MasHD Blog

Apple has officially removed the first gen iPad mini from the Apple store , the tablet, which was Apple's first mini tablet became quite popular as it was much cheaper and more compact than the larger 9.7" iPad . The first gen model featured a 7.9" IPS display with a woeful 1024x768 resolution which was much lower than rival products and it also featured just 512MB of RAM and a Dual core Apple A5 Chipset based on the Cortex A9 architecture .The iPad mini was also Apples only non retina display product and this is also one reason for it to get kicked out from the otherwise exclusive retina club .  Although the tablet is now succeeded by the iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Mini 3 , the old model will get  iOS 9 before it gets decommissioned . If you still want one , Apple still has a old stock of Refurbished iPad mini's in store but thats only available until stocks last . Source - GSMarena

64Bit in mobile is only about a year old , iOS , which started the craze (Evolution) with the iPhone 5S and the iPads were first generation products that supported the new ARM architecture that provided 64Bit processing power , but as many apps were still coded to 32Bit  , that 64bit edge is/was not really that visible so Apple is now making a initiative to make all iOS apps coded to both the 64bit and 32Bit coding starting next February .News of having 64bit support is good news as the new architecture promotes the expansion of Video and memory allowing high quality apps , this news however is not going to be good for remaining legacy Apple devices as they are sure to drop out in the next few updates (iPad 2 , iPad Mini , iPhone 4S ) , but in the end most users will eventually feel more satisfied with the user experience once the platform becomes a 64bit only one . Source - GSMArena

Another day , another tech event , and this time its from Apple . Today (Oct 16) Apple is getting ready to launch its iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 along with a bunch of new Macs and a new version of Apple's sync software - iTunes . first off , we have the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 , physically the two tablets are running on two separate tablet classes of their own , the bigger iPad , which took on the "iPad Air" to get a thinner bezel and a flatter design is said to go unchanged in the 9.7" screen department ,but its overall thickness is said to be reduced to a whooping 7mm .The iPad mini , which is now in its 3rd generation will also retain its 7.9" display of 2048x1536 resolution but it too will be thinner than before , both tablets are said to feature Apple's A8X processor (AxX versions carry more ram) so the new iPads will carry not one but 2GB of RAM . The new iPad's will also get a better camera upgrade and this time , the new iPads are sai...

With Android devices pushing beyond 5" in their smartphone display size consumers are slowly dodging tablets in favor of large screen "Phablets",So as phones get bigger, companies that rely on constancy like Apple have no option but to heed to customer demands by launching their own large screen smartphones breaking the 4" barrier for good . According to the latest rumors and mock-ups in the internet . the company is said to launch a 4.7" device that is said to be made in a unibody design similar to that of the iPad Air/Mini and iPod Touches . The design might be a hint that Apple is starting to unify their hardware designs to look similar to each otherto avoid prying eyes of industrial copycats . The strange aluminuim shell is flanked by two strips of plastic for the antennas which are similar to the implementation used by HTC in the One M8 . Although the mock-ups might be some clever fake(s) the design does hint that the next iPhone will certainly be ...

When it comes to leaks of iPad mini 2 hardware, we haven’t exactly been left wanting. Indeed, along with the iPad 5, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to check out components attributed to this year’s mini refresh. While we’ve had enough chances to see the tablet’s rear panel, more recently rumors have been talking about what might be happening around front, with the suggestion that Apple could be giving its new tablets the same Touch ID fingerprint scanner we find in the iPhone 5S. Today we might just get our first evidence confirming that idea, as well as a look at a possible gold version of the iPad mini 2. The images above and below sure do seem to reflect an iPad mini 2 design with the same metal-ringed home button from the iPhone 5S. While we can’t discount the possibility that this is a well-done fake, it certainly looks plausible enough, and fitting in with those earlier rumors is just the icing on the cake. Given the popularity the gold iPhone 5S is experiencing, it’s al...

iOS7 is live and ready folks , as you all know , iOS7 is the biggest overhaul to the iOS system since the  iPhone , the new update is expected to arrive on iPhones (iphone 4 and up ) iPad mini ,  iPad 2 and upwards and the 5th Gen iPod touch . We at mashdroid are hoping to give a full review as soon as we finish downloading the update to our iPad 4(update was available at 10.00 PM Sri Lanka time)  ( i initially  had a few issues at first , if any of you are having some issues , please have a snack and come back because the servers might be overloaded at the moment ) . the update is expected to be around 700 MB for iPhones /iPod Touch  and around 900 MB for iPads , the system needs 3.5GB of free space so make sure you back your storage before attempting to download it .

Apple's iOS 7 will arrive on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S on September 18th. The all-new OS will also head to the iPad mini, the third- and fourth-generation iPads, and fifth-generation iPod touch on the same day. In today's keynote, Tim Cook boasted that the operating system will soon be "the world's most popular operating system." A later update will add the OS to the iPad 2 and iPhone 4. Announced back in June, iOS 7 is the first major visual overhaul of the OS since its initial introduction in 2007. It features all-new icons along with redesigned core apps, a new Notification Center, webOS-inspired multitasking, and a Control Center with settings toggles, music playback, and quick shortcuts to apps. There's also AirDrop for local file sharing over wireless, and even Apple's attempt at a Spotify and Rdio competitor in iTunes Radio. There were a couple of small feature additions today, including a male voice for Siri for the US and select other terri...

To readers paying close attention to press reports, there may not be many surprises Tuesday when Apple (AAPL) hosts its big September three-ring circus for analysts and the media. The critics will be unforgiving if the event's tentpole announcements don't include: The Phone 5S , a speedier iPhone 5, probably with fingerprint recognition for ID purposes, possibly with near-field communication (NFC) technology for buying stuff in stores. The iPhone 5C , a plastic-bodied iPhone that comes in colors and is slower, less powerful, lower-res and less expensive (e.g. $400 plus or minus). The release of iOS 7 , the first top-to-bottom redesign of the face the iPhone shows the world, complete with new metaphors, new light sources, a Pandora knock-off and a look designed to make Samsung's smartphones feel old fashioned. New programming and new tricks for Apple TV, Steve Jobs' final "hobby" by which he hoped to someday disrupt the entertainment industry. Distribu...

Following the announcement of its new Cintiq Companion tablets earlier this evening, Wacom has also taken the wraps off its new stylus for the iPad. The Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus aims to make sketching on the tablet feel realistic, offering pressure-sensitive functionality and a specialized design aimed at comfortable handling. The Intuos Creative Stylus, as mentioned, features pressure-sensitive touch, allowing the user to draw or paint in a more realistic fashion than some offerings allow. Wacom says the device offers a “realistic pen-on-paper feel” that provides a tactile, perhaps nostalgic, feel to the act of digital drawing on the iPad. The stylus is compatible with several drawing apps. Among these apps is the company’s own Bamboo Paper, Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro, ArtRage, ProCreate, and Psykopaint. In addition to offering pressure sensitivity, the stylus also features a design that allows it to fit in one’s handle comfortably, says Wacom, being made of brushed aluminum ...

The MSI Primo 81  tablet is a very thin device that measures at  7.8mm, and is almost as thin as the iPad Mini and actually looks like the Mini with its aluminum body. The device is about 323 grams in weight. prices are still not available (at the time of writing ) MSI Primo 81 specs: 7.85-inch IPS LCD display @ 1024×768 pixels Allwinner A31S quad-core processor 1GB RAM 16GB internal storage WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Android 4.2 Jellybean Li-Ion 3500mAh battery Front and rear facing cameras usb OTG

People have been waiting on a Retina display-equipped iPad mini ever since the small form factor tablet first came out. However, it looks like it may not see a 2013 release, since it’s said that the 2nd-generation iPad mini won’t begin production until October of this year, which rules out a fall release date According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Retina iPad mini won’t enter production until the fall, and since it takes a few months for the production to build up enough inventory to begin selling to consumers, it seems that the 2nd-generation mini tablet won’t launch until 2014 — possibly not until Apple’s next update cycle in the spring of next year. Apple is rumored to refresh a handful of its iOS devices this fall, but the iPad mini may be one device that gets left out of the bunch. Kuo cites the difficulty of producing the smaller Retina displays as the reason behind the production timeline of October. However, Kuo says that a cheaper iPad mini could be made i...

Apple seems to have hit the screen size limit with the iPhone 5′s four-inch diagonal screen squeezed into a taller package. That’s not stopping the iPad mini from being one of Apple’s more popular devices, eating into the full-sized iPad sales, though. But it’s still a tablet and not a phone. What would you get if you had an iPad mini that could make phone calls? A Chinese knockoff tablet does just this. The tablet, named “No. 1 mini Pad” looks like an iPad mini from afar, and even the packaging mimics that of the iPad mini. However, you can distinguish it from the real thing with its wider bezel (the screen measures 7 inches rather than 7.9) and the branding at the back. It also runs an un-identified build of Android, although there’s no word whether it will be skinned to appear like iOS like some knockoffs. Specs-wise, it’s not exactly an iPad mini or a Nexus 7 competitor, but it’s not likely that it would matter for this device’s target market. Quad-core Mediatek MT6589 pro...

The Colorfly CT781 is a brand new iPad mini clone from China that runs Android, in addition to the Goopad mini and the Onda V818  that we’ve seen a while ago. Made by Colorful, the Colorfly CT781 sports a 7.85-inch display, and while it looks like an iPad mini, it’s actually thinner than one. The Colorfly measures 6.71mm in thickness, compared to the iPad mini’s 7.2mm. The Android tablet has a bezel of only 4.90mm, while the iPad mini measures in at 5.70mm. When it comes to specs, the device offers a quad-core AllWinner A31 processor, 1GB of RAM and PowerVR SGX544 MP2 GPU and Android OS under the hood, although it’s no clear what version we’re talking about. Pricing details and launch dates aren’t available at this time, but the Colorful’s 9.7-inch tablet retails for around $177 in China, which means the 7.85-inch tablet should be even cheaper. According to DigiTimes, Colorful expects to sell as many as 800,000 Colorfly CT781 units in China. (AndroidAuthority)

Looking for an Android-based iPad mini lookalike with a little more pizazz than the GooPadmini clone ? Meet the Onda V818 Mini. This is not a clone per se, but it does steal borrow iPad mini’s overall design and display size. All while keeping the price uber-low. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start from the beginning. Who the fudge is Onda? To be frank, we never heard of the company before December 2012. And the most relevant Google search results for the OEM’s name send us to a Portuguese sportswear brand. Only this Onda is not Portuguese and it doesn’t sell sneakers. Instead, the company is based in China and does what nearly everyone does in Shanzhai Land, only with a little bit of extra style. In other words, you can’t really expect reliability from its gadgets, but you might just be surprised. And now let’s sink our teeth in Onda V818 Mini’s specs. The 7.9-inch IPS display is no Retina unit, but it’s not that bad either, boasting a 1,024 x 768 pixels resolutio...

Apple is rumored to launch at least one new iPhone model later this year, with iPhone 5S being the logical name for one of them, a device that’s expected to be an iPhone 5 upgrade. But while the iPhone 5S is not even official yet, the GooPhone i5S, a Chinese Android knock off, is getting ready to sell for just $99. GooPhone doesn’t need any more introductions by now as, unfortunately, the company has ripped plenty of other products including them into its “Goo” line – and they’re not all Apple devices, as the lists includes copies of the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, the HTC One but also the Galaxy Note 2. The GooPhone i5S is similar to the iPhone 5 when it comes to design and user interface, although the device runs Android, even if it’s made to look like iOS. When it comes to hardware, the GooPhone i5S will offer you a 4-inch display, 1GHz dual-core MT6577 processor, 512MB of RAM, 5-megapixel camera and vanilla Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with an iOS skin on top. The first 1,000 buyer...