. According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple is also readying its suppliers and lining up for the launch of its first iPad foldable.

Its supply chain sources claim that small-scale production of this iPad foldable could begin by the end of 2024, as per the report. While Apple seems clear that it wants to be a part of the foldables race, it has yet to submit its design for the same. The source also claims that Apple will first experiment with bigger devices like the iPad before it applies similar tech to iPhones.

As per the publication’s sources, Apple’s goal is to achieve a cost-effective production by using a simpler design. The source also claims that Apple chose the iPad over the iPhone because iPadOS is similar to the iPhone’s iOS operating system. Another reason for Apple choosing the iPad for its first foldable is down to risks in the sense that the iPad still forms a smaller chunk of Apple’s revenues compared to a product as important as the iPhone.

Meanwhile, an earlier report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that Apple’s foldable iPad would use a carbon-fiber kickstand and that it would arrive in 2024. The new updates corroborate the older news. Kuo back in January also mentioned that Apple would shift to this foldable iPad as Apple’s tablet shipments decline even further (by 10-15 percent) this year.

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PS5 Slimmer Variant Will Reportedly Launch November 10 in the US, Spider-Man 2 Bundle Leaked



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New Apple iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Air Models on Track to Launch in the Coming Months: All Details

Apple, off late, has been a bit slow when it comes to new iPad launches. Its last iPad launch took place in October last year when it released its new iPad Pro variants powered by its then-new M2 processor and a new 10th Gen iPad with a new design and a new keyboard accessory. While we have been hearing rumours about some new and interesting iPad models, there is finally some news which sort of confirms that they are indeed being tested and should be launching soon.

9to5mac as per its sources claims that everything is on track and that Apple will be announcing some new iPad models soon. This would include a new iPad Mini (or Mini 7), which will replace the currently available iPad Mini 2021. As per the source, it will retain the design of the older model and only offer a spec upgrade. However, when Apple plans to release this one, it is strangely still a tough question to answer. The last Mini (review) was released in September 2021 and got an upgraded design with thinner bezels, the A15 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity and more.

Next in line is the new 11th Gen iPad which is expected to replace the 10th iPad (review) launched last year. What also isn’t clear is whether Apple will continue to retain the much more affordable 9th-Gen iPad after this launch. According to the source, Apple will again be expected to retain the same design as on the previous model and will only go for a spec bump on this one.

Coming to the models that are expected to get notable upgrades are the iPad Air and the new M3-powered iPad Pro. According to the source, Apple is reportedly experimenting with two versions of the iPad Air one of which could be a larger 12.9-inch model of the same. This is still under testing, so there’s a good chance that this second version may not be announced altogether, as the base model will still get an upgraded processor. Apple is also testing two variants (11-inch and 12.9-inch) of the new iPad Pro with an M3 processor inside.

9to5Mac’s report also corroborates Bloomberg’s previous report about a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad. It will evolve from a soft keyboard to a regular one made of aluminium and will snap onto the new iPad Pro models. The new keyboard will also come with a larger trackpad, new sensors (which also include an accelerometer) and will make the tablet appear like one of Apple’s MacBooks.

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Apple Supplier Foxconn to Reportedly Invest $300 Million More in Northern Vietnam

Apple supplier Foxconn has signed a $300 million (roughly Rs. 2,400 crore) memorandum of understanding with Vietnamese developer Kinh Bac City to expand its facility in the north of the country to diversify and boost production, state media said on Saturday. The Taiwanese company’s new factory, on a plot of 50.5 hectares (125 acres) in Bac Giang province, will generate 30,000 local jobs, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said. Foxconn, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry, and Kinh Bac City did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Foxconn, which has been in Bac Giang for 15 years, has moved part of its iPad and AirPods production to Bac Giang’s Quang Chau Industrial Park, Tuoi Tre reported. It did not say which type of products would be produced at the new factory or its capacity.

The Vietnamese government said last year Foxconn had invested $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,000 crore) in the Southeast Asian country.

A recent report had stated that Apple’s suppliers are in talks to produce Apple Watch and MacBook in Vietnam for the first time, Nikkei Asia reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Apple’s Chinese suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry and iPhone assembler Foxconn have started test production of Apple Watch and MacBook in Northern Vietnam, the report added.

Apple has been shifting some areas of iPhone production from China to other markets, including India, where it started manufacturing iPhone 13 this year, and is also planning to assemble iPad tablets.

Apple iPad With Larger Screen, iPad Pro With M2 Chip Could Launch in October India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market, along with countries such as Mexico and Vietnam are becoming increasingly important to contract manufacturers supplying American brands, as they try to diversify production away from China.

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Realme Pad X Specifications Confirmed Ahead of Launch, Will Get an 11-Inch Display

Realme Pad X specifications have been confirmed ahead of its launch in China. The tablet was recently confirmed to launching in China on May 26 along with a few specifications and design teasers. Now, a company executive has confirmed a few specifications regarding the display and battery of the upcoming tablet. The Realme Pad X is expected to sport an 11-inch touchscreen display with blue-light protection certificate. The tablet is also said to feature an 8340mAh battery and 33W charging support. The company had earlier teased the tablet with the tagline “king of tablets”.

Xu Qi Chase, Vice President at Realme, shared a few specifications of the Realme Pad X on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo. Chase said that the upcoming tablet from Realme will sport an 11-inch ultra-clear large screen with 2K resolution. He added that the tablet will come with a four-speaker configuration with Dolby Atmos support. He also stated that the upcoming tablet will come with a hardware-level anti-blue light for eye protection with German Rheinland’s eye protection certification.

Chase further added in another post that the Realme Pad X will pack an 8,340mAh battery with 33W charging support. He claimed that the tablet can be used for a week without charging. Like the Apple iPad, the Realme Pad X will get a portrait centering function for video calls and online conferences, said Chase in another post. He also claimed that the effect is comparable to iPad. The portrait function is said to track the displacement of single and multiple people by simulating camera zoom and gimbal rotation.

Recently, Realme had announced through a dedicated landing page that the Realme Pad X will launch in China on May 26. The company had also teased the tablet in a fluorescent green colour option with stylus support.

Realme is yet to announce details regarding the pricing and availability of the upcoming tablet in India and other regions of the world.

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