Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Chinese site claims design of Apple's 7-inch iPad is 'finished'

Though questionable, rumors of a 7-inch iPad from Apple continue to crop up, with a new report alleging the device is now a "finished product."

Citing rumors from production plants in Shenzhen, China, Shanzai.com reported Friday that Apple is in fact working on a 7-inch tablet, though its alleged design is said to be more like an iPhone 4.

"Yes there will be a (7-inch) tablet, yes it's well underway in terms of product development and in fact it’s a finished product," the report said. "Yes 5 plus different designs have been floating around to help Apple protect itself from people discovering its next product look and feel but... the final design will in fact bear more resemblance to the iPhone 4 stylings than the original iPad design."

Rumors began to crop up in April, soon after the iPad launched in the U.S., that Apple was working on a smaller, cheaper version of the iPad. The reports have primarily come from overseas publications citing sources in Apple's supply chain.

In August, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News claimed that Apple was pursuing an iPad with a smaller screen and lighter weight, because the current 9.7-inch device is too big and heavy for some users. That report alleged that the new model will cut its weight from 700 grams to 500 grams.

Though questionable, the persistent rumors have been specific in some cases, with another report claiming the device will feature a Cortex-A9 processor and a screen resolution of 1,024-by-768 pixels. However, that same DigiTimes report also inaccurately claimed that a new Apple TV, powered by the AMD Fusion hybrid processor, would connect to Apple's App Store and go into mass production in December.