back to article 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 …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. jai

    1.7 inches really a big difference?

    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

    1. Si 1

      I reckon it's a miscommunication, it will be an 8" device but a 7" screen (if it exists at all). Even on a smaller device you can't really have an edge-to-edge screen as you need some space around the screen for thumbs to hold the device.

  2. g e
    Meh

    Best call Pegatron, then

    Seeing as other part makers have seen what's happening with them, I bet they'll be queueing up for some of the same.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Go

      "Seen what's happening to them"

      You mean $18 billion revenues last year?

      Sounds like something worth queuing up for.

  3. Dare to Think

    Nothing new....just product variations

    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.

  4. TheOtherHobbbes

    Hasn't Tony Smith

    been replaced by an app yet?

  5. GeorgeTuk

    Yawn

    Honestly don't care about products until they are released these days, so much speculation that its just a waste of time trying to get any true facts.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yawn or not, your comment here suggests you really do care.

  6. uhuznaa

    7" would be too small for existing iPad apps

    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.

  7. Goldmember
    FAIL

    More 'pocket friendly'?

    You'd need a bloody big pocket to fit a 7" tab in there, never mind an 8"

    1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
      Boffin

      The 7" Galaxy Tab fits neatly into a back pocket on normal jeans, or the inside jacket pocket in a suit. This is what makes it so much better than an iPad for travelling with, as I've been banging on about here for so long.

      GJC

  8. Eddie Edwards

    My head hurts

    My head hurts. 8"? 7"? 9.6"? Can someone translate this into a more useful length unit such as decikindles?

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      From el Reg's standards converter, the sizes in the order you listed them are

      1.45, 1.27 and 1.76 Linguine.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      It's about 4 / 2067 of the length of an UEFA standard football field.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Can't we just go metric?

      8" is precisely 8.128 metric inches.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Laugh out Loud

    Yesterday it was rumours of 7 inch, today it's rumours of 8 inch.

    What's next? A nine inch tomorrow and a rumour that there will only ever be a 10inch version by the end of the week??

  10. David Lawrence
    Devil

    I thought Steve Jobs described smaller tablets as......

    ......."dead on arrival". No - wait.....

  11. Andrew James

    i am that guy that would buy this

    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

  12. This post has been deleted by its author

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like