iPad Mini 2 Will Probably Be A Tad Thicker To Fit Retina Display

The second-gen iPad mini is widely expected to get a Retina display, although the rumor mill has been going back and forth on the notion for several months. But as the release date for the tablet draws nearer, the consensus seems to be that Retina is a go.

Apple is known for aggressively slimming down its products with each new iteration, but to accommodate a Retina display, it’s very possible that the second-gen iPad mini could actually get a little thicker.

Case makers are betting on a thicker iPad mini.

Japanese site Macotakara recently got to see some cases for the upcoming iPad mini and fifth-gen iPad at a Chinese trade show. Based on the vendors’ cases, the thickness of the second-gen iPad mini will increase to 7.5mm from 7.2mm. The cases also suggest that the device will be 0.2mm wider. Third-party cases should always be examined skeptically, but in this case, the dimensions make sense.

A couple millimeters isn’t a huge deal, and you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if you held a first and second gen model side by side. but any increase in thickness and width is worth noting for a new Apple product. Why would the Retina iPad mini need to be slightly bigger than its predecessor, you ask?

The battery.

A Retina display requires more juice. For example, take the third-gen iPad with Retina display. It’s thickness increased 0.6mm from the iPad 2 to fit its larger 11560 mAh battery. The same thing is happening this time around, only it’s the iPad mini.


Data source: via CultofMac (By Alex Heath)
Origine source: Macotakara