Rumors of an ‘iPad mini’ begin to surface

October 12, 2011 By Jeffrey Van Camp

Rumors of an 'iPad mini' are returning, but will Apple even consider a 7-inch or cheaper tablet?

Apple isn’t really known for reacting to competition, but rumors of an iPad mini have begun to surface. The device may or may not have a smaller screen–likely around the 7-inch size of the Amazon Kindle Fire–but it would be priced much lower than the current $500-$820 iPad, likely around $200-$300, says analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities. The new device could launch in March-May 2012, which is usually when Apple announces new iPad models.

“We believe this lower priced iPad could be priced in the mid-to-high-$200 range,” wrote White in a note to investors. “We expect this will be followed by a much more powerful, feature rich standard-priced iPad 3 in (the second quarter of 2012).”

While Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color ($250) and the Amazon Kindle Fire ($200) have seen success at smaller screen sizes and prices, AppleInsider astutely points out that Steve Jobs personally bashed the 7-inch form factor as too small when Samsung unveiled its original 7-inch Galaxy Tab.

In October of 2010, Jobs laid into Android and BlackBerry, criticizing the platforms for all sorts of things and one of his targets was 7-inch tablets. He said that 7 inches isn’t enough and called them “tweener” models, meaning they’re too large to be smartphones and too small to be usable tablets. “We think the current crop of tablets will be DOA, dead on arrival,” said Jobs. “[manufacturers will] learn the screens are too small and increase the size next year, while the old ones will be orphan products.”

For the most part, this prediction has been correct. Most manufacturers switched to 10.1-inch tablet models throughout 2011, though few have seen success at that size either. The few tablets that have released at 7 inches, like the BlackBerry PlayBook and HTC Flyer, haven’t fared well. The Nook Color and Kindle Fire (which is seeing strong preorders), with prices half that of other 7-inch tablets, are the only small devices that seem to be thriving at the reduced size, though one could attribute their success to their focus on reading and tight integration with one content brand.

Will Apple come out with a smaller or cheaper tablet (or both)?

Showing 6 comments

jesterking at 7:13am 14th October 2011 please... Please... PLEASE! For the love of GOD! Stop the Rumors! STOP THEM! If you see something that you want to report on, but have to have the word "Rumor" in the title or anywhere in the article because it's pertains to the main thesis of it, do not post it! Rumors are, for the most part, wrong! Just stop it here!
1. Jeffrey Van Camp at 7:21am 14th October 2011 Many rumors are wrong, but a good portion of them are right. Questioning the validity of rumors, overall, is an act of speculation. ;)In all honesty though, we clearly mark rumors as such. I don't see a problem.
  1. jesterking at 7:59am 17th October 2011 Because rumors are always out there. I left Yahoo's tech section because of the over bombardment of rumors. It's a never ending marketing ploy for Apple to get free publicity... I mean, did you hear that the iphone 5 will have a holographic keyboard, be curved to fit your face, have 1tb of internal storage space, and have God's number on speed dial?When does the line between rumor and free marketing get crossed? Why do we need to report on every single rumor about a piece of hardware that hasn't even been given a release date, or been confirmed as existing yet. We all see where the last round of rumors got us... the iphone 4s. I would much rather have something confirmed, than just continue to propagate the internet with the rumor mill that is Apple.
    Jeffrey Van Camp at 10:14am 17th October 2011 Well, what's a rumor? Should news never say anything that isn't delivered from the mouth of a representative? I agree we need to tone down ridiculous rumors...
    jesterking at 10:26am 17th October 2011 i wouldn't necessarily say a representative, but I would say a credible source. The source being "the internet", isn't really credible... I could start a rumor about the new iphone that could be backed up with a photoshop picture, and even a video. Heck, it could make it's way around the globe in about 4 days and go viral. But that still doesn't make it credible or even news worthy, ya know? idk, I am just really tired of rumors and being constantly bombarded by apple products every month.
tytheteacher at 6:12pm 12th October 2011 Have we learned nothing from the iPhone 5 rumors? There is no reason to go with a smaller tablet. Jeffery has the right idea here when he talks about the Nook and Fire selling (or pre-selling) well because they are book readers that can do a little extra, and seem perfect for the price point. As for making a cheaper tablet, the rumor has been around for months now, as well as mentioning a cheaper version of the iPhone. While it would be good for profits in an immediate sense, you'll probably see some backlash from the Apple Hipsters. *Note: Not all users are Apple Hipsters, but take a look around and you'll see what I mean.