iPad mini?

[Rico]

I know Bryan keeps saying this won't happen, but the rumor mill keeps churning out more and more stuff about a smaller version of the iPad on the horizon - maybe sooner than we think.  So, I thought we should start a thread about this possible new version.  Here's a roundup of the rumors so far:

Rumormongers have been spreading tales of a miniature, 7-inch Apple tablet since before Apple even released its first iPad in 2010. The first rumor hit in September 2009, and now — some 17 individual rumors later — the speculation refuses to die.

A Chinese site called NetEase reported Monday that a pint-size Apple tablet will land in the third quarter of this year to "counter attack" upcoming Windows 8 tablets. The device will cost between $250 and $300, and Foxconn and Pegatron will be manufacturing the tablet for Apple.

Or so says the latest scuttlebutt.

What are we to make of a rumor storyline that's now in its 18th installment? Does sheer rumor volume suggest a diminutive iPad is all but certain? Of course not. The most likely scenario is that Apple has been testing prototype tablets of different sizes for quite a while. We should expect nothing less from any mobile hardware company that strives to remain on top.

Here are all of the iPad mini rumors that have surfaced since fall 2009. It's a tortured chain of speculation, but like a car accident, it's hard to look away.

Sept. 29, 2009: The rumor begins. An anonymous source speaking to iLounge says Apple's highly speculated upcoming tablet will be called iPad, and has been tested in three different sizes, including a 7-inch model that was killed for being too small.

Some three months later, on Jan. 27, 2010, Apple officially announces the first-generation iPad, a 9.7-inch device.

Apr. 8, 2010: About a month after the first iPad arrives in stores, Digitimes jumps into the fray, reporting that a 5- to 7-inch iPad will be launching in 2011 for less than $400. Gizmodo thinks the idea is preposterous, and moves an article about the rumor off the front page of its website, according to an editor's note on the post.

Apr. 17, 2010: Nary a week later, the rumor returns. Taiwanese newspaper Economic Daily News says Apple is working on a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that will be launching by Christmas 2010. Chimei Innolux will be making the displays, and Compal Electronics will be assembling the tablets.

Aug. 4, 2010: Sources at iLounge.com say a 7-inch iPad is on the way, to be released in late 2010 or early 2011.

Sept. 20, 2010: A research note from Rodaman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar describes how Apple's next iPad will have a 7-inch screen, as well as front- and rear-facing cameras. That same day on his blog Daring Fireball, John Gruber points out that Kumar's track record at predicting Apple products is subpar at best.

Feb. 10, 2011: By now, speculation over the device that will soon be revealed as iPad 2 is intense. But John Gruber is already looking forward to iPad 3, hinting at a third-generation release in the fall of 2011. CNET takes the Gruber bait and runs with it, surmising that iPad 3 could be the iPad mini, with a $400 price point.

All of the speculation is just annoying static to the legions of consumers who begin buying the iPad 2 on Mar. 11, 2011, almost exactly one month following CNET's post.

Sept. 8, 2011: After a long hiatus, the iPad mini rumor returns. Digitimes says Apple is working on two iPad mini devices, a 5.6-inch slate and a 7-incher. Compal Electronics is pegged as the maker of the pint-sized pads.

Oct. 12, 2011: Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White says Apple will release an entry-level tablet, an "iPad mini," to battle the just-released Kindle Fire. White expects it to surface in early 2012.

Oct. 18, 2011: The next week, Taiwan's United Daily News reports LG Display and AU Optronics have sent Apple samples of a 7.85-inch iPad with a 1024 x 768 resolution. This tablet is expected to land early in 2012. Gadget Lab responds to the madness: "Why Apple Isn't Going to Release a 7-inch iPad."

Nov. 18, 2011: Digitimes is back, saying that panels for the next iPad are shipping, and that Apple is looking into 7.85-inch iPad screens — essentially a repeat of the Oct. 18 news.

Dec. 16, 2011: Digitimes again says that Apple is preparing to debut a 7.85-inch iPad for 2012 in addition to a 9.7-inch iPad released at the end of the first quarter. This time, the launch date isn't expected until late in the year. Production will start toward the end of Q2, according to the report.

Feb. 15, 2012: The Wall Street Journal adds some credibility to the persistent mini rumor with the headline, "Apple, Suppliers Test Tablet With Smaller Screen." The article reports that tests include an 8-inch screen.

Mar. 1, 2012: Guess who? Digitimes says Apple will begin mass producing a 7.85-inch iPad beginning in the third quarter. It's reported to be priced between $350 and $400.

Mar. 5, 2012: Venturebeat's Devindra Hardawar reports that according to his sources, Apple is buying up components for a device with a 7.1-inch screen. Two days later, Apple announces the new iPad — a 9.7-inch device — with nary a mention of smaller devices.

Mar. 13, 2012: A Samsung official leaks to the Korea Times that Apple will release a 7.85-inch iPad before the end of the year.

Mar. 28, 2012: The iPad Mini rumor mill gets thrown a loop with a report from "a reliable Chinese source" to Japanese blog Macotakara. According to that site, Apple is working on a 5-inch Retina display tablet with either a 1600 x 960 or 1280 x 960 resolution. The pint-size device will arrive in 2013.

Apr. 5, 2012: Daring Fireball's John Gruber speaks on a podcast about the 7.85-inch iPad rumors: "I've heard from numerous people that that's one of the ideas that they're noodling with." He says he hasn't heard from anybody that the device has actually been given the green light for mass production.

Which brings us to today's report from NetEase. Are you suffering from as much iPad mini rumor fatigue as we are? Weigh in with a comment — and let us know if a smaller-form-factor iPad even interests you.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/04/ipad-mini-rumor-roundup/

[Bryancd]

Yeah, still very skeptical for a few reasons. Apple already effectively makes an iPad mini in the iPod touch, at least in regards to a wi-fi enabled device. The current form factor of the iPad slots in perfectly between the iPhone/iPod touch and the MacBook Air/MacBook screen size. One of the reasons the iPad is such a hit is because the media content visual experience of the device is just right for consumers. Not too big to be less portable, not too small to diminish the experinece. Also we need to consider the vast number of app's which have been created and are being created to support the current screen size. Why would Apple fracture theat development market? Apple also has never been a company to try and compete in the lower price/lower margin model that other comapnies do. They want their products to have a higher price point and more cache. Making $300 tablets is not the kind of high volume/low margin business they have ever sought to compete in. And finally, the long lasting legacy of Steve jobs and his very strong opinions on the screen size for the iPad may likely still hold sway over the current management.

I think this year is about the new iPad, iTV, and iPhone 5, that's what we can likely expect and have already seen. If they do eventually make one and people love it, that's great, it just doesn't jibe with the companies current direction form my perspective.

[billybob476]

I'll agree with Bryan here, I still remember all the rumours about an 'iPhone mini' for less money and that never materialized.

[Dangelus]

Hmmm....

Apple have and do dabble in the lower end market with Apple TV and Mac Mini so I'd never rule it out.

[Bryancd]

Hmmm....

Apple have and do dabble in the lower end market with Apple TV and Mac Mini so I'd never rule it out.

I would suggest the MacMini was simply a quick and dirty way to try and get PC users to switch to a Mac once Apple adopted Intel chips and were capable of running windows. They have remained somewhat relevant as a home media dvice but are a tiny seller. Apple TV is similar to that in so far as it was a tests of technology for streaming video content and a means of leveraging iTunes.

[Dangelus]

Hmmm....

Apple have and do dabble in the lower end market with Apple TV and Mac Mini so I'd never rule it out.

I would suggest the MacMini was simply a quick and dirty way to try and get PC users to switch to a Mac once Apple adopted Intel chips and were capable of running windows. They have remained somewhat relevant as a home media dvice but are a tiny seller. Apple TV is similar to that in so far as it was a tests of technology for streaming video content and a means of leveraging iTunes.

The same strategy could be used with iPad Minis to get people to cross over surely? Do you think it would hurt the brand if they did it?

[QuadShot]

I really don't see the market for a smaller iPad. I mean, look at that new "smart" phone that is just plain HUGE.Can't remember which one it is, but when I saw it at BestBuy it looked like a Kindle or something! Why on EARTH would you want a phone THAT big? Same with the iPad, in my opinion. WHen you start reducing the size, you take away a lot of what the iPad has to offer as far as look, graphics, etc. I mean, I like my iPhone but try watching a movie or something, or even reading a book on it??? I'm old, the eyes aren't that good anymore! 

[Bryancd]

Hmmm....

Apple have and do dabble in the lower end market with Apple TV and Mac Mini so I'd never rule it out.

I would suggest the MacMini was simply a quick and dirty way to try and get PC users to switch to a Mac once Apple adopted Intel chips and were capable of running windows. They have remained somewhat relevant as a home media dvice but are a tiny seller. Apple TV is similar to that in so far as it was a tests of technology for streaming video content and a means of leveraging iTunes.

The same strategy could be used with iPad Minis to get people to cross over surely? Do you think it would hurt the brand if they did it?

I think the cost of ramping up production on it would force the company to make a major commitment they didn't have to make with the MacMini or AppleTV, so it's not an apples to apples analogy to compare the products. That financial commitment along with the cost to all the app developers to make versions which would run correctly on a new screen size would be very disruptive and Apple would have to be in for the long haul of selling a low end product. So yes, I feel it would hurt the brand. And there's currently no cross over product Apple needs for their tablet strategy. Everyone wants their current tablet design, they don't need an entry level. And I don't think consumers want a smaller entry level. They can provide a less expensive version of the current model whenever a new one is announced.

[Jobydrone]

Apple TV is similar to that in so far as it was a tests of technology for streaming video content and a means of leveraging iTunes.

Apple TV is pretty popular with the "cord cutting" crew that has been touched on in that other thread about ditching cable.

I really believe that as the 7" tabs grow in popularity that Apple won't remain content to let those potential customers go to Amazon or some other company, which shuts out a large base of potential users (and spenders) in the iTunes store.  It's only a matter of time IMHO

[Bryancd]

I really believe that as the 7" tabs grow in popularity that Apple won't remain content to let those potential customers go to Amazon or some other company, which shuts out a large base of potential users (and spenders) in the iTunes store.  It's only a matter of time IMHO

Honest question, Birthday Boy. :) Where do you see the 7" form factor becoming popular?  I don't see that in the least.

[QuadShot]

"... Where do you see the 7" form factor becoming popular?  I don't see that in the least..."

Ok, am I the ONLY one that had to stifle a serious laugh at this??? :)

[Bryancd]

"... Where do you see the 7" form factor becoming popular?  I don't see that in the least..."

Ok, am I the ONLY one that had to stifle a serious laugh at this??? :)

Yes, in Al's filthy mind the 7" form factor would work very well...doh! :)

[billybob476]

That's what she said!!!

[Jobydrone]

Ha ha you guys are quick on the draw (and that's also what she said)

Anyway, you could be right Bry, and I don't have the sales figures to go by.  But in my mind at least, the Kindle Fire seems to be doing just fine, and you have to agree that every sale of every Fire is another person not using iTunes to buy their books and movie rentals.  And you have to imagine that the Kindle Fire 2 or whatever is right around the corner and I'm sure it will be as much an improvement on the hardware as the iPad 2 was for Apple.  There's a huge gap between the price point of the cheapest iPad and the most expensive iPod touch.  A 7.5" tab fit squarely in the middle there would entice many users not willing to spring $500 for a 10" tablet but would be willing to pay $75-125 more for Apple cache and iTunes integration for a smaller tablet.  I think it's inevitable but I agree with you not happening this year. Probably they'll do it to coincide with the launch of Fire 2.

[Rico]

I'm definitely with Joby on this one.  People like options.  Apple has no valid reason not to do this at some point in time.  I can actually even see a slightly larger iPad at some point.  Amazon's Kindle Fire is a terrific product at a very attractive price.  I think one of the ideas with tablets is in a few years homes will have several laying around the house for various purposes and it's obvious they all won't need to be as big as the current iPad.