Apple has mini-iPad in the works, due this fall

[Wirerat]

Apple is putting the finishing touches on a smaller iPad tablet with a display measuring less than 8 inches that is expected to be unveiled in October.

According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Apple will launch a smaller tablet by the year's end. The new more portable, cheaper device would target competition in the 7-inch display category from Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's new Nexus 7 tablet and the Surface tablet from Microsoft.

The Wall Street Journal cited component suppliers in Asia that say Apple has them preparing for production of a smaller tablet in September. The product, sources told Bloomberg, won't have the high-definition Retina display that's on the latest

Rumors about a smaller iPad -- the current models have 9.7-inch displays -- have circulated for years. Priced at least $200 to $250 below the current $499-and-up full-size iPad, the mini-iPad would compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire and the newly launched Nexus 7 tablet from Google.

Those tablets don't come close to the iPad on screen resolution or volume of available apps, but at $199 the Kindle Fire has surged in popularity. And the Nexus 7, which is on pre-order now for shipping in 2 or 3 weeks, is a slick Android tablet with the newest version of Google's mobile operating system. It also starts at $199.

Bloomberg quoted Sterne Agee & Leach analyst Shaw Wu who said the mini-iPad "would be the competitors' worst nightmare. ... The ball is in Apple's court."

Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves predicted earlier in the week that Apple would bring a 7.85-inch iPad Mini to market in the fourth quarter of 2012, with an 8 gigabyte model at $299 and a 16GB model at $399. He estimated that Apple would sell 10 million smaller iPads in its first quarter available and 35.2 million in its first year.

Interestingly, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs didn't think much of small tablets. "We don't think you can make a great tablet with a 7-inch screen," Jobs said in a 2010 earnings call. "The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad."

[URL="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2012/07/report-apple-has-mini-ipad-in-the-works-due-this-fall/1#.T_jwfyR5mK0"]Original Text]




More reports confirm smaller iPad coming...


(CNN) -- A new round of Apple rumors and leaks are suggesting what some tech observers have been predicting for the past year: that a smaller, less expensive iPad is on the way.
The talk of a 7-or-8-inch version of the popular tablet (the current model has a nearly 10-inch screen, diagonally), comes on the heels of Google announcing plans for the Nexus 7, its own smaller tablet that will be more in the mold of Amazon's Kindle Fire.
The Nexus 7 will have a 7-inch screen and sell for $199 like the Fire, which has been one of the few iPad rivals to gain any real traction in the tablet marketplace.
Finally, Apple owns the name 'iPad'
On Wednesday, Bloomberg was quoting "two people with knowledge of the plans" who said Apple will release a smaller iPad by the end of the year.

Steve Jobs once said a 7-inch screen is not sufficient to make a good tablet. Apple's current leadership may disagree.
The so far the imaginary, or at least never-seen, device has been dubbed the "iPad Mini" by speculators in light of the iPod of the same name. The sources said the gadget will have a screen between 7 and 8 inches wide, and one said that it will not have the high-definition "retina display" screen of the new iPad.
Apple rumors can be an amusingly hit-or-miss affair, with random speculation often gaining critical online mass among the millions of diehard Apple fans (or, for that matter, detractors) always on the lookout for what might be coming next.
Battle for tablet supremacy
But as the months have gone on, more and more analysts have begun to believe that the arrival of a smaller iPad is a matter of "when," not "if."
Multiple tech sites also are pointing this week to a post from Chinese tech site MyDrivers (Google translation) which quoted sources on Apple's supply chain in that country saying the new device will have a 7.85-inch screen and be the same thickness as the iPad 2.
Despite a growing tide of "evidence" (a term used with a hearty grain of salt here), not all tech observers are convinced.
"So, will there be a smaller version of the iPad? At the moment, there's not enough evidence to say and, if anything, on balance it's most likely not to be the case," blogger Jamie Condliffe wrote for Gizmodo U.K. "But that doesn't mean we can rule it out. Fortunately, speculation that the device could be launched by the end of year fits with the Apple's usual October iPhone announcement -- so you might not have to wait too long to find out."
If the rumors are true, it would be Apple's biggest departure yet from the vision of co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who died last year.
5 ways the iPhone changed our lives




Jobs was adamant that anything smaller than the iPad wouldn't deliver the full "tablet experience."
"This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion," he said of 7-inch tablets in October 2010, during Apple's quarterly earnings report. "Apple's done extensive user testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff.
"There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps."

[BlackRoseSymphony]

I don't think Apple will release one. Sure, they may be testing one, but that doesn't mean that it will be released. And the iPad already dominates the tablet market, so with a majority of the market share, they wouldn't need to release a smaller iPad to compete with the Kindle Fire. I doubt they even see it as a threat. And besides, there will always be people that will buy the iPad, or any Apple products, regardless of the size.

[Wirerat]

Originally Posted by BlackRoseSymphony

I don't think Apple will release one. Sure, they may be testing one, but that doesn't mean that it will be released. And the iPad already dominates the tablet market, so with a majority of the market share, they wouldn't need to release a smaller iPad to compete with the Kindle Fire. I doubt they even see it as a threat. And besides, there will always be people that will buy the iPad, or any Apple products, regardless of the size.

Maybe but USA today seems to think so. I think it's lame as fuck. A bigger iPhone and smaller iPad. Could apple possibly " follow" android any closer.

[karma]

I'll believe it when I see it...til it comes from Apple themselves, it's all rumors. I personally don't think they would release a smaller iPad...it would serve no purpose. The iPad is already doing a great job blowing the Kindle out of the water, as far as sales and market share goes. Apple is, and always has been, the winner when it comes to tablet market share...no one has even come close to them.

[philfrancia]

They have already smaller ipad. They called it Ipod Touch. Cheers guys!!!

[10pence]

Mixed thoughts about this. Personally I hope Apple don't increase the size of iPhone because having played with one of those Samsung phones it was too big to be comfortable, but a smaller iPad I could just about live with.
At the moment I'm studying a post-graduate course and an iPad is great; being able to carry all my course books and research notes in a package that weighs about a bag of sugar is just amazing. Especially when I think back to my first laptop which must have weighed about 5kg and sported a 400mhz Pentium II!!
I was lucky to play with a Galaxy Note for a few weeks and being able to do what I do on that what I do on my iPad, I can see a market for something in-between the iPhone and iPad; but whether Apple will release it is a different matter. Yes, it will be successful but would it complicate a product line that doesn't need it or take sales away from higher specc'ed models remains to be seen.

[classy56]

I would prefer it if they made a slightly LARGER version of the Ipad, at the moment it's great, but any smaller and I think it would dissolve it's popularity.

[mesko123]

[Gallo_Negro]

If true, this will probably increase market value and further increase Apple dominance. This mini iPad could be like for those that want an Apple tablet but cant afford to pay the price of the original iPad, just like it was with white MacBook (non aluminum, non-backlit...etc) vs the more stylish Macbook Pro.

[l0k0]

Bought my ole lady the new Galaxy S3, and the screen is the same size as my whole iPhone, LMAO. She seems to like it better than she liked her iPhone though. I figured she would hate it because of the size not being so comfortable in her pockets (u know how women are, lol). Then after she got it, i decided I'd test it out myself. Now i firmly believe that Apple is due for a larger screen. They can get away with a larger screen and still have a comfortable phone.

Also I wish Apple would incorporate the draw to text thing Android has on that Galaxy S3. You never have to pick ur fingers up off the keyboard, just draw lines from letter to letter.

[l8ter]

When i thought the ipad was ther most useless product that was released by Apple.

Guess what i think about something between the iPad and iPhone !

[abc17031]

i would love to see one ipad with 8" screen size xD

[sinfool]

Originally Posted by l0k0

Bought my ole lady the new Galaxy S3, and the screen is the same size as my whole iPhone, LMAO. She seems to like it better than she liked her iPhone though. I figured she would hate it because of the size not being so comfortable in her pockets (u know how women are, lol). Then after she got it, i decided I'd test it out myself. Now i firmly believe that Apple is due for a larger screen. They can get away with a larger screen and still have a comfortable phone.

Also I wish Apple would incorporate the draw to text thing Android has on that Galaxy S3. You never have to pick ur fingers up off the keyboard, just draw lines from letter to letter.

I doubt a smaller iPad will be released but I guarantee if it was ....ppl will STILL buy it!

I also agree that a larger iPhone screen is due but I would prefer it be slightly wider as well as taller unlike most of the reports have indicated.

PS. I have tinkered with the draw to text concept years ago on my iPhone 3G. You can test it out too. Try shapewriter (was in app store) and iswipe from Cydia.

[l0k0]

^^ Thanks button for u sir.

[Mr.x]

My Ipad3 is perfect size i don't want it to be smaller . Not like half size is gonna fit in pocket any ways.

[nancy]

nice!

[pianoman763]

What would make a 7 inch tablet more portable? It's not like it will fit in your pocket any better than a 10 inch tablet.

[sinfool]

Originally Posted by pianoman763

What would make a 7 inch tablet more portable? It's not like it will fit in your pocket any better than a 10 inch tablet.

Who knows ...Apple might just take over the GPS market now that they have this new 3D maps coming out for ios6! This smaller iPad would be the perfect mobile "car" entertainment/navigation unit. I could see ppl choosing to disregard navigation unit upgrades etc when buying a new car or even for people with older cars choosing this option over buying a GPS. It would be small enough to be portable but still big enough to use for navigation, watching video or using the Internet.

I have the new ipad3 and made a dash mount setup for my car but it was a major PIA and if you search the web most people have quite a difficult time securing the large/heavy iPad inside their vehicles.

[lolroflmywaffle]

Originally Posted by sinfool

Who knows ...Apple might just take over the GPS market now that they have this new 3D maps coming out for ios6! This smaller iPad would be the perfect mobile "car" entertainment/navigation unit. I could see ppl choosing to disregard navigation unit upgrades etc when buying a new car or even for people with older cars choosing this option over buying a GPS. It would be small enough to be portable but still big enough to use for navigation, watching video or using the Internet.

I have the new ipad3 and made a dash mount setup for my car but it was a major PIA and if you search the web most people have quite a difficult time securing the large/heavy iPad inside their vehicles.

I too looked around for dash mounting kits for the ipad but they all involve alot of modding/hassle + expensive.

I then stumbled upon a youtube video of a guy who used a $.50 (Yes fifty cents) shoelace to hold up his ipad inside of his vehicle... Instantly I knew I was going to go this route since it involves NO modding + it's cheap and effective...

Now I have the iPad "mounted" on the dashboard of my 06 Acura TL with a shoelace (you need to have a Smart Cover on the iPad for the shoelace to hold it) and it gets wows of envy from passengers

Funny thing about this setup is when I'm making a sharp turn the iPad will momentarily switch to portrait orientation and then return back to landscape as I finish the turn.

I'll post a picture of it one of these days here when I get around to it.

[73ullet]

Originally Posted by lolroflmywaffle

I too looked around for dash mounting kits for the ipad but they all involve alot of modding/hassle + expensive.

I then stumbled upon a youtube video of a guy who used a $.50 (Yes fifty cents) shoelace to hold up his ipad inside of his vehicle... Instantly I knew I was going to go this route since it involves NO modding + it's cheap and effective...

Now I have the iPad "mounted" on the dashboard of my 06 Acura TL with a shoelace (you need to have a Smart Cover on the iPad for the shoelace to hold it) and it gets wows of envy from passengers

Funny thing about this setup is when I'm making a sharp turn the iPad will momentarily switch to portrait orientation and then return back to landscape as I finish the turn.

I'll post a picture of it one of these days here when I get around to it.

A shoelace? Interested in that