Anonymous Samsung Executive Claims Apple Planning to Launch Smaller iPad by End of 2012

[xinu]

Originally Posted by myrtlebee

Sorry, if true, I don't want it. When I saw the iPad in real life for the first time, I actually thought that it was smaller than I imagined. For me, the current size is perfect.

For me 7" is perfect, how about that?

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Originally Posted by seecoolguy

this is good news, that means that there will be at least one more for the rest of us . Really it doesn't matter who's not buying and for what reason. I have co-workers with sammy tabs, asus tabs, kindle fires, that's cool, 3 out of the 25 co-workers in my group have android based tablets.. a smaller tablet doesn't make sense in my group's view, the kindle fire guy uses his for watching movies and wishes it was bigger.. :-/ the asus guy likes his tablet and never uses it for viewing video... and except for the day the sammy guy brought in his tablet to show off, I've never seen it again. I like taking my iPad to meetings to record notes, remote login back to my desktop... etc, etc, etc... it works well for the group of us that use our iPads as light laptop replacements, except for the asus guy who also has the keyboard guy, there is nothing we miss about our heavy laptops for in-company usage.

7" widescreen is better for video than iPad's 4:3 (back to the 90's) screen

Movie fills the whole screen. No waste of space there.

[fertilized-egg]

I wonder what role Apple sets for this device. A 7" tablet is a very different animal from the current iPad just as a 7" tablet is different from an iPod Touch.

The physical form factor will be straight enough but the software segmentation will be the more unknown. Unlike Android or Windows, Apple will probably try to create a version of iOS more optimized for the 7" display. Will it be a larger iPod or a smaller iPad? How will Apple approach having three different sizes?

[xinu]

Originally Posted by fertilized-egg

I wonder what role Apple sets for this device. A 7" tablet is a very different animal from the current iPad just as a 7" tablet is different from an iPod Touch.

The physical form factor will be straight enough but the software segmentation will be the more unknown. Unlike Android or Windows, Apple will probably try to create a version of iOS more optimized for the 7" display. Will it be a larger iPod or a smaller iPad? How will Apple approach having three different sizes?

It really is not that of a big deal to handle different resolutions, if they are the same aspect ratio. Even with different aspect ratios, it shouldnt be a problem for multibillion company like Apple...

[D.T.]

Originally Posted by xinu

Those people who are saying that "9.7 inch screen is perfect" are insane.

- Can you put iPad2/3 nicely to your purse or pocket? no
- Is the iPad2/3 too big for little children? yes
- Is it that of a big deal to handle different resolutions? yes if you are retarded coder
- Is majority of Top-100 software available for both iOS and Android? yes and they work just fine with different resolutions

Well ours fits in the wife’s larger purse and our 4 year uses it daily.

Of course, YMMV, and certainly I get the difference in portability.

I guess you have to define “big deal” on the development considerations.

It’s potentially dealing with another set of resources for layouts, additional graphic assets, etc., and it’s more effort if the device isn’t a standard_res (480x320/1024x768) or standard_res * 2 (i.e., “retina”, 960x640/2048x1536), like a totally unique 5th resolution.

Android apps work the same way, the problem is, it’s more of a swag on which resources are used vs. the specific res/ppi/size (so less fine tuning), and while you can make a few calls and dynamically set UI elements, that’s a bit of a crapshoot too. It’s probably why up till recently, so many 3rd party Android apps looked so mediocre.

I agree with a post made a few pages back: a 1024x768 spec’ed device would allow existing iPad resources to be used _assuming_ the UI was effective at the smaller physical size and it would be less work. Nothing wrong with saying that and it certainly doesn’t point to someone being a retarded coder.

Originally Posted by xinu

For me 7" is perfect, how about that?

I’d say if you’ve used both and that’s the case, awesome.

To be honest, I’m not down on a smaller iPad, I think it might be pretty cool, there’s some business sense to it, better portability, etc.

FWIW, I didn’t care much for the form factor on our Kindle Fire, but I was kind of ambivalent to the overall experience.

[Harleyhum]

Originally Posted by seecoolguy

this is good news, that means that there will be at least one more for the rest of us .

I like to pitch in where I can.

The rest of your post (somewhat) points to the individual nature for what we want/need in our devices. At this point I really want a 7" iPad that runs Flash and includes NYT and Economist apps with the nice formatting that appears on the current iPad (unlike the Kindle versions of NYT and Economist which have less than pleasing formatting). I know the Flash fantasy will never happen...but maybe the 7"?

[xinu]

Originally Posted by D.T.

It’s potentially dealing with another set of resources for layouts, additional graphic assets, etc., and it’s more effort if the device isn’t a standard_res (480x320/1024x768) or standard_res * 2 (i.e., “retina”, 960x640/2048x1536), like a totally unique 5th resolution.

So what? Couple of days more work. It is your job. Just do it.

[oliversl]

... on other news, an anonymous Samsung Executive loss his jobs.

[WLS]

Well they should come up with something to replace the Touch. Whatever it is I'm pretty sure I would buy it. This might make me alternate year from year on my tablet upgrades. It's not coming out till Fall though so it shouldn't affect the new iPad sales. If it is small enough they can get rid of the border but then it would be in Touch territory. 5-6 inch? I can't see a 7.85 size fitting into the product line now that the iPad2 is $399. There's no price niche for it unless this replaces the Touch.

[xinu]

7 inch would be nice for car navigation too?

[kdarling]

Originally Posted by Doombringer

There are ways to deal with resolutions -- the problem is that many devs go the route of making their apps look "like blown-up smartphone apps" when they're on a larger screen. See Cook's 3/7 keynote, where he slams the Android versions of the Twitter and Yelp apps.

Six of one. At least they use the whole screen, unlike the way the iPad either displays just an iPhone-sized segment or does that awful pixel-doubling, when presented with a non-tablet app.

Those Android apps are like that because there are about sixteen million different sizes of Android tablets and devices out there... talk about fragmentation.

Localytics recently reported that about 2/3 of today's Android phones are in the 4" screen realm.

As for tablets, about 3/4 have 7" screens with the same resolution. The rest are 10".

So basically there's only two major and two minor screen size sets to target for phones and tablets. Not so bad. In fact, very similar to iOS, with two resolutions for each of two screen sizes.

--

As for the need for different sizes, it's no different than having multiple sizes of books, monitors and TV sets. Each has its purpose.

Apple has already shown they have no qualms about forcing developers to address different screens, so that's not a factor.

The best objection people have brought up to Apple doing a 7" tablet is that they might not be able to get the high profit margin they're used to.

[Kid A]

still skeptical about this persistent rumor. just don't see it happening.

iPad mini?
why not "iPod touch jumbo"?

on a side note, when is that iPhone nano/mini coming out?
or the iPod shuffle nano?
Mac Pro shuffle?

[macchiato2009]

9.7 inch iPad is just the perfect size

even if the rumor is true, smaller size would not defeat the 9.7

[clibinarius]

Originally Posted by Angry-Birds

Probably an attempt to get people to hold off on buying the newest iPad

I strongly doubt anyone willing to spring for a more expensive iPad would buy the smaller one instead.

[MacinDoc]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B179 Safari/7534.48.3)

Originally Posted by kdarling

Six of one. At least they use the whole screen, unlike the way the iPad either displays just an iPhone-sized segment or does that awful pixel-doubling, when presented with a non-tablet app.

Localytics recently reported that about 2/3 of today's Android phones are in the 4" screen realm.

As for tablets, about 3/4 have 7" screens with the same resolution. The rest are 10".

So basically there's only two major and two minor screen size sets to target for phones and tablets. Not so bad. In fact, very similar to iOS, with two resolutions for each of two screen sizes.

--

As for the need for different sizes, it's no different than having multiple sizes of books, monitors and TV sets. Each has its purpose.

Apple has already shown they have no qualms about forcing developers to address different screens, so that's not a factor.

The best objection people have brought up to Apple doing a 7" tablet is that they might not be able to get the high profit margin they're used to.

That and the fact that a less profitable 7" iPad would cannibalize the sales of the more profitable larger version.

[myrtlebee]

Originally Posted by xinu

For me 7" is perfect, how about that?

Um okay. So? Why would you single out my post? All I said was I like the current size.

[Torrijos]

I doubt it because of the mess it would cause on Apple development platform...

Apple has, from the beginning of iOS, been trying to make it easy for the people that chose to dev on their platform, so when they changed the resolution they chose to double it making it an easy transition.

Now both the iPhone (& iPod Touch) and the iPad have screen definitions that make pixel undistinguishable for the average person, so there is no need for Apple to change their screen parameters for years to come.

Display evolution will only be technical, the resolution remaining the same.

Apple adding cluster to its line... Not happening.

[charlieegan3]

Originally Posted by Drumjim85

Smaller iPad, or remote for new Apple TV?

Apple TV won't have a new special remote. It will be an App, Siri or something else...

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Originally Posted by macchiato2009

9.7 inch iPad is just the perfect size

even if the rumor is true, smaller size would not defeat the 9.7

it's not like they are going to get rid of the 9.7 inch models.

I can't see how this could be a bad thing, it wouldn't need to defeat, only coexist.

A small iPad might be cheaper and is thus more accessible to some.

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Originally Posted by Kid A

...Mac Pro shuffle?...

Loving the idea of Mac pro shuffle!

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Originally Posted by Djs621

why would they even bother, they can't sell ipad's in their current form factor fast enough...

what do you mean by that? Apple aren't selling iPads fast enough? as far as I can remember the iPad is doing quite well?

[axonic labs]

Let's see what happens to this exec after leaking all this info.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by dBeats

This just in, Apple wins $1 billion award for breach of contract for Samsung divulging secret, competitive information about Apple's business plans.

That could only happen if (1) Apple was indeed planning to produce a 7.8" iPad, (2) that paper did actually get information from a genuine Samsung executive, and (3) that Samsung executive had actual knowledge of what Apple is planning and not just speculating. That's three very big if's.

I would be quite sure that _if_ Apple built a 7.8" iPad, then some people at Samsung would know much earlier than most people, those people would be under NDA, and those people would _not_ be talking to the press.

Originally Posted by lilo777

You are not alone. Everybody hates iPad name because of certain connotations of "I pad" phrase. Still, "iPad mini" sounds much better than "iPad maxi"

I'm confused here. So I read your post and try to figure out your age (and the average 10 year old would feel that kind of post would be beneath them), and then I try to remember for how long you are posting here full of hate for everything to do with Apple, and it seems you have been doing this for longer than your actual age.

[axonic labs]

Apple is selling the current sized iPad in record numbers and with the New iPad it looks like it will continue to sell lots of them. If a smaller size was better (lower price, or more portable) then people would be buying smaller ones already.

I think people probably want a cheaper iPad (the $399 iPad 2 is trying to address that) but they don't really want a smaller iPad.

Originally Posted by kdarling

Six of one. At least they use the whole screen, unlike the way the iPad either displays just an iPhone-sized segment or does that awful pixel-doubling, when presented with a non-tablet app.



Localytics recently reported that about 2/3 of today's Android phones are in the 4" screen realm.

As for tablets, about 3/4 have 7" screens with the same resolution. The rest are 10".

So basically there's only two major and two minor screen size sets to target for phones and tablets. Not so bad. In fact, very similar to iOS, with two resolutions for each of two screen sizes.

--

As for the need for different sizes, it's no different than having multiple sizes of books, monitors and TV sets. Each has its purpose.

Apple has already shown they have no qualms about forcing developers to address different screens, so that's not a factor.

The best objection people have brought up to Apple doing a 7" tablet is that they might not be able to get the high profit margin they're used to.

[Luckybobby]

If only there was an apple product that I could hold in one hand and do all the things an iPad could, the iPhone is sort of like it but it has cellular capabilities and I don't need that, if only there was a smaller iPad isn't that a great idea they could make it like 3 in" screen and call it an iPud maybe idk but that sounds like the best idea ever no one ever came up with that idea I don't think!

[Westside guy]

Originally Posted by xinu

7" widescreen is better for video than iPad's 4:3 (back to the 90's) screen

Movie fills the whole screen. No waste of space there.

If you only want to watch movies on the tablet, then that's a good argument. But in my mind it makes more sense to find an aspect ratio that's adaptable to many different uses - and that's 4:3.

What I've seen with 16:9 Android tablets is they seem a bit "off" in portrait mode, such as when you use them as an ebook reader.

Of course I'm a bit biased because I really don't see the point in watching movies on such a small screen - that's what my widescreen television is for.

[Ryth]

Originally Posted by Luckybobby

If only there was an apple product that I could hold in one hand and do all the things an iPad could, the iPhone is sort of like it but it has cellular capabilities and I don't need that, if only there was a smaller iPad isn't that a great idea they could make it like 3 in" screen and call it an iPud maybe idk but that sounds like the best idea ever no one ever came up with that idea I don't think!

I don't know...Steve didn't believe in the 7" tablet size and I'm sure they've gone over this more then anyone can possibly believe with their own internal tests of what the 'right' size is.

I can't see them 1 year out just disregarding the design decisions of probably the greatest man in tech since Edison.

[skeep5]

this is a tired story

[Chief Pilot]

9.7 inch is perfect.
To me... I'm happy with my ipad2


But people have different interests concerning this device.

If there is a significant difference in the price between the big and small iPad, the small one will be successful.
I believe that there are many people who would buy an ipad if the price wasnt starting at 499$. An iPad starting at 299$ or 349$ with reduced flash memory (let's say starting at 8gb) and smaller screen.
It would be easier to carry it around.