A cottage industry of rumors surrounded Apple’s iPad until it was unveiled in late January. And now, only a few days out from the device’s launch, a new report says the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is planning to release a mini-iPad.
DigiTimes, a publication that focuses on the electronics industries in China and Taiwan, is reporting that Apple is working on a smaller iPad that features a five- to seven-inch screen. The iPad currently has a 9.7-inch display.
‘iPad Nano’?
According to the publication, the device will retail for under $400 and is planned for release during the first quarter next year. The least expensive iPad, the 16GB Wi-Fi, lists for $499.
A device of this size might be geared more toward users wanting to read e-books and consume various types of media than toward the users who want to write and conduct some computing activities. If an “iPad Nano” did emerge, it would likely be positioned directly against Amazon.com’s Kindle, the Sony Reader, and Barnes & Noble’s nook, among other e-readers.
The report is based on unnamed sources at components manufacturers, which, given the publication’s focus and Apple’s manufacturing structure, may be based in Asia.
Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, said he “wouldn’t say it couldn’t happen, but it would be unusual for Apple to release a ‘tweener’ product” not that long after the iPad’s launch.
If Apple’s plan had been to cover that end of the market, he added, “we probably would have seen the initial iPad being released with a seven-inch screen” instead of the 9.7-inch screen.
Five Inches and Under
However, Rubin did say we might see an iPhone with a slightly larger screen. While the differences are literally measured within a few inches, an iPhone with a screen up to 1.5 inches larger might still…