iPad 5: new LED backlight could pave way for slimmer, lighter tablet

Apple is investigating new screen technology with a view to slimming down the next full-size iPad, reports suggest.

According to NPD DisplaySearch, the next 9.7-inch iPad will swap the current screen for an LED display with a modified backlight to make the device as thin and light as is feasible.

Analyst Paul Semenza told CNET: "It's likely that part of the thinner/lighter design will be reducing the size of the LED backlight, partly by making the display more efficient and partly by using more efficient LEDs.”

If Semenza can be believed, the tech giant will also adopt thin film-based touch sensors – a move that will also help to create a slimmer tablet.

Previous leaks suggest that the fifth-gen iPad will feature a different design that lifts elements of the compact and bijou iPad mini.

The last-gen model adhered rigidly to the blueprint for earlier models, prompting the usual round of catcalls that Apple was shortchanging fanboys with incremental updates to its key product lines.

Source:

CNET