Tablet sales may be on the decrease, but Apple's iPad remains the undisputed king of the hill. The company revamped its offering last year to focus on the iPad Pro; an all-powerful rival to the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Many gadget fans expected to see a new version of the tablet revealed alongside the upgraded MacBook Pro in October. But Apple has kept quiet about any updates to the iPad Mini or the iPad Pro and iPad Air - leaving the internet rumour mill to go into overdrive. Here's everything we know (or think we know) about the next iPad so far. Keep checking back as we'll update this page when we know more. If you believe the hype, then Apple could have started working on the next version of the iPad Mini already. According to Taiwan-based DigiTimes, which cites those ever-reliable unnamed "supply chain workers”, Apple is starting production in December 2016 for an early 2017 launch. Traditionally, Apple holds its first event of the year in March. Earlier this year, Apple used an event in March to reveal the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
It holds true that the company may take the same approach in 2017. Apple usually launches its products swiftly after revealing them. Conceivably, the next iPad Mini could be available to buy by the end of March or the beginning of April 2017. Apple is expected to introduce a new iPad Mini at the current pricing and shift the iPad Mini 4 down the chain. That would mean it would launch at £379 for the 32GB model and £469 for the 128GB version. Of course, when Apple does put up its prices, it does so nice and quiet-like. So we can’t guarantee the same pricing, but it’s a good base estimate. You can also expect to add an extra £100 on top if you want to have 3G compatability. According to Neurogadget , the new iPad mini will only be 5mm thick, meaning Apple will have shaved 1.1mm off the iPad mini 4. "This news has pleased some fans, but others are worried that a thinner body is not really the best idea, because the battery must be reduced in order to fit inside the carcass," writes the site.
Meanwhile, other reports have suggested that Apple will trim the bezel around the edges of the tablet and introduce and OLED display for the first time. Broadly speaking, that means better colours because each pixel provides its own illumination rather than needing a backlight. What will be really interesting to see is whether Apple decides to echo the iPhone 7 and drop the headphone jack for the next iPad. There’s been no reports of it so far but we’ll update this piece if and when that changes. Apple’s newest iPads will undoubtedly be the most powerful yet. Several Apple specialist sites are suggesting the iPad mini 5 will come with an upgraded A9 processor. That means it'll run faster and there will be better graphics for gaming. However, the camera is heavily rumoured to stay the same. That means, there's likely to be an 8MP camera on the back and a 1.2MP camera on the front. But then again, if you're using a tablet to take pictures you've got bigger problems. According to Cult of Mac, there's a chance of a smaller battery being fitted to the iPad mini 5.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing as battery tech has improved to a point where a smaller battery is still as efficient as last year's larger ones.During the making of Batman Begins, production designer Nathan Crowley and director Christopher Nolan agreed to never do a flying machine because it would not be believable to the audience of this new, more realistic take on the Batman mythology. However, when it came time for the conclusion of The Dark Knight Trilogy the two started working on designs for just such a vehicle before a first draft of The Dark Knight Rises script was even finished. With there being no runway in the Batcave, the vehicle would need to lift off and hover like a harrier jet, but it would also need to maneuver like a helicopter in order to pull off the film’s climactic action sequence so writer David Goyer suggested they look to experimental urban warfare aircraft. As the screenplay evolved and scenes required an even larger plane for The Caped Crusader, Crowley drew inspiration from the Boeing Osprey and added more aggressive armor while still trying to give the Bat a look that felt as though it was still from the Wayne Applied Sciences division and the Tumbler/Batpod family.
To quote Nathan Crowley, “…it wound up looking like a flying bug. It was faceted and paneled like the Batmobile, but much more organic, with jump jets on the front and underslung choppers.” Five models were sculpted. The Mach 4 was kept by Crowley while Nolan took the final Mach 5 home with him. Now, over three years after the release of The Dark Knight Rises, you can own your own model much like the one sitting somewhere in Christopher Nolan’s house only his probably doesn’t light up or include a miniature Batman and Catwoman… The Bat is many things, but “small” is not one of them. The cardboard box it arrived in was gargantuan and the official Hot Toys packaging is guaranteed to take up a sizable portion of your storage space. And yes, you’ll hang on to the box. Like all Hot Toys, the Bat’s box showcases its own original artwork, but it’s nowhere near as creative as what we’ve seen from their collectible figures like the Heath Ledger Joker or the ’66 Dynamic Duo.
Still, its bold color scheme, oversized lettering, and captivating side graphics make quite a statement. That said, the thing could’ve still have used a pair of handles. Here’s what’s in the box: Three (3) AAA batteries required (not included) 29.5L x 16.5W x 10.5H inches Personally, I was never a big fan of the Bat in The Dark Knight Rises. It just seemed kind of ugly and for a vehicle called “The Bat” it sure as heck didn’t look anything like a bat. But after spending nearly three hours piecing together this authentically detailed replica, I have a newfound appreciation for the third-generation Applied Sciences vehicle. You might have taken pause when you read “nearly three hours.” The only thing Bale’s Batman loved more than justice was armored plating, and you’ll have to apply a lot of it before you can enjoy your new Bat and you will have paid upwards of eight-hundred bucks for the privilege. The Bat’s creator, production designer Nathan Crowley wasn’t kidding when he described the aircraft as being more like a bug.
The ribbed underside with its odd curvature resembles the exoskeleton of a beetle. It takes quite a bit of time to fully realize this effect through snapping long black sheets of faux metal into teeny-tiny pegs. After the ribs were in place, I added the larger, heavier flaps to the caboose. These pieces feature metal rods that didn’t quite lay flush with the rest of the Bat’s shielding– even when I added a few drops of oil. These flaps lock into multiple positions with a touch of a hidden push-button and feature adjustable tips for posing the vehicle at rest. The Bat also includes a stand with multiple supports, giving you the option to display the craft as if it were flying or if it had just been parked. I liked that the transparent pillars gave the illusion of being suspended in midair at a glance, but at closer inspection were reminiscent of the clear armory featured in Batcave scenes from The Dark Knight Rises.Took about 3 hours to assemble. — AndrewBatReview (@AndrewBatReview) October 7, 2015
The propellers of this screen-accurate piece were easy enough to snap on, but you’ll have to play with their placement a bit to ensure they don’t scrape against one another later on. These integral components are perhaps the most exciting element of the already quite impresssive Bat since they’re fully functional! With the press of a hidden button above the cockpit or on the included remote control you can send these impressive blades spinning (the remote is almost identical to what was included with the Batsignal). However, as cool as they look, the propellers are rather noisy. The high pitched whirl caused by their quick rotation is easily one of the biggest strikes against the Bat. Sound in general is something that should have been given more attention by Hot Toys. For such an expensive figure, it would have been nice to have the option of playing a few sound effects from the film in addition to the lights and the propellers. One thing that really stuck out about the Bat on film was the almost alien noises it would generate as it performed barrel rolls or just glided over the Gotham streets.
Integrating those effects into this model would’ve gone a long way to making it worth the steep price tag. Seriously, this thing costs more than what many folks pay for a month’s rent. Back to the perfectly painted armored plating, I had to add even more to the arms of the Bat and these were not as easy to install. The choice of square-, plus-, and triangle-shaped pegs probably wasn’t the right way to go since manufacturing problems could arise where a slightly misaligned rod could lead to a cockeyed plate, which was the case with one of the shields on my Bat’s left arm (I’ll find a way to fix it myself eventually, but at this point I was just ready to see the thing finished). A pair of wires meant to extend from the cockpit to the arms was easily the most frustrating aspect of assembly. I recommend chewing the rubber pegs at the end of each wire a little to soften them up before trying to put them in. You have no idea how happy I am to finally get this cable attached.
From here on things got easier. Add a few stickers to some control panels, pull back a spring loaded door and release to lock it to the cockpit, and then add some more plates to the outside for good measure. Since it’s the deluxe edition, it also comes with a little Batman and a little Selina Kyle. These 1:12 scale figures are really impressive looking, but they’re not sturdy enough for the price you’re paying. The joints are just way too loose. Before I even got them in the cockpit, Catwoman fell apart at the waist twice and Batman’s arm popped off once. They’re just here for the ride. Place them in the cockpit (if they fall apart, reassemble and try again) and leave them be. They’ll look great at the controls. A large plastic replica of the fusion bomb complete with nylon straps and metal accents is also included and if you squeeze your finger between the ribs of the bat you can turn a wheel that lowers a hook. It’s a great little detail but don’t go zooming around your house with the bomb in tow– the rope can support it.
A closer look at Hot Toys' the Bat. — AndrewBatReview (@AndrewBatReview) October 8, 2015 It’s definitely got the wow-factor. Even I, as someone who wasn’t a fan of the Bat on film, have discovered an all-new appreciation for this vehicle thanks to getting an up-close look at all of the intricacies of the design. You can get lost in the details of this aircraft’s layers of protective plating, and switching on its headlights when you have the curtains pulled and the room pitch black? The white LEDs up front, the yellow of the back engines, and the subtle blue emanating from the middle of the craft really look stunning. And actually having a highly detailed Batman and Catwoman sitting in the cockpit, plus that fusion bomb really puts the visual over the top! Assembly is a bit of a pain since you have to click in so many small, identical pieces, but the end result is admittedly worth your time. But worth over $700 dollars? It’s a jaw-dropping piece that any fan of the Nolan trilogy would be proud to have on display in their home or office.