At its event earlier this month, Apple took the wraps off of a refreshed iPad mini 4 that is nearly identical to the iPad Air 2, but obviously in a smaller form factor. This evening, the crew at iFixit has shared its detailed teardown images of the iPad mini 4 and as expected, they show what is essentially a scaled down iPad Air 2.
One feature the iPad mini 4 steals from the iPad Air 2 is the fully laminated screen technology, which lends itself to a thinner design. The glass and display are adhered together, giving it a more rigid design and making screen repairs more difficult. iFixit also notes that the iPad mini has retained a battery design that makes it easy to disconnect, unlike the battery found in the larger iPads. Another small similarity between the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 is that the Touch ID cable is now integrated directly into the display cable.
