back to article Big media little iPad stories suggest Apple is cranking up the spin cycle

The latest 'iPad Mini' rumours don't tell us anything more about the putative device than we knew already - what's telling is where the rumours are being reported. Step forward news agency Bloomberg and newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Both covered the 7.85in tablet this week, both citing the inevitable, unnamed "people …

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  1. Graham Dawson Silver badge

    The argument falls down somewhat when you realise that "big media" mostly relies on what's trendin on twitter for its news these days. Apple probably haven't said or done a thing.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Apple just need to get Twitter going. Easy.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The fact that I am a total Apple fanboi has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I salivate over the hint of an iPad mini and the soon to be announced new iPhone. I will of course put in my pre order immediately, que up for several days in the rain outside an apple store and emerge holding said items above my head screaming woooo woooo woooo!

      I cannot wait, oooh the tension I feel in my loins is excruciating while writing this on my new iPad.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If it fails to arrive I suggest a class action against Apple for stress, depression and loss of expectation!

  2. g e
    Facepalm

    Google Nexus 7

    Once more, Fapple saved a rival company mucho advertising dollah for the coverage this gadget's received

    Google should write them a thank you note like Samsung did.

  3. twaffler
    Mushroom

    And how exactly is this different from the rumour which goes round every few months? If you're going to report it at least report it with the proper degree of cynicism. This is El Reg after all.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yawn

    Hasn't the iPad mini been mooted every year for the last two years?! You'd think people would get wise and stop talking about it. We've enough vapourware in the tablet space with the Microsoft Surface without the iPad Mini (or should that be iPoad) rumours doing the rounds again.

    I'm still waiting for this magical Apple TV that's going to do everything including slicing virtual loaves of bread let alone a tablet that might fit in my pocket if I'm wearing dungarees

    1. ItsNotMe

      Re: Yawn

      Yep. Ain't going to happen...'cause Steve said so.

      "The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit that price point, it's because we think the screen is too small to express the software," Jobs said on Monday's quarterly earnings conference call. "As a software driven company we think about the software strategies first."

      http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/10/18/steve_jobs_squashes_rumors_of_smaller_7_inch_ipad.html

      But...it might keep the ladies happy with another choice. They could opt for the Maxi Pad or Mini Pad.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yawn

      I'll believe it when one is 'accidentally' left in a bar in Cupertino.

  5. squilookle

    Could be that the sources "familiar with the situation" saw a regular iPad that was far away and mistook it for a miniature one. Or an iPhone that was really close up.

    Either way, while Apple's history of copying others may be fiercely debated by the fanbois and anti-fanbois, I would think releasing a 7 inch tablet now would be following the trend rather than setting it, which is a position I don't think Apple would want to be in.

    I could be wrong, but I'm as skeptical of this as I am the Apple TV (set), and will remain so until I see it announced.

    1. Sooty

      It could be the basis of the advertising campaign.

      OK, one last time. These are small... but the ones out there are far away. Small... far away... ah forget it!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @ squilookle: "Could be that the sources "familiar with the situation" saw a regular iPad that was far away and mistook it for a miniature one. Or an iPhone that was really close up."

      Someone left their iPad on the photocopier, which was set to 70% reduction...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Alternative theory

    from some Apple nerds: it's carefully planted vapourware. No images of parts have leaked from Chinese factories. Some uber-fanbois like Marco Arment and John Gruber have suggested that the lack of leaked images of parts means that the rumours are an Apple plant to disrupt the Nexus 7's launch.

    My own view? Apple needs to beat Android on tablets to maintain its lead. If it can make a 7" table that would be great. I'm sure it will eventually. But I'm not sure it's got one ready for Christmas. So this makes sense.

    In other news, the real iPad mini is available right now. It's called the iPod Touch, it costs a third of what an iPad does with the same battery life, and it already beats most mid-range Android phones as a pocket computer.

    1. HollyHopDrive

      Re: Alternative theory

      Let's get this right, are you suggesting a 160 8gb iPod is better than the 8gb nexus 7.

      the ipod stupidly over priced these days and nowhere near a tablet experience.

      I personally believe the the iOS platform has gone past maturing and started to stagnate. Looks the same and other than a few bells and whistles that get added from time to time is.a pretty boring experience. At least android is still moving along at pace and evolving and constantly getting even better. Nexus 7 for me but I hope apple do release one, it keeps things interesting. As I've said before, competition is essential to keeps things moving along. (For both sides)

      1. Andrew James

        Re: Alternative theory

        Android might be moving along and improving, but there are so few devices at an affordable level supporting the latest versions at launch (or indeed within 12 months in many cases) that its almost progress for progress' sake. At least when an iOS update is released most of the features are made available to most of the devices immediately, hardware specs permitting.

  7. Arctic fox
    Trollface

    "Officially sanctioned leaks?"

    Pope still keen on Catholicism, bears still evacuating their bowls in sylvan groves.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Officially sanctioned leaks?"

      Indeed-the idea that Apple are secretive is one of the world's greatest myths. They're secretive when they want to be (anyone know when iWork 09's replacement launches? anyone?), but if Apple had announced the iPad without the buildup it wouldn't have had half the buzz it did. People would just have seen the iPhone Big.

      1. Doogie1
        Joke

        Re: "Officially sanctioned leaks?"

        " Indeed-the idea that Apple are secretive is one of the world's greatest myths"

        Don't say that. You'll hurt the Reg's feelings.

  8. schotness

    What about all the people in the know who predicted the iphone 5 last year?

    What about all the people in the know who predicted the iphone 5 last year? I'll believe it when I see it & maybe even buy one if they are cheap enough, which I predict as someone not in the know, that they wont be.

  9. uhuznaa

    Obviously

    A 7" tablet would be trivial for Apple. The only reason there isn't one yet is that they didn't need to sell one. The Fire and the Nexus 7 will make them think they have to compete (and they surely have to), so there will be an iPad mini.

    Carefully controlled leaks now and then selling the thing in October or so would be the right thing to do, too.

    I rather fear it will be an iPod touch maxi, with no 3G radio and a rather crappy screen. But surely at a good price point.

    1. Andrew James

      Re: Obviously

      Without 3G radio it would put me right off the idea. I've been saying for ages a sensible sized tablet could replace a mobile phone for me with my usage pattern (browsing, emails, messaging, no phonecalls). But i wouldnt buy one without 3G as i would then have to carry something else as well as an already bigger device so i could get online when and where i wanted.

      But then if it were very affordable, then it might be a different matter.

    2. TheOtherHobbes

      Re: Obviously

      It would be trivially easy to do, but not trivially easy to do profitably.

      The margins would be lower than on a full-sized iPad. The cost of production will be of the same order, but the retail price would have to be *much* lower. Considering how packed the iPad is already, getting a circuit board into a smaller space while leaving enough room for a decent battery is not an insignificant problem.

      The iPhone proves it can be done. But the nominal retail cost of an iPhone is at least the cost of an iPad - or more. So it doesn't prove it can be done economically.

      It would only make sense as part of a media or content tie-up. And considering that a full-sized iPad 2 is already less than optimal for reading, a small version is going to have a tough time competing with other readers.

      Someone in Cupertino doubtless thinks it makes sense. But I doubt everyone agrees.

      1. Andrew James

        Re: Obviously

        Of course, they could just spec it up like an iPod touch ... use most of the same internals, hook it up to a bigger screen and fill the void with battery. They wont. But they could. They're already churning out iPods cheaply enough so just adding a freshly designed casing and a bigger screen and battery wouldnt be a killer to their margins really.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Scaling up the iPod Touch to be an iPad Mini makes a lot of sense - it's £169 for the 8Gb version - take out the headphones, bigger screen and battery and it's not unreasonably to think it could hit a price point around £199-249 - it already has a two cameras, retina screen, iOS etc. so could sit nicely between the new current iPod Touch and the iPad 3rd gen.

    The iPod Touch is basically the iPad Micro anyway - or an iPhone without the 3G.

  11. Antidisestablishmentarianist

    Phablet

    Apple should beat Samsung et al to the punch and make it a phone. I mean that's the next logical step for the 'droid makers isn't it? When size is one of the few differentiators they have? I'm waiting till they hit the 'sensible' limits and start concentrating on make high end _small_ smartphones. You know, phones for people with normal sized hands - not those of people descended from German blacksmiths and/or with small willy syndrome and/or fatties and/or a combo of all the above.

    I'm here in Asia and just laugh at the wobbly insecure attempts at using their phablets one handed. One overreach with the thumb and that baby is off balance and kissing the concrete.

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