The next iPad – lighter and thinner

The new iPad is expected to be 25% lighter and 15% thinner than the previous model.

The iPad has been getting thinner and lighter ever since the release of the iPad 1 back in 2010, but the next generation iPad is expected to be 25% lighter and 15% thinner.  This is a big decrease in thickness and weight compared to the change of the previous generations.  So why the big decrease?  The new screen technology that the 5th generation iPad will be using is primarily to thank for this, the GF2 technology is a change from the current GG screen technology and one major thing it improves upon is power consumption.  Rather than keeping a large battery in the iPad and increasing the battery life dramatically, Apple is shrinking the battery, which in turn allows for a much thinner and lighter iPad.

This is expected to increase sales of the iPad dramatically, sales of the iPad 3 and 4 were not as high as expected because they were both thicker than the iPad 2.  In addition to the smaller dimensions, the next iPad is also expected to feature a new A7 series processor which will improve efficiency as well as increase processing power.  The iPad is also expected to receive a slight re-design, similar to the iPad mini with thinner bezels and more curving around the casing.  The 5-megapixel camera from the previous generation is expected to stay the same.

Technology is continually getting smaller, and thinner and lighter.  While this is partially a good thing, the more thinner something is, the more prone it can be to breaking.  We don’t know how sturdily built the iPad 5 will be and we can expect it to feel pretty solid while holding, but it probably won’t hold up much better (possibly even worse) if it is bumped or dropped.  So better buy a thick case to protect your thin iPad, even if you aren’t accident prone.  At about .3 inches thick and just over 1 pound, we should expect to see just as many (if not more) broken iPad screens as we do today.