Production of 7.85-Inch iPad Rumored for 3Q 2012 at the Earliest

I call utter BS, ESPECIALLY at that price point! Digitimes may as well have 'rumours' in it's name too.

I am still loving my lil 7" Chinese Android 4 tab! It's fantastic. If Apple made a 7" tablet for $249 then that too would be amazing too, so amazing I would fall off my chair in utter bemusement....

But seriously, I only want a 7" tablet, I just find the iPad too big and heavy for what I would use it for. 7" is an awesome size.

nate13 said:

Testing would conclude that adding another size would confuse customers, presenting a solution looking for a problem. What exactly is the benefit of a smaller iPad? "Too big for your pocket, but not enough to warrant a bag!"

This whole topic is a troll fest looking for something that, at best, existed as a prototype.

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This isn't the 90s. Technology isn't something new to people today. Smartphones are everywhere. Kids carry about Nintendo DS or Portable Playstation. The whole "consumers get confused" is a strawman that doesn't exist on a widescale level. People have TV and they get the gist of what these things do now.

Even at 1.2lbs i've read numerous people wish for a lighter iPad. If we were to apply the same logic to Macbook Air we'd have people saying there was no use for an 11" Air.

For many people an 11" Air is just to small and for some it's the perfect sub-notebook for grabbing on the go. To each their own.

What I find ridiculous are the comments stating that 9.7" is the size for tablets and screw everything else.

If tablets are to take over in a post PC era there has to be choices beyond storage size. If a waiter/waitress was going to have an iPad on shift all day would they be more efficient with a 10' tablet or a 7" tablet?

What about Point of Sale solutions where even Apple has their workers ringing people iPod Touch in cases that scan barcodes and swipe credit cards?

Size is factor that the individual decides and 9.7" will be too big for some uses and too small for others but it's really for the consumer to decide.

nuckinfutz said:

The whole "consumers get confused" is a strawman that doesn't exist on a widescale level. People have TV and they get the gist of what these things do now.

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Clearly, you have never worked in a retail store that specializes in electronics and technology. You have no idea how confused people are by the simplest things. I deal with it on an everyday basis. Consumers are confused.

emaja said:

Clearly, you have never worked in a retail store that specializes in electronics and technology. You have no idea how confused people are by the simplest things. I deal with it on an everyday basis. Consumers are confused.

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Maybe i'm just so good that when the customers leave they aren't confused. Hey..what can I say? I'm the guy who's card doesn't get thrown away after they leave.

nuckinfutz said:

Maybe i'm just so good that when the customers leave they aren't confused. Hey..what can I say? I'm the guy who's card doesn't get thrown away after they leave.

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I mean BEFORE they walk in. My customers walk out knowing more than when they walked in too.

emaja said:

I mean BEFORE they walk in. My customers walk out knowing more than when they walked in too.

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True...after posting I thought about it and confusion often is a misinterpreted word. I'd say that the confusion is light and a bit of clarity is needed. People can only learn so much from a 30 second commercial for via a friend.

I know that Apple is killing it with the iPad but there are some parents a bit leery of buying a 500 dollar iPad for the kids.

I've got a 10 year old and I'd be willing to risk $299 for a smaller iPad for him in say a year but $500 is out of the question.

nuckinfutz said:

True...after posting I thought about it and confusion often is a misinterpreted word. I'd say that the confusion is light and a bit of clarity is needed. People can only learn so much from a 30 second commercial for via a friend.

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Agreed. You and I both have had customers come in knowing something, but not nearly enough to make the right decision without a little explanation and assistance. That's our job - to clarify and guide them to the right solution for them.

nuckinfutz said:

I know that Apple is killing it with the iPad but there are some parents a bit leery of buying a 500 dollar iPad for the kids.

I've got a 10 year old and I'd be willing to risk $299 for a smaller iPad for him in say a year but $500 is out of the question.

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ABSOLUTELY! The only reason my kids have almost any Apple product is that I upgrade often and they get the last gen model iPhone or iPad. They are good with their stuff, but I don't always trust their friends and I certainly don't want to spoil them either.

OMG lol that's funny because I've seen so many parents buying their kids iPhone 4s !!!

Seriously??? I'm old school. Didn't even have a car in High School let alone brand spanking new Smartphone hotness.

We certainly live in different times.

I'm most pumped about iCloud. I don't think people really realize the ramifications of Cloud technology. Not only does it power Siri but to me it creates this fabric of content that you just multiple devices to punch through to.

So from that perspective I really don't care about a device being pocket sized, hand held size or full on tablet as long as they are all in sync and Cloud enabled.

Anxiously awaiting iPhoto and Aperture in the cloud Apple. Get to it!

Ugg said:

Hmm.

My Dr's office just went paperless. Their tech of choice, the iPad. The hot dog stand by the uni has an iPad with a Square dongle attached so that students can use their debit cards to buy a hot dog. His business is up 20%. My favorite coffee shop also has an iPad and Square.

There's no doubt that the current iPad is a hit in medicine but I think the hot dog vendor could use a smaller iPad.

Personally, I want an iPad for its GPS capabilities, not to use in the car but on bicycle trips. It's lightweight, portable, long batterylife, is 3g enabled, has a camera, what more could I want? Also, I'm not stuck with a $100 a month, 2 year contract if it was an iPhone. I like the current size but also like the size of the Kindle. I won't know until I buy one if the 10" is too big but I think 7.85" would be a good size and would definitely be more portable.

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I'm not denying the usability of the iPad..I know it's taken business by storm and is eveninfiltrating government. I just can't imagine where I'd use an iPad at 10" I think I'd just rather have a MBA. at 7.85 I think I'd prefer my phone.

nuckinfutz said:

I doubt it comes in at $249. I could see the lineup by year's end being.

iPod Touch

iPod Touch 8GB - 179
iPod Touch 32GB - 249
iPod Touch 64GB - 349

iPad Mini

iPad Mini 8GB - $299
iPad Mini 16GB -$349

iPad 2

iPad 2 8GB - $399

iPad 3

iPad 3 32GB - $599
iPad 3 64GB - $699

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All you're missing is the 16 GB iPad 3 for $499. I can actually see this happening, reminds me of Apple's iPod strategy when the competition got stronger - offer a wider range of products at a wider price range (iPod, iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod Touch).

MacinDoc said:

All you're missing is the 16 GB iPad 3 for $499. I can actually see this happening, reminds me of Apple's iPod strategy when the competition got stronger - offer a wider range of products at a wider price range (iPod, iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod Touch).

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You'll need at least 32GB for an iPad 3, and at least 16GB for an iPad 2. We won't see capacity drop below that for these devices -- else they become almost useless. (Not to mention actual capacity is less.)

Text books can be as large as 2GB, and games as large as 2GB after installation. And they're only going to get bigger when they start supporting the iPad 3.

Chupa Chupa said:

If you opted to buy a ticket instead of hiding inside the wheel well this wouldn't be a problem for you.

Seriously -- if the current iPad is too big for you on your Int'l flights you need to find a new airline not a smaller iPad.

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Although I'm an enthusiast & loyal long time user of Apple laptops, pods pads & phones, I'm not about to tailor my opinions & mindset to match Apples.

When I see an opportunity for Apple to offer something I would like, I'll express that thought. As to the topic, I didn't say the current model is too big, my point is that a smaller model would be more convenient under many different usage scenarios ...

It is not an Ipad!!

But remote control.

ixodes said:

Although I'm an enthusiast & loyal long time user of Apple laptops, pods pads & phones, I'm not about to tailor my opinions & mindset to match Apples.

When I see an opportunity for Apple to offer something I would like, I'll express that thought. As to the topic, I didn't say the current model is too big, my point is that a smaller model would be more convenient under many different usage scenarios ...

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I think by saying you'd like a smaller size you are saying the current one is too big for your taste. Nothing wrong with that at all. But it is a little bizarre to say a smaller one would be more comfortable on a plane b/c the 10" iPad is hardly a behemoth.

GermanyChris said:

I'm not denying the usability of the iPad..I know it's taken business by storm and is eveninfiltrating government. I just can't imagine where I'd use an iPad at 10" I think I'd just rather have a MBA. at 7.85 I think I'd prefer my phone.

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iPod Touch is on the small size and the current iPad has the same size screen as a MBA. It would make sense for Apple to sell something inbetween. I really like the size of the Kindle. It's easily held in one hand and is much more portable than the current iPad but more usable than the iPod Touch.

Chupa Chupa said:

I think by saying you'd like a smaller size you are saying the current one is too big for your taste. Nothing wrong with that at all. But it is a little bizarre to say a smaller one would be more comfortable on a plane b/c the 10" iPad is hardly a behemoth.

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I agree with him. A 7.85" iPad would be much more convenient for many purposes and situations. As I mentioned above, the size of the Kindle is really appealing and with a better screen, the 7 would be much more usable in many situations than the 10. On a crowded airplane in a coach seat, a 7 would be great.

What it boils down to is this. Does Apple truly want to capture the tablet market? If they do, then they need to cater to as broad of a group of consumers as possible.

rhinosrcool said:

Could you tell me what a TIE Fighter is? Is it someone who fights ties?

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIE_fighter

If it does get made there will be a marketing pitch to justify it. But based on my own original research on display yields and pricing, it appears there is a near linear square inch model for pricing, mostly independent of resolution within a narrow band. Therefore this size change represents at least a 50% reduction in display hard cost and with the recent improvements in power management, the lower volume still supports a battery of about all day long as defined by a work/school day. Also in schools or workplaces there is increasing dependence on wifi over 3/4G. It may or may not need to be incrementally thicker.

So this is a price reduction scheme at a fixed margin and capability list.

Rocketman

Chupa Chupa said:

I think by saying you'd like a smaller size you are saying the current one is too big for your taste. Nothing wrong with that at all. But it is a little bizarre to say a smaller one would be more comfortable on a plane b/c the 10" iPad is hardly a behemoth.

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Why assume?

Assuming I find my full size iPad is too big for my taste, comes across as though you know what I'm thinking. I happen to enjoy it's size when using it at home.

Calling my personal preferences bizarre based on your value system indicates your desire to critize and label people.

You can have the last word, you can say whatever you wish, but you'll notice I didn't take the bait & launch an attack on your position.

I choose to respect each individuals preferences. It's why I participate in various forums, it's interesting & valuable to share information.

no 7" ipad

much more likely they just call it iPod touch

No Maxi-iPad on the way

Anyone who thinks Apple will come out with an iPad mini has not considered the nickname it would place on Apples shining star. The iPad will never be known as the maxi-ipad. The only intermediate size product might be to make an Enhanced iPod-touch.

MythicFrost said:

You'll need at least 32GB for an iPad 3, and at least 16GB for an iPad 2. We won't see capacity drop below that for these devices -- else they become almost useless. (Not to mention actual capacity is less.)

Text books can be as large as 2GB, and games as large as 2GB after installation. And they're only going to get bigger when they start supporting the iPad 3.

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Well, I certainly agree with you that 32, 64 and 128 GB models of the iPad 3 would be preferable, but Apple has been known to scrimp on memory and storage in the past, and it is heavily promoting iCloud as a means to reduce local storage requirements.

Hopefully you're right about this, and higher capacity models are on the way.

MacinDoc said:

Well, I certainly agree with you that 32, 64 and 128 GB models of the iPad 3 would be preferable, but Apple has been known to scrimp on memory and storage in the past, and it is heavily promoting iCloud as a means to reduce local storage requirements.

Hopefully you're right about this, and higher capacity models are on the way.

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I'm hoping, and I see a "retina" display iPad as the time to do it, but you never know. I'd much rather see a $499 16GB iPad 3 than a iPad 2 at that price point, and I noticed a rumour saying that this morning, so I'm hoping it's true.

SPUY767 said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIE_fighter

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Oh, I did not know that. Thanks.

Speaking of a good use for a smaller and less expensive tablet...

Archos just announced the 7" ChildPad, running Android Ice Cream Sandwich on a 1GHz cpu with 1GB RAM.

The homescreen is customized for children with simple directories and access to a Kid's App Store with vetted apps. The browser has blocking and parental permissions. The tablet comes preloaded with a few dozen favorite games such as Angry Birds.

Should be available by the end of the month for only $129.



Now if they'd just make a similar one for grandparents with simple family photo sharing and IM ...

rhinosrcool said:

Oh, I did not know that. Thanks.

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I didn't know if you were trolling.