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Eddy Cue Worked to Convince Steve Jobs of Need for 7-Inch iPad in Early 2011

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Back in October 2010, Steve Jobs appeared on an Apple earnings conference call to address the Android-based iPad competitors that were just then coming to the market. With the majority of those tablets carrying 7-inch displays, Jobs noted that the screens were only 45% as large as the iPad's and that Apple believed the iPad's 9.7-inch display was the minimum necessary for an acceptable user experience.

ipad_mini_mockup_iphone.jpg
Mockup of 7.85-inch "iPad mini" next to an iPhone (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)​
With rumors of an "iPad mini" having circulated since that time and now appearing to gain traction with more prominent sources beginning to point to a launch later this year, interest in the potential device has continued to build. Supporting the idea of a 7-inch tablet, Wired's Christina Bonnington notes that part of iOS software chief Scott Forstall's testimony in the Apple-Samsung patent trial has revealed that content chief Eddy Cue was pushing for a 7-inch iPad by January 2011.
In email, Eddy Cue wrote "I believe there will be a 7-inch market and we should do one." referring to a 7-inch iPad
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CNBC's Jon Fortt reports that Steve Jobs was evenutally won over by arguments in favor of the smaller iPad.
Apple internal email shows Eddie Cue advocated in 1/11 for 7" iPad, said Steve Jobs seemed receptive most recent time
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iMore, which has offered reliable information on a number of topics in recent months, claimed earlier this week that Apple's September 12 media event that has been all but confirmed by numerous mainstream media reports will see the introduction of both the next-generation iPhone and the iPad mini. Other reports have been less clear on the timing for an iPad mini launch, but many believe that it will launch in time for the holiday shopping season.

Update: CNET posts the full email sent by Cue to other senior executives at Apple:
Having used a Samsung Galaxy, I tend to agree with many of the comments below (except moving off the iPad). I believe there will be a 7" market and we should do one. I expressed this to Steve several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time. I found email, books, facebook and video very compelling on a 7". Web browsing is definitely the weakest point, but still usable.
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20120803-221426.jpg

Article Link: Eddy Cue Worked to Convince Steve Jobs of Need for 7-Inch iPad in Early 2011
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/03/eddy-cue-worked-to-convince-steve-jobs-of-need-for-7-inch-ipad-in-early-2011/
nfl46

nfl46

macrumors G3
Oct 5, 2008
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I miss Steve. :(

I always looked forward to his presentations. He used to have me so excited to purchase the next Apple product.
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
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What is Samsung's point? Especially when there is no 7" iPad for sale. Even if Apple does come out with one it won't look like a Galaxy Tab.
 
T

TwinMonkeys

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Feb 7, 2012
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Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that Apple always has to compete in it. There's a market for computers that are less than $200 - it doesn't mean that Apple should automatically compete there.

I think that in general Steve Jobs is generally right about the user-experience, a big screen is usually better. The only thing that I think of though is that using a 7 inch iPad in bed would be a lot more comfortable, but I guess that's also a use case where you can say that the phone is what you should be using if you want to rest comfortably on your side.

I think that Apple would probably be best off focusing on a limited number of products, so I'm hesitant to suggest that Apple create a smaller iPad, but it sounds like the pressure to compete there is going to eventually win out and Apple will possibly compete here very soon.
 
C

Chrisg2014

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Aug 23, 2010
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This is not apples style. They don't listen to the consumer, they are normally the onces telling us what we want.

Plus if they do release a 7in tablet, it's like saying, " Hey yeah, you know what we where wrong, you were right" Apple doesn't do that.
 
Small White Car

Small White Car

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Aug 29, 2006
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Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
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TwinMonkeys said:
Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that Apple always has to compete in it. There's a market for computers that are less than $200 - it doesn't mean that Apple should automatically compete there.

I think that in general Steve Jobs is generally right about the user-experience, a big screen is usually better. The only thing that I think of though is that using a 7 inch iPad in bed would be a lot more comfortable, but I guess that's also a use case where you can say that the phone is what you should be using if you want to rest comfortably on your side.

I think that Apple would probably be best off focusing on a limited number of products, so I'm hesitant to suggest that Apple create a smaller iPad, but it sounds like the pressure to compete there is going to eventually win out and Apple will possibly compete here very soon.
Click to expand...
I saw a blog posting on ZDNET the other day saying the race to the bottom in the tablet market is a bad idea. Basically saying its very hard to build a good tablet with decent margins for $199. But now consumers are expecting it and are price sensitive to more expensive devices. Of course it's easier for Google and Amazon when they don't care if they make any money off the hardware. Will be interesting to see how MS prices the surface.
 
T

thekeyring

macrumors 68040
Jan 5, 2012
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If we see a bigger iPhone and a smaller iPad it will be more obvious that there are actually two versions of iOS being marketed as one: Tablet iOS and Phone iOS, I reckon.

I could be wrong though.
 
cmichaelb

cmichaelb

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Aug 6, 2008
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Chrisg2014 said:
This is not apples style. They don't listen to the consumer, they are normally the onces telling us what we want.

Plus if they do release a 7in tablet, it's like saying, " Hey yeah, you know what we where wrong, you were right" Apple doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

Steve also famously said no wanted to watch video on an iPod and the very next iPod was the 5th gen iPod with video.
 
blackhand1001

blackhand1001

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Jan 6, 2009
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Apple needs to release a 7 inch product. However it would be best in the 7.0 inch size and 16x10 aspect ratio like the nexus 7. The nexus seven you can hold in one hand with your hand around both edges comfortably. If it was 4:3 you couldn't do this in the vertical orientation. Also when used in landscape the 16x10 ratio is by far the best. The nexus 7 is an excellent product and apple needs to address it.

I've had it for a few weeks now and my ipad 2 has gotten very little use. In landscape in the browser it s amazing. Very smooth, fast and the text looks great. Even better if you install paranoid android which allows you to use the tablet combined bar which saves some more vertical real estate.
 
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bushido

bushido

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Mar 26, 2008
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Chrisg2014 said:
This is not apples style. They don't listen to the consumer, they are normally the onces telling us what we want.

Plus if they do release a 7in tablet, it's like saying, " Hey yeah, you know what we where wrong, you were right" Apple doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

i doubt the average customer knows/cares what apple supposedly said against a 7 tablet.

hell, i know so many people that dont even know what "a iOS" is or ever update (well more now due to ota). its kinda shocking really
 
S

sjenkins49

macrumors member
Jul 1, 2010
30
0
Indianapolis, IN
It's funny that everyone is saying Apple needs to build a 7" iPad to compete in the $199 to $299 market.

I keep thinking about something Jobs once said....

"What we want to do is deliver an increasing level of value to these customers, but there are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk; our DNA will not let us do that. We've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody, and you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy." - Steve Jobs

Remember this is a company that sales $2199 to $2799 base price laptops that they cannot keep in stock due to demand.

Why would they care about the $199 to $299 market?
 
WardC

WardC

macrumors 68030
Oct 17, 2007
2,727
215
Fort Worth, TX
Large surface 40" tabletop multi-touch computers, that's what we need, not 7" iPads!

I'm tired of the micronization of Apple...they've killed off the 17" MacBook Pro, developed an operating system with text the size of a pin-point, and next to go...Mac Pro.

I am hoping the days of Macintosh II, Quadra, PowerMac, and Macintosh Portable (luggable) return soon.
 
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