Production of 7.85-Inch iPad Rumored for 3Q 2012 at the Earliest

[MythicFrost]

I used a 4:3 monitor for about 10 years. I hated it. I'd hate a tablet at that ratio too. Reading books on basically a SQUARE screen is ridiculous. Browsing even THIS forum would be beneficial on 16:10 turned vertically.... just like a newspaper.

My phone is 16:10. I'd never want it to be 4:3.

Apple really dropped the ball on it though, but I don't care, since I'm never going to buy an iPad. To be honest, they dropped the ball on it from the get go, I was expecting something far closer to OS X for tablet than just an oversized iphone in the outdated 4:3 ratio.

You can't compare using a 4:3 monitor on a computer to using it on a slate.

With a 16:10 ratio you'll get too much vertical space and too little horizontal space in portrait, and in landscape the reverse is true. With a 4:3 ratio it's quite suitable either way you want to hold it.

They dropped the ball on it? They've sold like 100 million of them, so they've obviously made a popular product among many. It seems you're after a "Windows slate" but with OS X, but they don't work -- too little battery life, too difficult to use OS X/PC apps on a small screen.

there are a lot of people who don't want a 10inch tablet...they got kindle fire's... i saw no use for a 10inch tablet but I have an iPad1 that I use for a variety of things including reading and I'd prefer a smaller tablet. I want something more portable that I can handle with one hand more often as well.

Apple is changing, they can't cater to one rabid sect of buyer who see no purpose in having a smaller iPad. They'd go gangbusters in schools and with parents of small children as well. Apple is abandoning the Mac in favor of iOS, u seriously think they're just gonna make ONE style iPad forever? People don't want a 4inch iphone but it will happen at some point, why? consumers want it.

Apple is no longer the counter culture hippy barefoot radical and happy having a niche market... Apple is now the big corporation that answers to a board in a suit that wants total domination of their market and an interest in edging closer to per $1,000 shares.

It's evolution, multiple price points of a diverse product line, consumers decide. Apple keeps rolling in the money.

They may not want it, but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to buy it. Apple makes no money from a 7 inch iPad if all that ends up happening is that customers who were going to buy a 9.7 inch iPad instead opt for the smaller model. Like you said, you own an iPad anyway.

I understand the want for a smaller iPad, but I just don't think it'll bring enough new customers on board to be worth it.

Oh, and Apple's not abandoning the Mac, they're just bringing the two products close together.

 

[Otto J]

People aren't getting it


Apple's in the content biz folks. They make money at the sale and then when you buy apps, music, books and video.

I used to say that too, until I actually researched it a bit. Apple don't really seem to care that much about how much money they make off content. They make software and deliver content, to support an eco-system that makes people buy their hardware. The "30% apple-tax" (that people are bashing without realizing that it isn't actually that high compared to other companies' gross margin) is mostly there to cover the costs of development, very little of Apple's income comes from content. That's what most people "aren't getting".

 

[Otto J]

there are a lot of people who don't want a 10inch tablet...they got kindle fire's... i saw no use for a 10inch tablet but I have an iPad1 that I use for a variety of things including reading and I'd prefer a smaller tablet. I want something more portable that I can handle with one hand more often as well.

I think very few of the Kindle Fire buyers choose it for the size, most do it for the price. When reading people's arguments for buying different tablets, most people buying Android tablets do it because they don't want no stinkin' Apple because, well just because allright!!! . People buying Kindle Fire's mainly do it because they really want an iPad but just don't want to spend that much. Face it, the Kindle Fire is smaller to make it less expensive, because if the price was closer to the iPad, more people would go for the "real thing".

These are of course generalizations, and a lot of people don't fit in any of the above, but I believe it fits the majorities. Obviously there are some that prefer 7" over 10", but the success of the iPad compared to 7" tablets in the same price range, should tell you that most people want 10" over 7".

IF Apple wants to grab into the lower-priced market, they don't really need to make a smaller iPad. All they have to do is lower the price of the iPad 2 after launching the iPad 3. I'm not completely convinced that this will happen, but I find it infinitely more likely that Apple will compete by lowering the intro price, than by changing the size.

 

[Winni]

I peronally dislike the idea of an smaller ipad. Please dont let apple become samsung that has a device for every single since from 2.5" to 70" in .2" increments .

Choice and Freedom are good things. But most people buy Apple products because they don't want either of those.

----------

Face it, the Kindle Fire is smaller to make it less expensive, because if the price was closer to the iPad, more people would go for the "real thing".

It's getting tiring. The Kindle Fire also is the real thing, and in case we still need to spell it out, It's not an either/or decision for most Kindle Fire buyers. They buy a Kindle Fire in addition to other devices simply because they want easy and streamlined access to Amazon's content ecosystem, and Amazon's ecosystem certainly is the superior choice for people who still READ.

It's also certainly more comfortable to hold a 5" or 7" device in your hands when you want to read a novel than a 10" monster. The iPad is unwieldy and except for playing Shredder Chess HD or some tower defense games, I still don't know what it would actually be good for.

 

[Michael Scrip]

People aren't getting it

Apple's in the content biz folks. They make money at the sale and then when you buy apps, music, books and video.

Apple is a hardware company. Apple has always used content and apps to help sell hardware.

The reason Apple is a 100 billion dollar company is because of hardware... not iTunes and the App Store.

iTunes is a clever way to make money... but it's only a fraction of what they make from the initial hardware sale.

 

[bpaluzzi]

It's getting tiring. <snip> The iPad is unwieldy and except for playing Shredder Chess HD or some tower defense games, I still don't know what it would actually be good for.

You got that right. It is getting tiring.

 

[gnasher729]

I suggest that everyone who has had enough of Digitimes' made up stores to vote this down.

This site is about rumors and news related to Apple products. Made up stories are neither.

 

[wikus]

Choice and Freedom are good things. But most people buy Apple products because they don't want either of those.

Why do posts like this get downranked? Are people so obsessed with worshipping Apple that they refuse to even have options and pick for themselves instead prefer being told what to like?

When did choice and freedom become a negative??

I know the word 'choice' never sat well with Steve Jobs, but I don't understand why Apple fanboys have to imitate him to such lengths. Its as if pointing out flaws in Apple is forbidden among the rabid apple zealots. God forbid that people were allowed to think for themselves.... no, that sounds like something Apple would have said in their 1984 ad against IBM... oh wait a minute, how ironic!

 

[Tastydirt]

Is there an option to hide all DigiTimes stories on MacRumours?

You're dragging your own reputation through the dirt by repeatedly basing stories off their source.

 

[MacFan23]

As soon as I saw the title I instantly thought DigiTimes -_-

 

[dunpool]

When did choice and freedom become a negative??

The post was implying that Apple = no choice and no freedom. For many people the iPad means more choice of applications, more freedom to do what they want.

 

[macadam212]

Is it a small iPad or a big iPod Touch?

 

[crazy4apple]

Not this again. Gruber should've never started this rumor last year.

I guess I don't see the draw of a 7" model for Apple at this point in the game. The fact is that no one else has yet produced a tablet that can go toe to toe with the iPad (no, not even the Fire). Apple doesn't need to address a competitor that doesn't yet exist.

I travel a lot and have yet to see a 7" device of any kind outside of a few ereaders here and there (even those seem to be scarce all of a sudden), let alone a Fire. I think the notion that the Fire is this huge threat to Apple is completely fabricated.

Boom you are so right

only yesterday i was at a Digital Media Event in London (UK) with about 15000 people with tablets and i have too say only 2 people had 7 inch devices ( i know thats not a proper conclusion to this debate) but the fact that the rest of the people who attended this media Event all had Tablets (majority Ipads including me, myself and I ) and some android Tablets and these were all professional people who attended this event

goes to show 7 inch devices were not meant to be for people who care for proper content consumption. you need a larger device

 

[Lesser Evets]

How long has this rumor existed?

Remember when it was 2009 and there was a 7" iPod Touch rumor? It's been the perennial speculation probably based on some very-very premature research going on in Apple R&D.

If there was a 7" iPad, it would mean the iPod touch would have to reduce in price quite drastically or become a 3rd wheel. Some crystal ball gazer said last year that this year would be a shake-up/redesign of iPods. It's possible. Doubtful, but possible. It's about time the Shuffle is reduced and limited to a 2GB-$29 device without any further thought to development, the Nano (as it is now) locked in at sub-$100 and pushed aside in R&D as a trinket item, and iPod Touch 8GB going up from there to other devices. Especially if there is a $399 iPad2 entering the market and a 7" iPad coming along for $299 or around there.

 

[iSolidus]

Just like all the budget iPhone rumors, this is just another Samsung way of thinking put on an Apple product. It's not going to happen.

 

[daveathall]

I think that the idea of a smaller iPad/larger iPod touch is sound, nothing wrong with extra choice.

 

[xumax]

Not this again. Gruber should've never started this rumor last year.

I guess I don't see the draw of a 7" model for Apple at this point in the game. The fact is that no one else has yet produced a tablet that can go toe to toe with the iPad (no, not even the Fire). Apple doesn't need to address a competitor that doesn't yet exist.

I travel a lot and have yet to see a 7" device of any kind outside of a few ereaders here and there (even those seem to be scarce all of a sudden), let alone a Fire. I think the notion that the Fire is this huge threat to Apple is completely fabricated.

This doesn't mean Apple has to wait for it to come.

 

[daveathall]

Boom you are so right

only yesterday i was at a Digital Media Event in London (UK) with about 15000 people with tablets and i have too say only 2 people had 7 inch devices ( i know thats not a proper conclusion to this debate) but the fact that the rest of the people who attended this media Event all had Tablets (majority Ipads including me, myself and I ) and some android Tablets and these were all professional people who attended this event

goes to show 7 inch devices were not meant to be for people who care for proper content consumption. you need a larger device

You can't predict how many of the 1500 would have had an Apple iPad 7" if it was available, the reason that most of them had iPads was because it is by far and away better than any other tablet on the market.

 

[Morrile]

my two pennies worth!

Hello,

I feel that offering a 7.85" iPad is a perfect solution between the iPhone and current iPad; without any doubt I would buy one.

Also the size is ideal to use as a sat-nav device in a car, let’s face facts, the current iPad is too large for that in most cars and the iPhone too small.

Morrile

 

[sippin40oz]

I was with most people in thinking smaller ipad wouldn't happen until the new Ibooks thing was released. A smaller ipad would make sense if Apple have decided to push into the ebook / education sector. It seems that apple have invested heavily in the eco system for interactive books so a smaller ipad would make sense if they were trying for a cheaper product for the education market.

It could also be argued that a smaller ipad wouldn't be as detrimental to the growing Asian markets due to the population generally being a little smaller. A ipad that was say $50 cheaper in Asian markets would probably make a big difference to sales as well!

I guess we won't know till its released but just saying there could be reasons for the change of tactics! Most of us think that a smaller ipad won't happen because Steve Jobs said it wouldn't but things can change.

 

[xumax]

I see how news of two releases in the same year have never come true, and that the source isn't super reliable.

I just think this might be different, for the following reasons:

1. The ability to take on the Kindle Fire directly, during the Holiday season
2. Maybe it's not an iPad:

3rd quarter, back to school, amazingly priced ePad with all major textbooks ramping up.

I'm always wrong, but it's not that crazy. Can students afford a $500 iPad? You can't get a tipping point with that....but a $249 ePad, slightly smaller, ramped up with tons of text books...you could make a major impact with that.

You are not wrong.
Sending my kids with a 479,- tool in their backbags to the school giving me nightmares. So if Apple is serious about this learning tech tool - they need ideas.
On the other hands - my opinion is that nothing beats paper and pencil, as in education the same philosophy is right, as good old Steve preferred.

Keep it simple.


just my 2 cents.

 

[pika2000]

Actually, I wouldn't mind a 7-8" iPad. iPad mini? After traveling with my iPad a couple times, a 7-8" size would still be large enough to watch movies on and small enough to be "pocketable." But it would be strictly for content consumption (think Kindle Fire).

 

[Jarson]

No worries, no iPad mini is going to release. These are just cheap gossips. Remember guys a rumor when cheap version of iPhone 4 with iCloud disk onlywas about to release at iPhone 5 keynote? It is just fighting for attention. "DigiTimes blog said..."

 

[GunZi]

Dislike.

9.7 inch is just the perfect size. i'd never buy this small iPad. i'd rather get a huge android phone.

 

[SBlue1]

no thanx