Rumours Suggest Smaller iPad Could Launch This Year

11 responses to “Rumours Suggest Smaller iPad Could Launch This Year”

1. 

   D.C.

   July 6, 2012 at 9:20 am

   I assumed this would just be a rebranded iPod Touch. Guess not. I think the current size is perfect for the iPad, any smaller would not be comfortable for browing the interwebs.

   Reply
   1. 

      [doa]

      July 6, 2012 at 9:41 am

      This simply can’t be true for multiple reasons.

      1. A 7″ iPad would go against the basic design/size principles for an Apple tablet.
      2. Apple would gain nothing since it already has market dominance
      3. A 7″ iPad would probably still be “too expensive” for most current mini-tablet purchasers
      4. Small Tablets are purchased by Apple-haters, or people that think they wouldn’t notice the difference (having never used a real iPad) the Kindle/Nexus just happen to be the cheapest
      5. A Touch replacement might make sense, but it’s still too large for its intended use
      6. 7″ really only works because of 16:9 dimensions, Apple won’t do that on a true Tablet.
      7. Allow Google to destroy it’s own income by directly competing with it’s own royalty earners
      8. Allow Google to sell a device at a loss (or cost) and consume it’s royalty earners

      Reply
      1. 

         Zap

         July 6, 2012 at 9:48 am

         In the end, Steve’s dead and the purist approach he brought is gone. The money men are in charge and messing with design meetings – expect to see more of this.

         Reply
         1. 

            warcroft

            July 6, 2012 at 9:55 am

            Read what I said below about Jobs.

            Reply
2. 

   warcroft

   July 6, 2012 at 9:54 am

   Ok, Ill tell you all a little piece of information that Ive been keeping under my hat.

   My aluminium supplier (not saying who), the rep visits me about twice a week as we odrder a shit load from them. The company, and their aluminium factory in China, have the production rites to the iPad.
   Just over a month a ago we were advised to get orders in quick because they would be commencing production of the iPad 5.
   Yes, the iPad 5.
   The iPad 3 was just released in March and in May Apple would begin production of the iPad 5.
   This means the iPad 4 (for next year) has been under production since last year.
   Think about the quantities that need to be produced. It makes sense. They cant churn out millions of iPads in a few months. It takes a couple of years to manufacturer that sort of quantity.

   So lastly, all those Apple fan boys that say “Steve Jobs would be turning in his grave, yadda yadda yadda” well, the products being released for the next year were still under his decision/direction.

   Reply
   1. 

      McGarnical

      July 6, 2012 at 10:05 am

      “hat” and “aluminium” in the same comment. Just saying. Also, “rites”?

      But yeah, makes sense they’d be making it ahead of time. Good point about Jobs’s direction being still felt on current models. You do yourself no favours by saying “Apple fan boys” though. It cheapens your comment. Your point was strong without it.

      Reply
3. 

   Braaains

   July 6, 2012 at 10:06 am

   Isn’t the iPhone a smaller iPad?

   Reply
   1. 

      McGarnical

      July 6, 2012 at 10:06 am

      In some ways, but when you use both they are very different devices.

      Reply
4. 

   Lucid

   July 6, 2012 at 10:26 am

   This comment has been deemed inappropriate and has been deleted.

   Reply
5. 

   Matthew K

   July 6, 2012 at 10:32 am

   Having juuust gotten an iPad yesterday, I don’t see the appeal of a mini one. I like the big screen. I’ll continue to use my iPhone for portability (since I always have it with me anyway), the iPad will live at home with the wifi, since I don’t want to get a seperate SIM/3G data plan for it.

   (To forestall any questions as to why I’d pay extra a 3G/4G iPad if I only planned to use the wifi, I didn’t buy it, I won it).

   Reply
6. 

   HolyAura

   July 7, 2012 at 2:34 am

   quote “”The reason we [won’t] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit that price point, it’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software,” Jobs said, according to Apple Insider, adding, “As a software driven company we think about the software strategies first.”

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/19/apples-ipad-2-wont-be-a-s_n_767882.html

   Reply