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

[TC03]

Three things.

1. To get the full tablet experience, you do need 10".

2. However, in the post-PC era, people don't always need the full tablet experience. If the tablet is truly a post-PC device, people will use it in many different ways, requiring different sizes to address different people. This is different as compared to a phone, because a smartphone can only be used as a smartphone. The biggest evidence for this is iBooks. Apple pushes reading on the iPad, while the iPad is certainly not the most comfortable device to read books. If you want the 'best digital reading' experience, you will need a smaller device.

3. There is no 7" tablet market. This is not a problem, remember there was no 10" tablet market when the first iPad was introduced.

The iPad mini will become Apple's third blockbuster, I am a 100% sure.

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By the way, this is the article the mails refer to:

http://gigaom.com/mobile/why-i-just-dumped-the-ipad-hint-size-matters/

 

[apolloa]

That's a total non sequitur. iPod and iPad are completely unrelated products. Whatever Apple does with iPads has nothing to do with their iPods.

Yeah right, I'm more then sure a $200 iPad will not impact iPod sales in any way shape or form

 

[Nicksd84]

Does anyone find it interesting the amount of info getting leaked from apple in an effort to protect their patents?

 

[sinsin07]

The iPad was actually priced and still is priced to match other top end 10" tablets,

What tablets was iPad 1 priced against?

iPod Touch starts from $200, the Classic starts from $250, the Nano is $129.
So with that in mind, how would they sell an iPad again for $200 anyway? They would need to scrap the Touch and Classic in essence. And not many 7" tablets are $300 or $350.

If Apple were to make a 7" tablet, at 300 to 350, you doubt Apple will sell many? Check this years and last years iPad sales numbers. With the lowest iPad new at 499.00, they are still eating the 7" tablet sales breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's probably in part due to the logo on the back. It would appear that people prefer Apple of other 7" brands, this may carry over to and Apple 7" device. People seem to want to pay more for Apple.

The Nexus 7 is out of stock in some places still and is a sales hit. The Kindle Fire was a sales hit, granted it bombed after a while but it was still a hit when launched.
Apple cannot compete. ...snip

Until Google puts out how many sold in the quarter, being "sold out" is meaningless. Yeah, kindle fire was a hit for about a minute. Total in the wild didn't even make a ding in iPad sales. It is if as it almost does not exist.

After three years, no other tablet manufacturer is even close: IDC: Apple's still king of the tablet hill with 68 percent of the market

Now for my original question, it this device exist, where are the leaked parts.

 

[sinsin07]

WTF does this have to do with the topic, or anything?

He kept it anyway. Translation, he does things he is not crazy about. Further translation, he may have eventually released an 7" tablet.

 

[iPostPeer]

Hot Cakes

The $249 one-hand holdable iPams or iPads mini will sell like hot cakes.

 

[usptact]

7" iPad? Just a source of confusion!

-1, Apple!

 

[champ01]

because we then can conclude Apple is shifting from it's philosophy and a great time of great devices has come to an end.

You just don't now. We're all guessing here.
Every company makes mistakes producing a smaller tablet doesn't mean game over.

 

[sinsin07]

That's a total non sequitur. iPod and iPad are completely unrelated products. Whatever Apple does with iPads has nothing to do with their iPods.




Apple understands one thing: If you don't cannibalize your products, someone else will. (That's why Kodak is bankrupt. That's why RIM is in trouble).

Like this.

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7" iPad? Just a source of confusion!

-1, Apple!

Like iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, macbook, macbook pro, macbook air, rMacbook Pro?

News Flash: People can distinguish between more than one device in a product line.

 

[FuFuFu]

Kill those android tablets! It's a thermonuclear war!

Think Steve Jobs didn't want an 7" iPad ... because 10" is the perfect size for such a device. If he realy wanted it Apple would have done it years ago.

I see Apple going done, with all those people only focusing on profit ... .

 

[pipa]

How can you build a 300 tablet when they offer a smaller 400 iPod touch. Doesn't make sense. I've been a follower of apple for years and this does not seem right. My call is deff no iPad mini.

 

[katejones]

couple of corrections.

Someone said the nexus 7 is 249. The 8gb base model is 199.

Someone else said the nexus is only available directly from google. You can buy the nexus from retail stores.

Apples not going to be able to match those specs at that price, but if history tells us anything, they don't have to.

 

[klrobinson999]

I can't be alone in preferring to read books on my 6" Kindle. Lighter, compact, ability to hold in one hand like a paperback --- this is a definite advantage over the larger iPad. For that reason alone there is a market for a smaller form factor from Apple.

 

[gnasher729]

Yeah right, I'm more then sure a $200 iPad will not impact iPod sales in any way shape or form

Of course not. iPod = music player. It's carried in my jeans pocket. In my shirt pocket with headphones on when I'm mowing the lawn. How can a $200 iPad replace that? A free iPad wouldn't replace it.

 

[KnightWRX]

Yeah right, I'm more then sure a $200 iPad will not impact iPod sales in any way shape or form

Because iPod use cases match iPad use cases uh ? I can definately see a lot of gym goers getting a 7" iPad instead of their iPod...

 

[RoelJuun]

You may want to sit down before I tell you this. Sitting? Okay. Steve Jobs died of cancer last October and is no longer alive and leading Apple. Here's a tissue...you'll be fine. Some people need more time than others. It's okay.

Seriously, the guy is DEAD. The fanboy obsession with "Steve" was creepy enough when he was alive. Give it a, er, rest and move on. You'll feel better, I promise.

Actually, I was not in shock and awe as some of the people were on this forum. I hate the fanboy obsession as well. But it is well known that Jobs left with plans for the coming years. It is also well known that he was a perfectionist, he always had to be convinced of every little thing. I seriously hope Apple will let go of his ideas.

So you probably didn't get the point, or you were just eager to bash with the 'you might want to sit down' attitude. Or both.

 

[CausticPuppy]

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?

The 7-inch iPad is either going to replace the iPad2, or the iPod Touch, or both. With the iPad2 at $399, and the iPod Touch at $199, this would fit right in the middle.

 

[monkor]

7" ipads will be bought mostly for kids and teens or people that can't afford a full size iPad

It's pointless.

Yeah, it'll never be bought by someone who actually enjoys reading on something smaller than a big, heavy, slate. Not. The iPad is awkward for reading. I actually hate it for reading, which is why I literally left the Apple store and ordered a Nexus 7. I've got plenty of money in the bank to give to Apple, but until someone can explain to me why the iPad is worth buying for anything other than to show your friends, I'm out of the tablet market. I'd rather surf on my laptop.

I don't even know anyone other than teeny boppers whose parents bought them an iPad that actually use it. Typing onthat thing is a chore.

 

[NumberNine]

7" ipads will be bought mostly for kids and teens or people that can't afford a full size iPad

It's pointless.

This comment is so absurd I don't even know how to begin to address it.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Could we have a 4", 7" and 10" touch devices in the coming months, each with their own market or is the iPod obsolete with the iPhone?

iPod can never be made obsolete by the iPhone while the cost of the iPhone includes the cost of the 2-year contract. You can't buy a new iPhone for iPod prices. iPhones actually cost $1-2K making them more expensive than iPads and even some of the laptops. Some people want iPhone app functionality without the expensive contracts (and that's a good-sized market).

That said, I'd love to see an iPod3G with the on-demand 3G service options of the iPad (of course, I recognize all the "but that would kill the iPhone business" concerns). And maybe this rumored iPad will bring us close to that: a bigger iPod Touch with 3G on demand. If so, all those that need 3G sometimes- but not often enough to need continuous service- might see it as a great alternative to the very expensive iPhone and the no-3G iPod. All the iPod gamers will see it as a bigger screen gaming toy. All those that see the iPad as just too big for their favorite uses will see it as a great alternative (that still works with all their favorite apps). Etc. It will sell well.

 

[Rogifan]

How does Apple bring a 7" iPad to market in a way that doesn't look like its a (defensive) response to the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 (i.e. we're doing this b/c we're worried about these cutting into iPad sales). Or that the response isnt "hey Apple what took you so long". Steve probably could have done it as he was one of the best salesmen ever. But Cook and Schiller?

 

[AidenShaw]

...it would be stupid on a customers part to buy a shoddy Android tablet when they can have a high quality aluminum Apple iPad mini for the same price or cheaper...

Have you spent any time with a Nexus 7 (made by Asus)?

Nothing shoddy about it at all.

There's also nothing wrong with plastic - it doesn't dent or show scratches, and it's much better for radio signals.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

an ipad mini as a ebook reader would be just the right size

 

[SpectatorHere]

Maybe there is a market for 7" tablets, but it's a market in a race to the bottom - there is a 7" Android 4.0 tablet coming at $89 retail. Apple is not great competing in such races.

I have to agree with Jobs, 10" is the minimum for a quality tablet experience. Apple should be pushing larger, to 11"-13", to grab the lucrative business market. Hell, I'd buy the first tablet which has good battery life and a screen which will allow me to read a full size PDF, or Zinio magazine titles, without zooming in and out.

Samsung appears to be be coming out with an 11" Retina Display this month, which may be the first viable competition for the iPad. This is where Apple needs to be, not in the "cheapo" market, where consumers are more concerned with saving a dollar, than with great quality and design.

Education market with digital textbook licenses, Apple ecosystem lock in, and familiarizing kids with iOS--that's why they need cheaper tablets. If they deliver at $300 and give educational institutions a $250 cut, they've just made iPad classroom adoption much easier for school boards.

Incidentally, it's probably a bad deal for the schools. Whereas textbook purchasing can be delayed for years when money is tight, electronic licenses needed regular renewal. Add in iOS specific apps that kids and teachers will use, and you have a created a captive market.

Also, as of now, kids all need their own Apple ID's just to use them. I don't believe they need to be tied to a credit card, but you know many parents will do that. Then you'll have Apple provided iCloud email, and auto storage of all work...and my guess is they'll probably track usage so they can market to them at home. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple even provides cheaper models that allow for ads (Apple approved for educational use no doubt)--cash strapped districts then would be hard pressed to avoid it.

And remember that copy of Catcher in the Rye you kept from high school English class, that won't happen anymore. After the semester, the DRM'd book will be gone.

And I'm only touching the very tip of this iceberg of tax dollars Apple is going for.

 

[jonnyb]

How does Apple bring a 7" iPad to market in a way that doesn't look like its a (defensive) response to the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 (i.e. we're doing this b/c we're worried about these cutting into iPad sales). Or that the response isnt "hey Apple what took you so long". Steve probably could have done it as he was one of the best salesmen ever. But Cook and Schiller?

"People absolutely love iPad. Sales are off the charts. But people have been telling us they'd love to have an iPad they can put in their purse or jacket pocket so they can take it to even more places and do even more.

So today, we're introducing iPad mini"