Rumors of new 7-inch iPad from Apple persist

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Questionable rumors of a new iPad from Apple sporting a 7-inch screen continue to surface, with another Taiwanese publication adding fuel to the fire Tuesday.



Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News reported Tuesday (via Google Translate) that Apple plans to launch a second-generation iPad with a 7-inch screen. The report claimed that the original, 9.7-inch iPad is too big and heavy for many consumers, and the new model will cut weight down from 700 grams to 500 grams.



The report said that the new iPad will also use an in-plane switching LCD display for wide viewing angles. The touchscreens will reportedly be supplied by Chi Mei and LG, while AUO and Sintek will provide the digitizers.



The paper also suggests Pegatron or Compal could join Foxconn in assembling the hardware.



In early 2009, the same publication indicated that Apple would release an iPhone nano that year. Of course, such a device never came to be.



Rumors of an iPad with a smaller form factor have persisted for months, but in recent weeks they have picked up considerable steam. Last week, another report from Taiwan suggested that the new iPad will have a Cortex-A9 processor and a screen resolution of 1,024-by-768 pixels.



On Monday, it was alleged that indications of a next-generation iPad are currently found within the source code of iOS 4, Apple's mobile operating system that powers the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.



Despite claims from the Economic Daily News that the iPad is too heavy for consumers, Apple's touchscreen tablet has made a major impact on the market since it first launched in early April. This week, Asus, one of the world's top netbook makers, announced its plans to reduce shipments next quarter due to the success of the iPad. Apple's new device sold 3.27 million units in its first three months of availability.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 137
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I see no reason for there not to be a series of new form factors using iOS. Maybe one day it will even used to power household appliances. A low end version would sure as heck make microwaves easier to use! Imagine your stove on the network and checking the roast from your iPhone or the refrigerator linked to your shopping app to tell you if you have any milk when you are in the supermarket. I bet Apple are talking to many manufacturers from automobiles to dishwashers. Just look at all the controls on a washing machine and imagine it all done on a small iPhone like panel. The timers and heat controls all visual rotary wheels. Pre set programs called up not to mention the ability to create and save your own. The cost savings in mechanical parts and reduced maintenance would pay for an Apple iOS interface many times over. Plus online diagnostics by the makers is easy. Trust me this will happen. AAPL hasn't even started to take off yet. The next decade will see growth unimagined by even the most optimistic pundits.
  • Reply 2 of 137
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    This could only lead to fragmentation:



    480 by 320 iPhones/iPod touches

    960 by 640 iPhone

    9.7" iPad

    7" iPad



    Too many devices with different resolutions is not good! Just look at the android market to see that for yourself.
  • Reply 3 of 137
    sendmesendme Posts: 567member
    The iPad is the perfect size. Why in the world would Apple make something the wrong size? I don't believe this rumor.
  • Reply 4 of 137
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SendMe View Post


    The iPad is the perfect size. Why in the world would Apple make something the wrong size? I don't believe this rumor.



    I feel the same way,the iPad seems 'just right' as it is and having two size options could lead to app store fragmentation.
  • Reply 5 of 137
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SendMe View Post


    The iPad is the perfect size. Why in the world would Apple make something the wrong size? I don't believe this rumor.



    I'm not believing this rumour yet either, but not for reasons of the size.



    An iPad this size could easily be an "iPad Pro." A tablet for doing work on instead of watching movies and reading magazines. The smaller form factor would be necessary for that.
  • Reply 6 of 137
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member
    i agree, instead of a smaller form factor to reduce weight, why not improve the current model to reduce weight. I am one that subscribes to the fact that the current model is too heavy, comparatively speaking. The ipod Touch has the same guts in it, except for a larger battery and screen size, and it only weighs 4.05 oz. I can't imagine the screen and battery contributing that much more mass. Even if they reduced the current model to 500g (17 oz) it's still too heavy, but getting closer. After using the Nook (11 oz.) and the Kindle (8.7 oz), they both seem like the right weight for a device of this form factor.
  • Reply 7 of 137
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    This has the pungent scent of leaked disinformation about it. I don't believe it for a second.
  • Reply 8 of 137
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I'm not believing this rumour yet either, but not for reasons of the size.



    An iPad this size could easily be an "iPad Pro." A tablet for doing work on instead of watching movies and reading magazines. The smaller form factor would be necessary for that.



    ...Uh...Why?
  • Reply 9 of 137
    I think this is a rubbish rumour because after using my iPad now for several months I don't think it is in any way too big. I find it quite convenient to take with me wherever I go so I can find an answer to any question that may arise at any time. The display is magnificent, so I would not be particularly interested in an iPad with a smaller screen.
  • Reply 10 of 137
    bartfatbartfat Posts: 434member
    iPad is too heavy??? What about laptops that weigh 4 or 5 pounds easily? The main weight is the battery anyway, not so much the screen, so I fail to see how this rumor has much weight. More likely, the weight stays the same (because battery technology doesn't get that good/lightweight that fast), and they add in updated processors w/ more RAM and a camera for FaceTime.
  • Reply 11 of 137
    oodlumoodlum Posts: 40member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe hs View Post


    This could only lead to fragmentation:



    480 by 320 iPhones/iPod touches

    960 by 640 iPhone

    9.7" iPad

    7" iPad



    Too many devices with different resolutions is not good! Just look at the android market to see that for yourself.



    The 7" iPad would have the same 1024x768 resolution as the iPad, just a higher pixel density. There would be no change from a developer point of view.



    Personally I think 7" would be the sweet spot. I find the current model cumbersome for reading in bed and can't stand the very visible pixels compared to the iPhone 4. And more RAM please. It's starting to drive me nuts the way a web page has to reload from scratch every time I hit the back button on chunky, ad-heavy sites. Love my iPad but look forward to version 2.
  • Reply 12 of 137
    No iPad Pro. I need an extended buttons that push keyboard to do anything serious and a screen I can see. I use Adobe Suite and I need to see all of the little icons and what not.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I'm not believing this rumour yet either, but not for reasons of the size.



    An iPad this size could easily be an "iPad Pro." A tablet for doing work on instead of watching movies and reading magazines. The smaller form factor would be necessary for that.



  • Reply 13 of 137
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by oodlum View Post


    The 7" iPad would have the same 1024x768 resolution as the iPad, just a higher pixel density. There would be no change from a developer point of view.



    Personally I think 7" would be the sweet spot. I find the current model cumbersome for reading in bed and can't stand the very visible pixels compared to the iPhone 4. And more RAM please. It's starting to drive me nuts the way a web page has to reload from scratch every time I hit the back button on chunky, ad-heavy sites. Love my iPad but look forward to version 2.



    am needing a reading device. thinking kindle cuz ipad is too big. 7" ipad would be very sweet.
  • Reply 14 of 137
    wurm5150wurm5150 Posts: 763member
    As long as they don't discontinue 9.7" iPad for future generation I could care less whether they come out with a 7" model.
  • Reply 15 of 137
  • Reply 16 of 137
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SendMe View Post


    The iPad is the perfect size. Why in the world would Apple make something the wrong size? I don't believe this rumor.



    Because your individual usage case is not the only one. You are not at the center of the universe.



    If you have read any of the smaller iPad rumors on any tech sites, you will have seen many others wishing for a slightly smaller iPad. You may count me amongst their numbers.



    For starters, a 7" iPad would compete more directly with a well-established eReader market, so we know there is a demand for smaller tablet devices. Also, it would likely be less expensive, which would definitely spur sales. The high entry price of the iPad has been a well documented inhibitor of many sales. Let's not forget that over forty percent of iPad buyers have a self-reported income of over $100,000. If Apple really wants to bring this product category to the masses, they will need to make it cheaper. A smaller, less pricey model would proceed down the correct path. That's one reason why the iPod mini/nano is the best selling model in the iPod lineup.



    It's not about what any one given person thinks, it's really about Joe Consumer. Apple's target market is them, not a handful of random fanboys on some technology gossip site. Never, ever forget that.
  • Reply 17 of 137
    esummersesummers Posts: 953member
    iPad Nano?



    Who thinks 1.5 pounds to too heavy? Many books weigh more then that.



    Personally I think a 7" is credible for one reason. If you shrink the size of the buttons down to fit on a 7" screen, they are about the same size as the iPhone buttons. If you haven't noticed all the user interface elements are currently larger on the iPad.
  • Reply 18 of 137
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by esummers View Post


    iPad Nano?



    Who thinks 1.5 pounds to too heavy? Many books weigh more then that.



    Many magazines and comic books weigh less.



    What's your point?
  • Reply 19 of 137
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe hs View Post


    This could only lead to fragmentation:



    480 by 320 iPhones/iPod touches

    960 by 640 iPhone

    9.7" iPad

    7" iPad



    Too many devices with different resolutions is not good! Just look at the android market to see that for yourself.



    Instead, I envision the 9.7" inch model getting lighter and the Touch growing to around 4.5" yet retaining the iPhone 4's 960 by 640 resolution.



    Improve the weight and the iPad is ideal for a device not intended to be pocketed. The 7" version you couldn't pocket and it would lose screen real estate, making it less immersive. Not very Apple-like.



    On the other hand, boost the size of the Touch up to around 4.5" and you've got a device that is still pocketable yet is better suited to being used as a pocket computer. Being as it wouldn't be a phone you wouldn't get that awkwardness that happens when a device larger than an iPhone is put up to your ear.



    You can try this in increments like upping the Touch to maybe 4.3" this time around and see how it goes. The Retina display is no doubt quite expensive, anyway, so a larger screen with a little less resolution per inch would not be more costly yet I'd have to say that for the average consumer a 960X640 screen in the 4.3" range would certainly work just fine.



    In short the 7" iPad would be no more portable than the current iPad yet be less enjoyable to use. Apple can't even keep up with demand for the 9.7" model so killing that particular set-up would be incredibly dumb. Adding a 7" model would be rather pointless.
  • Reply 20 of 137
    esummersesummers Posts: 953member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    Many magazines and comic books weigh less.



    What's your point?



    If you read the article, it mentions that the reason for the 7" model is because the current iPad is too heavy. This is the opposite of what most people say about the iPad.
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