“Apple plans to use ‘G/F2’ thin-film touch technology for its 7.85-inch iPad, which is predicted to be out by the fourth quarter of this year, according to industry sources,” Siu Han and Alex Wolfgram report for DigiTimes.
“The smaller version of Apple’s new iPad, rumored to be called iPad Mini, is said to feature the G/F2 technology, with Nitto supplying the key thin-film materials, and Nissha Printing and TPK producing the touch screens, the sources said,” Han and Wolfgram report. “Using the G/F2 design will help reduce costs and will also make the iPad Mini thinner than previous iPad models since it will have one less layer of film than the G/F/F (glass/film/film) structure, according to sources.”
Han and Wolfgram report, “The sources added that 7-10 million units of the iPad Mini may be shipped this year.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: On a scale of 1-10 (1 = not a chance, 10 = guaranteed), how real do you think the “iPad mini” is?
Related articles:
New ‘iPad mini’ could be another right move from Apple – May 11, 2012
7.85-inch iPad on track for October 2012 release; to cost $199-$249, says source – May 10, 2012
Rumors swirl of smaller iPad that Steve Jobs supposedly detested – April 22, 2012
Analyst: Apple ‘iPad mini’ release a ‘question of when, not if’ – April 17, 2012
Apple to launch ‘iPad mini’ in third quarter this year, report claims – April 16, 2012
Gruber: 7.85-inch iPad still in testing in Apple labs – April 5, 2012
Apple reportedly lining up suppliers for 7.85-inch Apple iPad mini – March 5, 2012
I’m jumping for joy at the prospect.
You must have those oversized pants that some folks wear with really large pocket.
Rating 1 for this non-starter of a product. This is an Android rumoured product and not an Apple one.
As I’ve said many times on here before, portability is not only defined as something that can be placed in a pocket. The iPad mini will be lighter and thinner than Apple could possibly ever get the 10″ iPad. That will be its key attraction. We’re talking well under a pound, something that can be comfortably held up for long periods while reading. I doubt Apple will ever get the 10″ iPad under a pound unless they switch to plastic.
Why are you people obsessed with pockets? You can only have one product that doesn’t fit in a pocket? Where do these rules come from? The 11″ MacBook Air doesn’t fit in a pocket either. Apple still released it and it’s been an overwhelming success. The same will be true of the iPad mini.
3-4… Still not sold on the idea.. This rumor has existed twice before..
Saw “Digitimes” and stopped reading. Stop sending traffic to those gibbering chimps.
Here, here!
“10” that it’s real “5” that it’ll come to market. Who knows what else is in that secret lab of their’s 😉
“Who know’s what el’se is in that secret lab of theirs.”
There . fixed the apostrophe problem .
My guess — 6
Absolutely not happening. No chance at all…there will be no iPad mini.
I’ll stick with my MaxiPad
10, just because they allready make an ipad mini called ipod touch.
7… the kindle fire has proven to me that the form factor is usable (but android isn’t). I would prefer to buy a smaller iPad to replace my iPad 1… and carry a macbook air for real computing. With retina display, why not?
Bring it on. Total. Market. Domination.
1 – no hope in hell.
Why?…
I’ll give it a 4/10.
I think the form factor can have useful applications such as devices for inputing set information (think UPS, FedEx or menus for restaurants).
In terms of price, the iPad2 provides the same pricing as the kindle but with a large screen and better performance. This is a win-win for Apple since they keep on selling older models where they have already covered their R&D investment plus have well established component supply pricing. It also disrupts nascent tablet growth by providing a better low cost alternative.
The key is whether Apple can service the low cost market and make money. With the iPad2 yes they can.
So overall I bet that Apple will not launch a 7″ iPad. They already have a better alternative.
I have had an iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 and now an iPhone 4S. The only reason I could afford the was because they were subsidized by AT&T. I would love an iPad but I can’t really afford one at the moment. I would consider an “iPad Mini” if the price were right.
If the folks at Apple are smart, and we all know they are, they are going to release a smaller iPad.
BYE, KINDLE FIRE! HAVE FUN WORKING AT ARBY’S!
Me too! Everybody loves you Apple, not everybody can afford you. Please give us a smaller tablet, call it the iPadAir.
no.
Bring it out in a flaming “Eric the Red” color and call it the Red iPadAir after the famous oil well fire-douser: http://www.redadair.com/
(You have to say it like eye -pah-dair)
I give it a 5
The service industry, ie waiters, line workers, nurses, etc need a screen in between the iPhone and the iPad. Then Apple won’t have to make a silly huge screen iPhone.
Personaly, I would like an iPad mini sure I like the large iPad 2-3 but there Is too big a jump from iPhone/ iPod touch/ and iPad. Nuff said….
Personally I would like an Apple e-ink device. I love my iPad, but I just don’t like reading on it. I like the Kindle and other devices, but I don’t want to use any of their book services. An Apple e-ink device would supplement an existing iOS device and could be used as a reference screen when working on an iPad, or Mac.
I think there is room for Apple to do a low cost device like this because I don’t think that in buying a Kindle (or similar) people are not buying an iPad or other iOS device. By covering all the bases they make their platforms (such as iCloud and their stores) all the more attractive as a one stop solution.
I can see with an “iPad mini” that people might get one instead of an iPad so Apple would earn less. I don’t think the low end tablet market is mature enough, that Apple are losing customers/money to the extent that they need to jump in and launch their own product. I can’t see huge numbers of people having multiple sizes of iPad either.
I’d love an Apple eInk reader, too. But there has been absolutely no indication that Apple has even toyed with the concept of an eInk reader.
At this point, the most we can hope for in terms of a lighter iDevice for reading is the iPad mini. But if Apple surprises with an eInk “iBook” then I’d be all it.
The possiblility of the mini this year? 7
The eventually of a 7.85 iPad? 10
And as I have said before, if the pricing is as low as has been mentioned, it will outsell the original by a wide imagine. When they ship it, they better ship a whole lot of them.
Based upon KF sales, a Nov 1 rollout would see 7-8 million for Q. KF sales will drop off the cliff.
Market is huge for K-3 education use. Smaller size for lighter weight, smaller hands. Less costly for schholds, keeps them away from Android junk and ties them early into Apple ecosystem – if they are not already. win win. This is in addition to the many commercial appls where the smaller form factor and lower cost may work better. 10 inc best for general use, 7.85 for special uses.
…. and LiquidMetal. Don’t forget the LiquidMetal. Sure beats the aluminum fanbois use for hats. That’s fed damn sure.
I am in awe over the potential slimming potential of eliminating a single layer of film from the screen.
If it was the size of a book, I could put it in my inside coat pocket easily.
I give it a 10. When is the question…
Obviously the folks at Apple are pros and are experts at predicting things like markets and demand etc. So one should never say never to any kind of rumor.
However, as a layman, a smaller Apple tablet makes absolutely no sense to me for the following reasons.
1) The “regular” iPad absolutely dominates the market. In fact, you could argue the dominance is overwhelming. The Kindle Fire and other would-be competitors have been left in the dust.
So smaller and cheaper tablets seem to offer no competition at all to the iPad, and neither do they have any kind of significant market share in the overall tablet market.
Apple is the King, the others are Wannabes. Now why would someone who is already the King want to become a Wannabe himself? Doesn’t make sense.
2) But I hear voices: “The reason smaller tablets don’t sell is that they are not made by Apple. If Apple makes one, it’ll sell.” By that logic, people presently prefer a more expensive Apple product to a smaller, cheaper non-Apple product.
If that’s true, many who now put down their dollars for a more expensive Apple would then go for a cheaper Apple. Why would Apple want to produce a cheaper product to compete with their own market leader?
3) There is a clear demarcation between the iPod Touch and the iPad. Would some kind of “in-between” device make sense at all, especially since it would probably require the disabling of some iPad features to accomodate the smaller size and what would need to be lower production costs to make it cheap?
4) Steve Jobs repeatedly said that the present iPad was the optimum size for a tablet – and the iPad’s market domination seems to bear him out. Wouldn’t Cook be something of an idiot – and he wouldn’t have worked as a long-time part of Job’s team and be his designated successor if he was – to now basically signal that Jobs was wrong, even when the evidence shows he wasn’t?
As I said earlier, many of us are no experts and do not have the ability to predict trends, something that the folks at Apple are geniuses at, so we may not see what they see ahead. But based on what we are able to see, it would appear that Apple would be shooting itself in the foot with a smaller iPad.
Considering DigiTimes is involved I would say 0.5
Something else to think about for all you non believers in Apple releasing a smaller iPad. There are different size MacBooks…
One size fits all is not always the best choice.
There was a smaller sized ‘iPad’ before the big iPad. It still exists. It’s called the iPod Touch. I own one, love it, have it with me always. If I want something bigger, I’ll get an iPad. I don’t want any iPad Mini, never will. I consider the mini size to be absurd in the extreme. I also watch the market and continue to notice there is no money and no demand in the ~7″ AnyPad market. If Apple go there, which they won’t, they will retreat from it again.