LG, AU Optronics allegedly supplying 7.85" iPad screens to Apple

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Rumors of a "mini" iPad continue to persist, with a new report out of Taiwan claiming that Apple has purchased 7.85-inch displays for a smaller version of its touchscreen tablet.



The screens were reportedly purchased from LG Display and AU Optronics, according to Taiwan's Economic Daily News (via Google Translate). The new display will allegedly feature the same resolution as the current 9.7-inch screen on the iPad 2, and the smaller iPad is expected to ship in early 2012.



The new form factor and assumed cheaper price are said to be an effort to counter Amazon's recently announced Kindle Fire. That Android-powered hardware will cost $199, or less than half the price of the $499 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad.



The report said Apple is also hoping a smaller iPad model will help the company gain even more traction in emerging markets across the world, where a lower entry price would be welcomed. It noted that high tariffs make Apple products very expensive in mainland China.



Tuesday's report is the second in less than a week that has suggested Apple is exploring a new, cheaper iPad for release in the coming months. Last Wednesday, analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said he has heard that Apple will release a less expensive -- but not necessarily smaller -- iPad in the first few months of 2012.







A year ago, Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, criticized rivals building 7-inch tablets, saying that screen size is too small for users. He quipped that manufacturers of those devices would need to ship sandpaper with their 7-inch tablets, so users can file down their fingers to the point where they can hit smaller targets on the screen.



Even after those comments were made, claims of a new device with a screen size somewhere between an iPod touch and an iPad have persisted. But Jobs said he feels a screen size of about 7 inches is "too small to express the software," as evidenced by Apple's own user testing.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 116
    Fools... this is the iPhone 5 screen... people want big phone screens, Apple will blow you out of the water, with not 4, not 5, but 7" screens!



    rumors....;-)
  • Reply 2 of 116
    Nope.
  • Reply 3 of 116
    Another BS report. 7-8" iPad- not gonna happen.
  • Reply 4 of 116
    Maybe these are for the remotes on the long rumored but never coming Apple TV's haha
  • Reply 5 of 116
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member
    deleted
  • Reply 6 of 116
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    iPad mini? I think it can even have retina screen, by compressing pixels from current iPad screen. This way developers don't have to change any graphics for the new iPad mini. I would love something like it, though. Would be perfect to compete with Kindle and cheaper tablets.
  • Reply 7 of 116
    Why would Apple spend time developing an additional all new device with a form factor that they're on record of saying isn't ideal for the customer when all they would need to do to introduce a cheaper iPad is wait until they release the iPad 3 at the current prices, but with whatever new features it has, and then drop the price of the iPad 2 to $300-$400 (or less if they can get the build cost down), only sell a 8 GB or 16 GB version, just like they've done with the iPhone the last few iterations, and viola...cheaper entry-level iPad for them with little-to-no additional research and development.



    Not sure what the current cost for apple is to make an iPad 2, but wasn't it around $300 per device? That should only get cheaper for them as they produce more and the tech gets older and cheaper. They get it under $300, I could see them easily keeping the iPad 2, one of the most popular devices them (or anyone) has ever made, and selling it for $300. They still make money on the device and gets people into the Apple/iTunes ecosystem and they make money there. Even at $400 would make a good dent.
  • Reply 8 of 116
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    . . . "to small to express the software," as evidenced by Apple's own user testing.



    I wince, but don't complain, when ordinary posters don't know the difference between "to" and "too," but Apple Insider? Just a typo, of course . . . you really do know that it should have been too . . . I hope . . .



    Edit: I see it's been corrected; must have been a typo.
  • Reply 9 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRulez View Post


    Those who underestimate Steve Jobs took those comments literally, believing that Apple will somehow consider the iPad 2 the end of innovative form factors...



    Don't mis-underestimate the Jobs.

    On a serious note, I think this one will pile up with the rest of the iPad rumors, it's probably a manufacturer looking to run their 7" setup, and decided that a rumor might encourage the market.
  • Reply 10 of 116
    Utterly meaningless rumor.



    It's likely that Apple has received samples of every single commercially viable flat panel display, regardless of size or type (LCD, AMOLED, etc.). As a matter of fact, if you were a LCD panel manufacturer, you'd be begging to send Apple some engineering samples. After all, you'd be ecstatic if you could score a 10 million unit purchase order.



    It's probable that Apple had had 5", 7", 15", 17" iPads sitting in a lab in Cupertino for years. It's probable those labs have 3.7"/4"/4.5" iPhones, an iPhone with an LTE chip, an iPhone with a WiMAX chip, an iPad running OS X, a MacPro with a Blu-ray drive, an A5 iPod touch with 3G cellular data and more combinations of parts and features.



    Alleged stories of sampled parts are devoid of any importance.
  • Reply 11 of 116
    This article would've been funnier if it claimed that the display was 16:9. I bet the guy in charge of Hard Candy has already spent money creating cases for it, sight unseen.
  • Reply 12 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AquaJAWS View Post


    Why would Apple spend time developing an additional all new device with a form factor that they're on record of saying isn't ideal for the customer when all they would need to do to introduce a cheaper iPad is wait until they release the iPad 3 at the current prices, but with whatever new features it has, and then drop the price of the iPad 2 to $300-$400 (or less if they can get the build cost down), only sell a 8 GB or 16 GB version, just like they've done with the iPhone the last few iterations, and viola...cheaper entry-level iPad for them with little-to-no additional research and development.



    Not sure what the current cost for apple is to make an iPad 2, but wasn't it around $300 per device? That should only get cheaper for them as they produce more and the tech gets older and cheaper. They get it under $300, I could see them easily keeping the iPad 2, one of the most popular devices them (or anyone) has ever made, and selling it for $300. They still make money on the device and gets people into the Apple/iTunes ecosystem and they make money there. Even at $400 would make a good dent.



    Never take what a CEO says literally as they wouldn't be a good CEO if they just blabbed all of their plans to their competitors. Steve Jobs has also said in the past that he wouldn't make the following things: a phone, a tablet, and a video iPod. Lo and behold, we have all of those things! Companies have also been know to change their mind about things they previously said. And believe me, if the Kindle Fire takes off in sales, they will strongly consider releasing a smaller device.



    The only time CEOs are forced to say the absolute truth (or nothing at all) is when talking to investors. Anything else is a PR stunt with a high likelihood of misdirection.
  • Reply 13 of 116
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    It's probable that Apple had had 5", 7", 15", 17" iPads sitting in a lab in Cupertino for years. It's probable those labs have 3.7"/4"/4.5" iPhones, an iPhone with an LTE chip, an iPhone with a WiMAX chip, an iPad running OS X, a MacPro with a Blu-ray drive, an A5 iPod touch with 3G cellular data and more combinations of parts and features.



    Sounds like the island of misfit prototypes.
  • Reply 14 of 116
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Apple clearly need to diversify since the iPad is doing so badly.
  • Reply 15 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by un_plug View Post


    Another BS report. 7-8" iPad- not gonna happen.



    A 11" iPad is far more likely, although I would probably stick to the 9.7", unless....
  • Reply 16 of 116
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Nope.



    This.
  • Reply 17 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dagamer34 View Post


    Never take what a CEO says literally as they wouldn't be a good CEO if they just blabbed all of their plans to their competitors. Steve Jobs has also said in the past that he wouldn't make the following things: a phone, a tablet, and a video iPod. Lo and behold, we have all of those things! Companies have also been know to change their mind about things they previously said. And believe me, if the Kindle Fire takes off in sales, they will strongly consider releasing a smaller device.



    The only time CEOs are forced to say the absolute truth (or nothing at all) is when talking to investors. Anything else is a PR stunt with a high likelihood of misdirection.



    Nope - this is FUD. Apple has the market for iPads. Folks want an iPad not a wannabe iPad. If Apple wants a "cheaper" iPad to hit a market that new development can not penetrate at a reasonable cost - all they have to do is take a page from the iPhone book and allow the original iPad to continue or use iPad2 as the low cost stalking horse when iPad3 hits the market. Do not be deluded by the rumor mongers. Steve had more than enough time to beat sense into Apple, and it will be years before someone else has an idea in this area that will gain traction. For the next decade the normal question at Apple (not to upset any folks out there as I paraphrase) will be "What would Steve do?" And this ain't it.
  • Reply 18 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rob55 View Post


    Sounds like the island of misfit prototypes.



    Apple likely prototypes dozens, if not hundreds of design combinations and only one will get the green light. There are probably a bunch of iFrankensteins in those labs, stuff built on the "wishlist" specs of AI commentors.



    However, there are probably some gorgeous devices that are way too expensive to bring to market at this time. My guess is there's a fabulous Retina Display iPad in a Cupertino lab right now.
  • Reply 19 of 116
    Could this be a remote for the Apple TV? Just a thought...
  • Reply 20 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRulez View Post


    Those who underestimate Steve Jobs took those comments literally, believing that Apple will somehow consider the iPad 2 the end of innovative form factors.



    But those of us who've been using Apple products for more than a few years understand that Steve is often simply distracting the competition from his own next move. We recall earlier comments from Steve about Apple not getting into the music business, that it won't get into the phone business, or even tablets.




    That's a diplomatic way of saying sometimes Apple changes its mind, and is sometimes wrong but not too proud to change its course (even without any admission). And sometimes, they talk out of both sides of their mouths like any other business.
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