John Gruber does the math. Then does more math. And then more.
The end result based on what his birdies and the birdies of others are hearing? A 7.85-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio, 1024×768 pixel, 163 PPI display. Sides that are more rounded (like the original iPhone). A bezel more like the iPhone/iPod touch, but not quite as thin on the sides. And a unit that is just a tad taller and a little bit wider than a Nexus 7 — despite a screen that is much larger.
The most compelling bits though: the thinness and the weight.
As Rene Ritchie previous reported, the device could be as thin as an iPod touch. 7.2 mm. I’m holding one in my hand right now. That would be fairly insane — a third thinner than the Nexus 7.
And that thinness (along with the presumed other dimensions) allows Gruber to guestimate the weight: 265 grams.
How light is that? Some other devices:
- iPod touch: 101 grams
- iPhone 3GS: 135 grams
- iPhone 4: 137 grams
- iPhone 4S: 140 grams
- Kindle (WiFi): 170 grams
- Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight: 197 grams
- Nook Simple Touch: 212 grams
- Kindle Touch (3G): 220 grams
- Kindle with Keyboard (3G): 247 grams
- iPad Mini (Guesstimated): 265 grams
- Nexus 7: 340 grams
- Nook Tablet: 400 grams
- BlackBerry Playbook (WiFi): 408 grams
- Kindle Fire: 413 grams
- BackBerry Playbook (Cellular): 425 grams
- Nook Color: 448 grams
- iPad 2 (WiFi): 601 grams
- iPad 2 (Verizon 3G): 607 grams
- iPad 2 (AT&T 3G): 613 grams
- New iPad (WiFi): 652 grams
- New iPad (Cellular): 662 grams
- Windows RT Surface: 675 grams
- Windows Pro Surface: 903 grams
As you can see, this new iPad would be closest to the Kindle with a keyboard in weight. It would weigh noticeably less than a Nexus 7. It would weigh less than half of what all of the current iPads weigh. And it would weigh just a third of what a Surface running Windows Pro will weigh.
At that weight, it would be roughly twice what any of the currently sold iPhones weigh. Grab a friend’s iPhone, there you go. And that weight would be spread over a far bigger area, obviously. So it will seem much lighter than that.
Gruber wonders if the the “Mini” moniker should be replaced by “Air” for good reason.
Jaap Willem | Photography and Mobile marketing 