Apple Could Make a 5-Inch iGame Console

Talk of an iPad mini has resurfaced thanks to a recent blog post stemming from Japan claiming that Apple has tapped an LCD supplier to come up with a 5-inch Retina display. The iPad name is not mentioned, leaving room for speculation as to what it could be.

The iPad mini thing is pretty stale. The rumor mill has been spinning for years while Apple has diligently denied us this product with each passing event. At this point, the iPad mini seems like nothing more than raw material for really slow news days.

Yet, “Apple seems to have a plan of 5-inch Retina Display device in 2013,” according to a reliable Chinese source speaking to Macotakara. The blog itself has been reliable on Apple rumor in the past, so it's worth taking a look at.

The report adds “LCD supplior of Apple seems to be developing 5-inch Retina Display.”

Now, if we were to take a stab in the dark and assume Apple will always be reluctant of small tablets, yet still be interested in launching a product that boasts a five-inch screen on the diagonal, what would it be?

It’s fairly possible that the Cupertino computer giant would reinvent the PlayStation Portable. I stress - only if this 5-inch-device rumor were true.

Sony isn’t exactly hitting a home run with their all-new PS Vita, and who’s to say Apple can’t make a game console that'll give Sony's fun box a run for its money?

The device (supposedly called iGame) would have the best display by far (just look at the new iPad), the best design (who can beat that talented Brit in Apple’s basement, eh?), the fastest portable chip (the A5X with its quad-core GPU, or even the A6 if it’s ready), and the best app store on the planet (or the only app store, as far as Apple fans are concerned).

So, the Cupertino mammoth has the processor, the display, the design talent and, most importantly, the content, all just waiting to take the portable gaming market by storm.

There’s just one problem. Apple hates buttons. And there’s still a huge amount of hardcore gamers out there who wouldn’t have it any other way for the next decade or so.

While there is no indication whatsoever that the "iGame" is even remotely possible in the near future, it still seems a tad more plausible than the iPad mini.

Not to offend anyone who still believes the smaller tablet is coming out, but the new iPad is all the evidence you need that Apple is not changing the tablet form factor any time soon. A new product, however, is a different matter altogether. What are your thoughts on this?

This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s “personal” opinion on matters relating to Apple, its products, etc. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.