iPad Air GF2 touch sensor structure made it thin and light weight

Oct 23, 2013

Yesterday, Apple announced its “best iPad ever” –the iPad Air, and the retina display iPad mini.

The iPad Air is especially attractive, with 20% thinner than the iPad 3 (also called the new iPad when it was released in 2012), and 31% lighter than the iPad 3.

What technology made the iPad Air so thin and light weight? Touch Display Research believes the main contributors are

  1. The GF2 touch panel structure,
  2. Narrow bezel touch and display.

Touch Display Research believes the iPad Air used the GF2 (Glass Film with double side transparent conductor) touch structure, compare with the GG (Glass Glass) structure used in the previous iPad. Change one pieces of 9.7” glass to film, Apple could save 0.5mm to 0.8mm in the thickness, and save 0.1 to 0.3 pound in weight.

We also believe the display and touch screen in iPad Air have a narrow bezel than the previous iPad. This contributed to the light weight as well.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team