Neil Hughes
The new device will be priced at either $249 or $299, according to Chinese net portal NetEase, as translated by Kotaku. The device is said to be intended to "counter attack" upcoming tablets running Windows 8.
In addition to Foxconn, which is Apple's regular device assembler, Pegatron is also said to be in the supply chain for the anticipated smaller iPad. Together, they will reportedly assemble a planned 6 million units for launch.
One report earlier this month from writer John Gruber claimed that Apple is "noodling with" ideas and prototypes for a new, smaller 7.85-inch iPad. However, he added that it is not clear if the device will ever see the light of day.
If the so-called "iPad mini" is priced as low as $249, it would be positioned to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, which has taken control of the low end of the tablet market since it launched for $199 late last year.
The new, smaller iPad reportedly has a 7.85-inch screen with a resolution of 1,024 by 768. That would allow the device to run applications written for the first-generation iPad and iPad 2 natively, without a need for developers to rewrite them to work at a new resolution. The height of such a device would be roughly the same width as the current iPad.
Reports of an "iPad mini" have persisted since the original iPad launched in April 2010. Reports out of Apple's supply chain in the Far East have been the chief source of claims about a 7-inch iPad.
Speculation on an iPad with a smaller form factor picked up steam in February when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple officials have been showing off designs for a smaller tablet that has a similar screen resolution as the iPad 2. The report did caution, though, that Apple could be simply testing new designs and might not actually release the device.
William Gallagher
Mike Wuerthele
Malcolm Owen
Andrew O'Hara
129 Comments
I don't see this happening.
I don't see this happening either but Apple is one unpredictable company sometimes. The iPad line may follow the iPod route with smaller less expensive models however the iPods had a feature shrink along with a price and size decrease. Would a smaller iPad be aimed at Kindle users, gamer playing? If Apple were to ship a small iPad it may not get the iPad moniker to keep the confusion down.
Why is everyone always so negative.
I think this will happen and it will be the star of the show at this year?s iPod media event.
The market will be much smaller, nowhere near the 55M - 60M that the iPad currently has annually. Or it will cannibalize the hugely successful current version (which still has no competition), with lower margins.
It will compete for the cheap-o market segment.
Not worth it for Apple, since it needs BIG wins at its current scale.
If they keep the price under $300, I think I'd be interested in one of these as a companion device of my new iPad.
Since we have iPhones and the iPad, the iPod Touch doesn't make sense for us. However, we could find uses for a smaller iPad-like device. The smaller form-factor would be nice, actually, and it would be more convenient to tote along than the iPad.