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Rumors of a 7.85-Inch 'iPad Mini' Revived (Again) for Late 2012

Mr. Gates said:
In the Android space with the Galaxy Tab 7' and the 10.1" it works the same
Click to expand...
But then again one of the weaknesses in the Android tablet-market has been that there was a lack of tablet-specific software.

If the apps are developed with different screen-sizes in mind it shouldn't present a problem, so future apps would work. But then again, what would be the point of the 10" iPad if all apps were created to work just fine with a 7" device?

If Apple are to release a smaller iPad I think they will have to define it as a third type of device. They would likely have to present the device a few months prior to release, to allow developers to prepare their apps for the new baby. As mentioned earlier I would much rather see Apple go in the other direction and release a substantially bigger iPad as a third type of device as I have a hard time seeing the benefits of a device between the current iPad and iPhone form-factors...
 
A 7.85" iPad would have the same dpi as the first iPhones

It's interesting to note that a 1024x768 in a 7.85 inch display would have 163 dpi or 163 pixels per inch, just like the original first three iPhones. An improvement, but I'll still love a 264 dpi 9.7 inch 2048x1536 resolution iPad.

I'm still hoping for a 2560x1920 dpi display, it would still be 4:3 ratio and it would just best the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S display at 330 dpi. (Instead of the iPhones latest 326 dpi.)
 
lilo777 said:
Since they decided to follow Android with this:

* dual core chips
* 3G phones
* 4G phones
* NFC (coming)
* larger phone screens (coming)
* smaller screens for tablets (coming)
Click to expand...


This list can easily be extended:

- notification system in iOS
- cloud support in iOS
- voice recognition software in iOS
- tethering in iOS
- many, many features in OS X that were in Windows and Linux LONG before Apple integrated them (e.g., it's ancient history, but they began copying a lot of Windows Explorer's behavior back in System 7)

Apple usually only sugarcoats their copycat features with a nice design, but that doesn't change the fact that they also copy a lot from others.
 
Looking forward to it. It'll be fun to see so many people flip-flop at the same time. Almost like you'd expect it to set of the earths axis.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

This will compete well with the 8" android phones. Recent data shows android phone screens growing at a rate greater than the polar ice caps are melting and predict 27" android phones will be standard by 2015.
 
One of the biggest advantage of a 7 incher is weight. The ipad 2 is relatively light at 1.4 lbs, but a 7 incher can get below .8 lbs. The Samsung Galaxy 7.7 is only .75 lb, almost half the weight of the ipad. Anyone who uses a tablet casually (most people) would really benefit more from less weight, than a larger screen size.
 
Judas1 said:
One of the biggest advantage of a 7 incher is weight. The ipad 2 is relatively light at 1.4 lbs, but a 7 incher can get below .8 lbs. The Samsung Galaxy 7.7 is only .75 lb, almost half the weight of the ipad. Anyone who uses a tablet casually (most people) would really benefit more from less weight, than a larger screen size.
Click to expand...
Isn't the choice of materials the biggest factor when it comes to weight? Glass for instance is fairly heavy compared to plastic.
 
If glass is heavy and fragile, use a different material. But really, all tablets have glass in the front, and Samsung even had a metal finish in the back and managed to get it down to .75 lbs.
 
Winni said:
This list can easily be extended:

- notification system in iOS
- cloud support in iOS
- voice recognition software in iOS
- tethering in iOS
- many, many features in OS X that were in Windows and Linux LONG before Apple integrated them (e.g., it's ancient history, but they began copying a lot of Windows Explorer's behavior back in System 7)

Apple usually only sugarcoats their copycat features with a nice design, but that doesn't change the fact that they also copy a lot from others.
Click to expand...

And your point is?

The title of your personal site is "Tell them, my song". You are a broken record. :mad: We have heard your song about Apple's copying, lack of openness now so many times that "Friday" by Rebecca Black is a welcome distraction.
 
Judas1 said:
If glass is heavy and fragile, use a different material. But really, all tablets have glass in the front, and Samsung even had a metal finish in the back and managed to get it down to .75 lbs.
Click to expand...

OK, the size might be just as a big a factor.
As for glass vs. plastic: Glass breaks more easily. Plastic scratches more easily...
 
NickFalk said:
Yes, iPhone apps are easy to upscale as no element becomes physically smaller to the user. You can ridicule all you want but you're simply wrong on this.

If you have an iPad specific app that uses the large screen size to its full benefit it will likely be very awkward to use on a smaller screen.

At the moment one of the clear benefits the iPad has had over its Android counterparts is the fact that it has had a lot more apps tailor-made to its particular screen size, rather than simply beign upscaled iPhone apps. Believe me, if you go through Apple's HIG for iOS you will learn to appreciate the thought that has gone into these details.

As a small-time iOS-developer I have some first hand knowledge about how changing sizes and spacing of screen elements even just a fraction, might change the feel of an app completely.
Click to expand...

If you follow the HIG the tap target on the iPad are physically larger than the iPhone. The screen size of 7.85 would make the tap targets the same size of both devices. How does that break anything.

And hopefully then Apple will put in place the tools for one App storyboard to then do larger screens with the same pixel density and tap target size. edit: say using the the overhauled layout system that was introduced in Lion in iOS 6.
 
I think Apple will expand the iPad range by adding larger not smaller iPads over the next few years as Apple seeks to establish the iPad as a genuine replacment for the PC. It would make more sense to position smaller devices as iPod Touch. I can't see the logic of a 7.85" device as that is simply too close to the current iPad. I would expect a smaller (maybe 5" or 6") device targetted at iPod gamers.
 
Forget these smaller iPad rumors - - I want to start hearing the larger iPad rumors.

One 15" iPad for me, please.
 
...

this is BS for two reasons. One is because that size tablet won't be good at anything it is too small. Second is because for a 7" to be portable it needs to be 16:9 because that is the shape of a pocket. You can put a 7" 16:9 in your coat pocket (kind of) but at a 4:3 aspect ratio you couldn't and apple won't change the aspect ratio
 
Spencie said:
I kinda like it, a bigger iPod Touch but smaller than the ipad. Not very useful though.
Click to expand...

Actually very useful, it would be easily one handable which is why I keep the Fire on the breakfast table for checking mail in the morning and not the iPad. The form factor just rules. The Fire fits in my coat pocket, hell it even will slide in the pocket on my slacks. Can stuff in about any of her purses...

I hope that these rumors are true... just...

add a 5+MP camera and it would be all sorts of awesome.
 
I could be wrong but isn't it the competitions job to compete with Apple at this point, not the other way around?

"Apple reportedly is looking to take on the increasing number of competitors such as Android's 7-inch Kindle Fire"
 
....

Honestly I can't see there being a separate market for a 7" VS 10", there isn't enough difference in size for it to open a entirely different market segment. In other words, a person looking for a tablet is likely going to prefer the 10" to the 7".

There is only one reason I could think of why apple would do this and it would be the cost factor. They could release them cheaper to satisfy the many of us that aren't willing to shell out (at least) $500 for the 10" model.

Though I'd rather them release the current iPad 2 as the cheaper model and give the iPad 3 the retina display and any other whistles they plan on adding.
 
Winni said:
This list can easily be extended:

- notification system in iOS
- cloud support in iOS
- voice recognition software in iOS
- tethering in iOS
- many, many features in OS X that were in Windows and Linux LONG before Apple integrated them (e.g., it's ancient history, but they began copying a lot of Windows Explorer's behavior back in System 7)

Apple usually only sugarcoats their copycat features with a nice design, but that doesn't change the fact that they also copy a lot from others.
Click to expand...

Did you realize? They even use batteries, for God's sake. That was invented, like, forever ago, and already used in lots of places when the iPhone appeared. Such copying bstards!
 
tigres said:
Why fragment the very market they own. No need for a smaller form, it's fine in its current size and seems to be selling quite well.
Click to expand...

I make one car, the customers are buying my one car.
As the one car I make is selling, then it proves to me that I've no need to make two cars to select from.

Can't you see a flaw in that reasoning?
 
7" tablets are awesome!

Bought a Nook Tablet for my wife and I for Christmas. I think the size is perfect!
 
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