Take a look at the specs of the recently announced iPad Mini 8 and you’ll see that the pint-sized tablet has an acoustic display.
But what is Apple Acoustic Display and what is it for? Is it really that different from other speaker systems?
Below, we explain everything we know about the iPad Mini 8’s Acoustic Display. For more information on the latest launch, visit our iPad Mini 8 and iPad Mini 7 guide as we highlight the key differences between the two.
Finally, our roundup of the best tablets reveals our favorite and top-rated models from the past year.
What is an acoustic screen?
Apple’s new acoustic display should allow the iPad Mini 8 to offer a better overall audio experience while playing games, watching videos or editing content.
The brand explains that the iPad Mini has specially designed woofers that are paired across its display for “stronger bass” and “more volume”, while there are custom tweeters that are hidden between the glass and aluminum casing for “clearer highs”.
Essentially, the Acoustic Display allows the iPad Mini to channel sound through the screen instead of traditional speakers. This means that the new iPad Mini does not have speaker grills or open speaker holes and instead has a closed case. Additionally, the iPad Mini 8 can achieve an IP67 rating, unlike the iPad Mini 8.
Which devices have an acoustic screen?
Apple has only stated that the iPad Mini 8 is equipped with an acoustic display, but its recently launched HomeView also has similar technology. Like the iPad Mini 8, the HomeView has speaker components inside its display to “make everything sound clear.” The difference is that the HomeView display has two full-range drivers while the iPad Mini has woofers instead.
The HomeView also has a woofer and two passive force-canceling radiators built into its base to improve bass levels as well.
iPad Mini screen
The new iPad Mini has a lot of screen improvements over its predecessor. In addition to its acoustic display, the iPad Mini 8 features an OLED panel, while the larger 256GB and 512GB iterations also benefit from a nano-textured display option. However, while there are clear upgrades, it’s worth noting that the new iPad Mini 8 still doesn’t see Apple’s ProMotion technology, meaning it only supports a 60Hz refresh rate.
