Kuo, citing talks with upstream component sources, said Apple's smaller-size iPad will be priced below US$400 and will target the highly-portable mobile device market and consumers that focus mainly on reading and do not have a high demand for text input.Reports of a tablet of that general size have been floating around for some time now, with an analyst claiming in August 2009 that Apple had developed a prototype carrying a 6-inch screen. A subsequent report claimed that Apple might be the cause of a major shortage of 7-inch touchscreens in the supplier market. Finally, in late December, a report surfaced claiming that Apple would be introducing a 7-inch tablet the following month.
While many of these reports indicated that a 6- to 7-inch device could be coming as part of, if not as the entirety of, Apple's tablet launch, the iPad debuted with a larger 9.7-inch screen in line with most other reports. Today's report reveals, however, that rumors of a tablet between that of the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad sizes are not dead and that we may hear more in the future.
Article Link: Apple Reportedly Planning to Launch Smaller iPad in Early 2011
