“Talk of a 7.85-inch iPad was revived again after historically accurate John Gruber mentioned in a podcast that it was supposedly still in testing,” Electronista reports. “He told The Talk Show co-host Dan Benjamin that he had heard from numerous insiders that the smaller size was ‘one of the ideas they’re noodling with.’ The design he understood had the same 1024×768 resolution as the iPad 2, just scaled down to the lower physical size.”
Electronista reports, “To visualize the size, he suggested a trick that he had mentioned in the past when hearing of the 7.85-inch size only through outside reports. Capturing a screenshot of the iPad in portrait orientation and flipping the image to landscape gives an approximate idea as to how big the screen would be, he said. While it was possible some text might be small, it wouldn’t be unusably so. The width of current iPads should roughly represent the length of the mini tablet.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple to unveil smaller 7.85-inch iPad this year, says anonymous Samsung official – March 13, 2012
Tablet also-rans, already sucking on Apple’s fumes, fear 7.85-inch iPad launch in Q312 – March 8, 2012
Apple reportedly lining up suppliers for 7.85-inch Apple iPad mini – March 5, 2012
This is what a 7.85-inch iPad looks and feels like – December 23, 2011
RUMOR: Apple to launch 7.85-inch iPad in late 2012 – December 16, 2011
Analyst: Apple starts production of high-res iPad 3 QXGA displays; Apple eyes 7.85-inch iPad – November 22, 2011
RUMOR: Apple orders 7.85-inch iPad mini display samples from suppliers – October 18, 2011
Again, when I see it, then I’ll believe it.
When I see it, I’ll buy. (The perfect e-reader.)
Think Next Generation AppleTV controller and SIRI voice input. Take 2 or 4 and you can have some great games. Can even play with people that are not with you in your location.
The side note is that it is a full featured iOS device and the crappy e-book readers are dead. Apple iRoadKill again.
What they need is a BIGGER iPad, not a smaller one. How about a 12-13″ iPad? I would love the extra screen real estate. Of course, this might cut into MBAirs, but connect it with a bluetooth keyboard and you really don’t need a laptop for most work anymore…
Imho, that wouldn’t work. If you need something bigger, take up a seat and comfortably use an iMac.
Again: such tablet would only make sense if Apple will implement its patent that allows iOS to recognize approaching finger before it would touch the screen and scale up the UI in this area.
Only this decision would allow users to avoid using a file on their fingers during work with twice smaller UI.
There is no need for filed-down fingers to use iOS on small screens.
iOS senses the centre of the target area you touch, so the size of your fingers isn’t relevant. Just get your iPhone and try typing using your thumbs when the keyboard is in portrait orientation. Even though your thumb may cover several keys at once, you can still type accurately.
Fantastic. When can I buy one? It’ll go straight in my jacket pocket to carry everywhere around with me.
Mr. I want a bigger iPhone inexplicably wants a smaller iPad.
And here I thought it was just ‘Short Penis Syndrome’.
This rumor makes me nervous. I just don’t see myself buying this. And if apple makes something I don’t buy, much less don’t want to buy… Well…
Here’s hoping it’s just talk.
~7″ iPad: Not Gonna Happen.
Why?
It’s a No Profit Market.
Yeah, Apple wants in on that.
You’re right about the profit. However, by putting a best-of-class product in that space, Apple ensures that there will be few places in the tablet universe for competitors to find any decent margin.
So, it comes down to a strategic CEO decision. If short-term profits are the motivator, Apple kills it. But if choking out your competitors, is the motivator, Apple releases it, and the competitors give up and go back to manufacturing bug zappers and snow globes.
Apple doesn’t play defense. They skate to where the puck is going to be, not stand in place where it might have been once.
The screen ratio of the ipad is what would make a smaller iPad work. The taller ratio android tabs, while nice for wide-screen videos, do at it at the expense of everything else. I would imagine a smaller iPad that would work out of the box with a built in vibrant ecosystem would rival the regular iPad in sales.