Apple’s next generation iPad is expected to take design cues from the iPad mini if a series of leaked images prove to be accurate. Specifically, the iPad 5 will utilize the same touch panel technology as the mini which will allow for reductions in overall weight and size.
The latest images show a front panel with the same display area as the current fourth gen iPad with Retina display but with a smaller bezel. It’s said to use the same ITO (indium tin oxide) as the iPad mini and features two connectors instead of one. These connectors are of the FPC (flexible printed circuit) type like those found in the iPhone 5 instead of the older FFC (flat flexible cable) used in earlier iPads.
A separate report from the Wall Street Journal seems to confirm this. As the publication highlights, the component that many refer to as the “screen” actually consists of multiple layers. Specifically, the “touch panel” refers to the layer equipped with the touch sensors that lies between the liquid-crystal display and the cover glass.
As was discovered in a teardown of the iPad mini last year, that device uses a film-based touch panel which is said to be thinner and lighter than glass-based panels. It’s this same type of touch panel technology that will show up in the next full-sized iPad.
Apple is expected to host a media event on September 10 to unveil the next iPhone. It’s unclear whether the next iPad will share the stage with Cupertino’s smartphone or if the company is planning a separate unveiling for the slate at a later date.
