There has been a lot of discussion on here for what is the ideal iPad size: 7.9, 9.7, 10.5, 12.9 or something else. So I decided to perform a little thought experiment. What IS the ideal iPad size? Now I know this is largely personal preference, but Apple clearly has to make at least a choice or 2 on what they think is best. So what might Apple do? Here the process that I have gone through.
Starting with the current 10.5", how can it be improved? Clearly the way to maximize both screen size and portability is to minimize the bezels by eliminating the home button (a la iPhone). I know this would be a controversial thing around here, but you have to imagine this is the direction. What happens to iPhone almost always follows to iPad. And here is my refutation to the objections. Home button removal: if iPhone finds a way around it surely the iPad can too, plus there already isn't much need for it in iOS 11 with the swipe up for multitasking and 4 finger outward pinch to return to home screen. Bezel minimization: Almost certainly most controversial around here, but I posit that I rarely hold on to the bezels anyway (either propped up with the keyboard or I'm mostly holding on from the back/side) plus Apple is always making improvements to avoid accidental edge detection. This is surely a fixable issue.
For the purpose of this experiment, I decided to maintain the same bezel (.24") that's on the sides of the 10.5 iPad. It's a good middle ground and clearly Apple has already decided that it is enough (and I figure reducing the bezel even more isn't gonna make much practical screen difference).
So now that I've made my case for removal of home button and minimizing the bezels (it's ok if you think you wouldn't like it, but hopefully you at least agree it's plausible that Apple would do it), the decision becomes does the iPad shrink or does the screen grow? and by how much? I would strongly argue against shrinking iPad size, simply because it would decrease the size of the keyboard. From what I've heard (I have the 9.7 pro), the increase of the ASK to the 10.5 is very nice. I've always felt my 9.7 is fine but slightly cramped. That being said, if the iPad screen (top to bottom) were to grow all the way to the current size, while maintaining .24" bezels and the same aspect ratio, the footprint would increase significantly side to side (nearly an inch or about 14% wider). I would be afraid increasing the size (and thusly weight), would have a significant negative effect on portability. For that reason, I propose maintaining the exact same iPad footprint, changing the aspect ratio, and increasing the screen size to .24" bezel all around.
This would result in a screen size of ~11.26" and an aspect ratio about halfway between the current iPad 4:3 and the (visually odd) 16:10 of many other tablets. This would allow 1) iPad footprint to remain the same size 2) maintaining same size keyboard 3) maximize screen size 4) reduce top/bottom bars during videos
I don't think Apple would abandon the 12.9" iPad, so I performed the same experiment on it. For slightly different reasons, I project Apple might do the same exact thing with it. So maintaining the same footprint but expanding the screen top to bottom to create .46" bezels (the current bezel size on the 12.9 iPad's sides), would result in a screen size of 13.55".
One concern I have is app/developer support in the shift of aspect ratio, but 1) I feel like Apple has provided many tools over the years that many apps might already easily shift to support it and 2) Apple cares more about users than what the developers have to do.
One added perk for the 11.3" iPad is that, while in landscape, it would almost certainly be capable of displaying 2 iPad app layouts side by side, instead of how now the 10.5 can only display one app in iPad layout (while the other is iPhone layout).
TL;DR
I'm predicting that Apple might increase iPad screen size, while maintaining the same 10.5/12.9 iPad footprint, by reducing the top/bottom bezels to that of the side bezel size thus changing the aspect ratio. This would result in screen sizes of 11.3" and 13.5".
Starting with the current 10.5", how can it be improved? Clearly the way to maximize both screen size and portability is to minimize the bezels by eliminating the home button (a la iPhone). I know this would be a controversial thing around here, but you have to imagine this is the direction. What happens to iPhone almost always follows to iPad. And here is my refutation to the objections. Home button removal: if iPhone finds a way around it surely the iPad can too, plus there already isn't much need for it in iOS 11 with the swipe up for multitasking and 4 finger outward pinch to return to home screen. Bezel minimization: Almost certainly most controversial around here, but I posit that I rarely hold on to the bezels anyway (either propped up with the keyboard or I'm mostly holding on from the back/side) plus Apple is always making improvements to avoid accidental edge detection. This is surely a fixable issue.
For the purpose of this experiment, I decided to maintain the same bezel (.24") that's on the sides of the 10.5 iPad. It's a good middle ground and clearly Apple has already decided that it is enough (and I figure reducing the bezel even more isn't gonna make much practical screen difference).
So now that I've made my case for removal of home button and minimizing the bezels (it's ok if you think you wouldn't like it, but hopefully you at least agree it's plausible that Apple would do it), the decision becomes does the iPad shrink or does the screen grow? and by how much? I would strongly argue against shrinking iPad size, simply because it would decrease the size of the keyboard. From what I've heard (I have the 9.7 pro), the increase of the ASK to the 10.5 is very nice. I've always felt my 9.7 is fine but slightly cramped. That being said, if the iPad screen (top to bottom) were to grow all the way to the current size, while maintaining .24" bezels and the same aspect ratio, the footprint would increase significantly side to side (nearly an inch or about 14% wider). I would be afraid increasing the size (and thusly weight), would have a significant negative effect on portability. For that reason, I propose maintaining the exact same iPad footprint, changing the aspect ratio, and increasing the screen size to .24" bezel all around.
This would result in a screen size of ~11.26" and an aspect ratio about halfway between the current iPad 4:3 and the (visually odd) 16:10 of many other tablets. This would allow 1) iPad footprint to remain the same size 2) maintaining same size keyboard 3) maximize screen size 4) reduce top/bottom bars during videos
I don't think Apple would abandon the 12.9" iPad, so I performed the same experiment on it. For slightly different reasons, I project Apple might do the same exact thing with it. So maintaining the same footprint but expanding the screen top to bottom to create .46" bezels (the current bezel size on the 12.9 iPad's sides), would result in a screen size of 13.55".
One concern I have is app/developer support in the shift of aspect ratio, but 1) I feel like Apple has provided many tools over the years that many apps might already easily shift to support it and 2) Apple cares more about users than what the developers have to do.
One added perk for the 11.3" iPad is that, while in landscape, it would almost certainly be capable of displaying 2 iPad app layouts side by side, instead of how now the 10.5 can only display one app in iPad layout (while the other is iPhone layout).
TL;DR
I'm predicting that Apple might increase iPad screen size, while maintaining the same 10.5/12.9 iPad footprint, by reducing the top/bottom bezels to that of the side bezel size thus changing the aspect ratio. This would result in screen sizes of 11.3" and 13.5".
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