Apple finally seems poised to launch a smaller tablet PC

Jul 4, 2012 07:38 GMT  ·  By

Reports are flowing in regarding a mini iPad shipping later this year from Apple, and the latest so-called confirmation comes from one of the most reliable news agencies in the world.

After countless reports on the matter, including one from Fudzilla citing people with knowledge of Apple’s plans, Bloomberg chimes in with word from two knowledgeable people who asked not to be identified so they could keep their jobs:

“Apple Inc. plans to debut a smaller, cheaper iPad by year-end […] to help maintain dominance of the tablet market as Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. prepare competing handheld devices.”

The device will reportedly have 7-to-8-inch display and it will not be Retina-grade, say the sources. The new tablet “may” be announced in October, the report said. The third-generation iPad with Retina display will remain Apple’s high-end tablet PC.

Apple has shown quite some reluctance in designing and developing a tablet PC that’s smaller than the 10-inch form factor (employed by all Apple iPads to date).

Recent developments, however, seem to indicate that Tim Cook & Co. have decided not to allow competitors to fill up gaps in the tablet market.

In May, this year, iMore’s Rene Ritchie received word from one of his reliable sources who said Apple was getting serious about launching a smaller tablet.

The device was said (at the time) to retail for $200 to $250 with potentially limited storage capacities.

Apple’s main goal with this device was to “leave absolutely no space for competitors,” according to that source.

In the month before (April), eWeek had spoken with the president of a company that specializes in Apple products called TechSuperpowers, Michael Oh, who said he believed Apple was not going after this market.

He had specifically noted that “the space in that sub-$300 tablet sector is really crowded, or it will be very soon.”

Well, who’s to say it won’t become crowded with Apple in it?