One of our favorite designers of Apple concepts, Martin Hajek, has put together this visual showing how a new iPad mini design might compare with the existing one if it were based on the design of the iPhone 6.
The existing design, top, has the familiar flat front and tapered, chamfered edge. The bottom one, Hajek’s concept, has the rounded edge now familiar from countless iPhone 6 renders, mockups and purported leaked parts …
To provide a like-for-like comparison, Hajek has added Touch ID to both existing and rounded designs.
Based on rumours and images of the purported iPhone 6 all over the internet I decided to do a concept study of what an iPad mini would look like with this new, soft and round iPhone 6 design ‘language’ slapped all over it. The results? Looks soft! Especially if you put it next to an upgraded (with touch ID) current gen iPad mini.
It’s worth noting that Apple has no problem having quite different designs for iPhone and iPad, current generation iPhones having flat edges compared to the tampered sides of the iPad, so there’s nothing to suggest that Apple would see a need to adopt the iPhone 6 design language in its new iPads. But with the next-generation iPhones growing closer in size to the iPad mini, perhaps it should?
Take our poll to tell us which design you prefer, and as ever, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Somebody out on the web made a statement of the edges on the iPad help give it grip. the iPhone could have soft edges and still be easy to hold but the iPads are larger and the size and weight would make it harder to hold with the soft edges.
Your fingers are what hold the iPad. Fingers pushed against the glass is the most grip you get.
i think the thought was the chamfered edges help give a couple more points of rough edge contact to help promote a better grip.
like I can more easily rub my finger on the rounded from to side edge of the MBP than I can the top to bottom rough (straight) edge portion.
With the way I often hold my iPad, the palm of my hand supports an edge and my fingers support the iPad from the back. Both supports work together to keep the tablet stable. Failure of either support would likely result in failure of holding the iPad and it would drop. So if the edges are smoothly rounded I can see that resulting in the edge slipping out of my palm and the iPad dropping. Comparatively I see that as one of the benefits of the current tapered edge design.
You guys are just silly if you think that offers more grip. Time to move on with the day though :)
I’m going to laugh so hard when they ACTUALLY introduce the iPhone 6 and it doesn’t have the rounded edges everyone has been thinking it will. I have zero idea, but I doubt apple is going less fancy with their most popular product. Chamfered edges are here for a while. The process they created just to be able to make chamfered edges is not something you just throw away.
First of all if it doesn’t have rounded edges then Apple pulled the best magic trick ever. Secondly, they wouldn’t be throwing that process away anytime soon, no matter how simple or difficult it was to design (they’re still going to be making a ridiculous number of iPhone 5S, and iPads or older iPads assuming they did do this design change.
Well dont you feel silly.
Doesn’t matter cuz most everybody uses iPad cases and covers. They look very nice tho.
I would never use an iPad cover or case, that’s the product you don’t protect with covers and cases, and I’m sure the majority don’t protect iPads. The only time I’d have an iPad in a case is if I wanted to mount it to something.
Will they? Probably eventually. (Gotta differentiate the latest iPads) But I doubt they will this upcoming cycle since they already made a design change.
What’s the design change this cycle? Don’t say Touch ID because that most definitely doesn’t count lol.
The design was changed last year (thin side bezels) and iPad cycle is 2 year. No design change this year except the Touch ID to be included.
I really hope they do because the current design is surprisingly bad. It sure looks stunning, but the slightest hit and you end up with a mark on that beautiful diamond-cut edge.
It’s actually a perfectly fine design. If you hit aluminum which is rounded it will mark it too.
I don’t see any other tablet that is better looking than current iPad design. It should stay but include a Touch ID.
I don’t have any Apple devices except my Mac Mini 4.1, but I would say that if it would cause problems for Stands or other hardware that might be used to hold the iPad besides hands, then don’t change the shape.
Remember the hassle when they changed the size of the connector on the iPhones?
I don’t see the reason for round edges on an iPad because you never put an iPad face down.
Yes because that’s why they are doing rounded edges. Oh wait lol.
I’m sure Apple spent millions to designers along with Jony Ives telling everyone what he likes and that will be the next design. I’m with Jony….he’s got that touch!
You cannot pick up the proposed new design when the iPad is resting on say a table with soft finish, it might constantly slide while the users fingers will try to grip it from under the iPad. The current design lets the fingers wedge from under the iPad.