Apple 'seeking part makers' for 8in 'iPad Mini' Asian moles have once again claimed Apple is working on a smaller version of its iPad tablet, but this time the diminutive gadget is said to sport an 8in rather than 7in screen. The sources, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, say Apple has been hawking the design around component suppliers seeking partners to produce parts for …
I don't see how going from the 9.7 inches of the current iPad screen, down to 8" will really make that much difference, unless they're also making the screen go edge to edge. and if they did, why wouldn't they also do the same with the big iPad?
8" just doesn't seem to be enough of a difference from the existing model to make it appealing to all those that believe the iPad is too big for their needs
Apple is again following marketing by the book and offering the same product in different sizes. It may even be that the motherboard is the same or very similar in all of these iPads, just the screen and the housing is different.
What is astonishing, however, is that someone else did product differentiation first: Samsung with their Galaxy Tab range.
With the same resolution and the same apps going from 10" to 7" would make the UI just too small. With 8" it may work.
I'm pretty sure Apple needs to somehow fight at the low end. With the Fire there's a cheap tablet for occasional ebook reading and lots of content by Amazon -- Apple can't just leave this part of the market alone. And then there's the textbook thing, the iPad 3 is just too expensive for that. In the long run driving the price of the cheapest iPad down by making the screen a bit smaller is just a reasonable move.
If it's a screen way beyond what you get on an iPod touch or a phone, and its in Yeh iPad form factor (i prefer it on a tablet), and isn't £400 for a WiFi only model, maybe say 250 for an entry model, then I'd he very interested.
I don't need a ten inch screen, but do want something bigger than a phone... A decent 8 hour battery life, front facing camera, and access to the app store would be spot on.
Carrying around a full size iPad, despite what people say, is a bit of a hassle, so marginally smaller would be better.
A couple of feet from your face 7 or 8 inches is big enough. I wouldn't use it for typing at lengthy (no more than this post really) so wouldn't mind the smaller keyboard... And they could even split the qwert and yuiop onto separate sides of the screen in a smaller size for thumb friendly typing as I'm doing now on my phone. That'd be fine.
In short. Make it cost right, work like an iPad, look like an iPad, and not be excessively corner-cut-for-price and I'd get one. Maybe two, if the price was right. Couldn't blow a grand on one each for me out and about and at home, but 500 for two is much more like it.
Brings it into xmas present range for a lot more people too. They'd sell mountains I reckon. And still be able to shift loads of premium 10 inchers
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