Bloomberg: iPad Mini Coming in October [Updated]

[sweetbrat]

No, because the current iPad is a tablet at 10 inches.

A 7 inch one would basically be a big iPod Touch. Since an iPod Touch is like 3 inches, that is closer to 7 than 10. If you do not agree, please consult to your local calculator.

10-3=7
7-3=4

There you go. I hope you learned something today. I hope you now know subtraction and do not have to use a calculator anymore for this process.

Your welcome.

I think your logic is very confused here. We're talking about a theoretical new 7" product here. Your numbers should be comparing that 7" product against the current 10" and 3" products to find out which one it's closer to. So...
10-7=3
7-3=4
Therefore, it would be closer to being a small iPad than a large iPod Touch.
Your numbers compared the current iPad to the iPod Touch, which is really irrelevant. Actually, this entire line of thinking is irrelevant, because size alone isn't the determining factor. The usability of the product is. If it's 7" but functions and has the capabilities of the iPad, then it's an iPad mini.

 

[Sackvillenb]

Well, claims by 2 big news agencies... Although Jobs may not have liked the idea, I think it's a smart move by Apple, to have a product competing at a lower price point... Now if only they would do the same for some of their other computers...!

 

[crs.one]

It's just ignorant and arrogant.

In my work, I have to work with a lot of phones and tablets (both iPad and Android). Tablets are a niche device that will never replace laptops or workstations for most people. But they do do things that are very convenient and make them worth buying, so people will buy them in addition to their current devices.

No Android phone or tablet is as clean, slick, and smooth as an iPhone or iPad, but at half the cost or less, they are pretty darn good, and a much better VALUE.

Here's the problem with any 10" tablet: They are too big! Ever try to watch a 55" TV from 3 feet away? How much fun is that? I could place the 10" tablet 5 feet away, but that's longer than my arms are, so that's a pain.

Or...wait for it....I could do this: I could buy a 7" tablet! Then the screen size is just perfect, within 2 or 3 feet, for watching movies, etc., and, as a bonus, I can still hold it it my hands!

I'm not ever going to buy a 10" iPad, even a refurb at half the cost, because I already know that it is just too big for me. And an iPod Touch (or iPhone) is just too small for my old, tired eyes. But like Goldilocks, I am highly anticipating a 7" Apple device, whether it be an iPod Touch XL or an iPad Mini, because that will be just right.

I've never owned an Apple device before (just worked with them extensively), but at half the cost of an 10" iPad, I will gladly shell out money for one now, if it has the 7" form factor that works best for me.

Apple fanboys will buy it because the world does not spin for them if they don't own at least one of everything made buy Apple.

Parents will buy it for their kids so that they can get their 1st 10" iPad back from their grabby, insistent little hands.

People like me will buy it, because we know that a 7" tablet is just perfect, and we won't waste twice the money on something that won't work for us.

I am the market of new sales that Apple wants to move in an dominate.

I don't see a major cannibalization of Apple 10" iPad sales. I see Apple's domination of the 7" tablet market, and that comes at the expense of all the Android tablet makers....

There's not much of a 7" "market." it's all just lumped in with the "not an iPad market"

And you throw around terms like ignorant and arrogant, but you don't address the crux of the matter...will the smaller size make target elements too small and damage the user experience.

In a side note, your aspect comparisons are off. 10" iPad at arms length is more akin to a 55" tv at ten feet. Maybe there is someone here who can do the actual math

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I don't really understand this mentality either. If people don't like the smaller form factor, don't buy it. They will not be eliminating the larger iPad. It will still be the flagship product. So what is the big deal? You ought to be happy that Apple may be providing more products to sell. It can only be good for the company.

Personally, I plan on purchasing an iPad mini the first moment it is available (along with two new iPhone 5's). If no iPad mini, I will be buying the Nexus 7. Regardless I will be getting a smaller tablet than my iPad 1 (which I'm giving to my wife).

It's not true that "it can only be good for the company."

If it provides an inferior experience, it will damage the reputation of the iPad itself. And stockholders will see drops

 

[fertilized-egg]

I'm fine with them releasing a smaller tablet.

I am slightly curious why they'd make a 7.85" tablet. Thats very specific, and also quite close to the ipad size of 9.7". There isn't that much difference between them.

When you see iPad touch targets(icons, buttons, etc) you'll notice they are larger than the ones on iPhone. If you downsize the iPad screen so that the touch targets match the size of iPhone ones, you get a 7.85" display size. This means they get to reuse all the iPad apps with the proven size of iPhone touch targets. Not as easy as the current iPad to touch but not impossible as we're already used to them on iPhone.

As you've pointed out, this "iPad Mini" size is a bit different from the current Android 7" tablets. It's really an 8" (if it were an Android tablet, it'd be an 8.1") tablet sitting between the 7" and 10" tablet sizes. My speculation is that Apple will try to make it similar to the 7" tablets in physical size by reducing the bezel, which would also make it look more attractive.

The display areas in square inches:

7" Android tablet: 22.04
7.85" iPad "Mini": 29.58
9.7" iPad: 45.16

 

[fabrixce]

Its the new iphone

Its not a new ipad ITS THE NEW IPHONE... They wouldnt release a new version of the ipad between the ipad 3 and the ipad 4, if they do release a new version it'll be when the ipad 4 comes out.

 

[rendevouspoo]

I'll go with clean, slick, smooth and doing the best in everything.

Lol.

 

[knightlie]

But more importantly a 7" tablet would require a new resolution, which alone is a no-no. at least for the time being.

Did you even read the article? The resolution is the same as that of the iPad 1 and 2. And anyone who isn't an armchair developer knows that as a result apps won't be affected in the slightest.

 

[wolfpackfan]

Seriously? This is the third time this rumor has been posted, and it'll be the third time it's wrong. There is very little practical application of an 7 inch iPad over a 10, so why would anyone invest millions in r&d money for a product that has the same features as one you already have?

So as to sell you a second one? Plus this source is much more reputable than those in the past.

 

[musicdude2013]

Can this rumor die already? Also, I think this would be a dumb idea.

 

[Doombringer]

I can see both the iPhone 5 and this new (new) Smaller iPad being announced at a single event. "We heard you wanted a phone with a larger screen..." "We heard you wanted a more portable, affordable iPad..."

 

[wolfpackfan]

Its not a new ipad ITS THE NEW IPHONE... They wouldnt release a new version of the ipad between the ipad 3 and the ipad 4, if they do release a new version it'll be when the ipad 4 comes out.

This is the new iPad mini, an entirely different product. It is not a replacement for the new iPad.

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Can this rumor die already? Also, I think this would be a dumb idea.

Why should it, just because YOU don't like it.

 

[knightlie]

Google pushes out Nexus 7. Apple becomes scared. Very scared

Apple pushes out 7" iPad. Competition gives up and goes home.

 

[oliversl]

And hell freezes over

 

[trickness]

iTV remote?

Has anyone thought that perhaps this might be a "second screen" device included with the upcoming iTV, and not an actual standalone product?

 

[hobo.hopkins]

Its not a new ipad ITS THE NEW IPHONE... They wouldnt release a new version of the ipad between the ipad 3 and the ipad 4, if they do release a new version it'll be when the ipad 4 comes out.

I agree with you there. It would be very uncharacteristic of Apple to introduce a new product that way; especially if the new iPad is selling so well.

 

[Mattsasa]

No Apple. Stop it. Do not release a iPad with a different screen size. Do not fragment your perfect tablet set up right now. Furthermore, do not release a 6th gen iPhone, with a new screen aspect ratio!!! not allowed.

 

[Navdakilla]

Sounds good to me. Apple will sell!

 

[Azzin]

Pleaes just stick to the 9"+ size factor.

Image

I am currently on holiday, sitting at a beach club in Turkey, catching up on a few things on my iPad while SWMBO has gone shopping and that post (that gif actually) literally made me spit my diet coke out and inhale it through my nose (not a pretty sight!)!

Quality!

 

[Kevin777]

Can this rumor die already? Also, I think this would be a dumb idea.

Yes, and I'm sure you'll be the first in line to buy one when it comes out in your town....

 

[fertilized-egg]

I agree with you there. It would be very uncharacteristic of Apple to introduce a new product that way; especially if the new iPad is selling so well.

Apple very willingly killed off iPod Mini and replaced it with Nano when Mini was the best selling iPod. They also had no problem releasing the new iPod Touch to disrupt iPod Nano when Nano was probably the best selling MP3 player in the world.

A 7.85" tablet in the $200-300 range will be a perfect device to pick up the slacks in the declining sales of iPod. It might canibalize the existing iPad sales to an extent, but the amount of new customers gained will be enormous. Plus I expect a lot of current iPad users will buy both iPads. In a way, this is Apple's response to large display phones as well, especially if it comes with a 3G/LTE option.

 

[Kevin777]

Apple pushes out 7" iPad. Competition gives up and goes home.

My thoughts exactly...but they've got to be very careful on price. The market of people who who will pay any price that Apple demands, and are actually disappointed that they can't pay twice as much (since price=quality, value, and performance, at least in their perception, every time) is very limited.

 

[Azzin]

I think a lot of people are comparing the current demographic of the iPad to the one that the Mini IMO will be aimed at and I think they're very different.

Not everyone wants storage & Retina hungry apps, some just want a smaller/cheaper iPad, but can't afford one, so they buy a smaller/cheaper Android tablet (if they even know its an Android tablet).

These are the much more casual users that Apple are currently losing to smaller/cheaper tablets and that's why I think a smaller/cheaper iPad still makes sense for Apple.

Once they hook them into the Apple ecosystem, they will make money from apps & the iTunes store in general and they will hope to also convert those that Android phones to iPhone owners once they realise that "it just works"!

There are a huge amount of people buying sub 10" tablets without an Apple logo on them.

Also, the Kindle Fire is only available in the US at the moment and I'm sure Apple would want to steal some of their worldwide release thunder by putting out a smaller iPad.

I'm fairly sure that most people given the choice, would take a smaller/cheaper Apple iPad over an Android/Amazon tablet.

It will be an interesting rest of the year, that's for sure.

I still think its coming..... ;-)

 

[Kevin777]

There's not much of a 7" "market." it's all just lumped in with the "not an iPad market"

And you throw around terms like ignorant and arrogant, but you don't address the crux of the matter...will the smaller size make target elements too small and damage the user experience.

In a side note, your aspect comparisons are off. 10" iPad at arms length is more akin to a 55" tv at ten feet. Maybe there is someone here who can do the actual math[COLOR="#808080",/QUOTE]


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Again, like the other poster, you miss the point of the argument. For many, many people, the view of a 10" tablet of any make or model, is just too close to watch comfortably in your lap. A 3" to 4" screen is too small. But a 7" screen should be just right.

No need to "do the math"...

And if Apple decides to make the 7" tablet, they will make it the best 7" tablet in the market, because that's just what they do. They will work out any issues with the target elements, and they won't let it result in a negative user experience...

The key will be price....price it too high, and people will just buy a Nexus 7.....

 

[eyebex]

toys toys toys

stop messing around with toys and gimme an imac fit for this decade

 

[knucklehead]

If the target elements are too small and thus create a frustrating user experience, it will damage the brand and shouldn't be released

You're simply wrong on this point, and you could realize that if you thought about it, or read through this site a bit -- it's been worked out. That is of course, you consider the iPhone to represent a frustrating user experience that is damaging Apple's reputation and profits...