7-8 Inch iPad In The Works, Releasing In October, Says A Report By Bloomberg

Well, if they were to do it, it would be to get a foot in the door of the cheaper tablet market that is dominated by devices such as the Kindle Fire, a tablet with a 7" screen that is priced at $199. Google has decided that it also wishes to gain ground in the lower-end tablet market, just announcing the Nexus 7 at Google I/O which is also a 7" tablet priced at $199. Given Apple's great success with the iPad - it practically invented the existing tablet market - with 61% share according to Gartner, Google and Amazon would certainly have a lot to fear if Apple did indeed enter this market.

So, what would a 7 or 8" iPad be like? According to rumors, it will lack the glorious Retina display that the latest iteration of the iPad sports, and will rather have the measly resolution of 1024x768. It may also have diminished tech specs compared to the flagship iPad models to pave the way for a decreased cost. However, we can be sure that battery life and build quality will not be skimped on as Apple clearly recognizes the importance of these features in a tablet. But again, this is all if Apple makes one to begin with.

And I'm hoping that they don't. Perhaps this opinion can be attributed to my personal lack of a need for such a minuscule tablet, but that size seems far too small. It's that awkward grey area between a real tablet and a phone, and, while portable, you'd lose the benefits of screen estate - and, in the instance of this rumored device, screen resolution - in exchange for some additional portability. But is that portability even necessary? The existing iPad is already sufficiently portable. And it has a "just right" Goldilocks screen size that's both portable and functional.

Apple doesn't have much of a need to enter this market. But, if it does, it will be undoubtedly successful.

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On the heels of various analysts coming out and stating that Apple is working on a smaller iPad with a 7-8" (diagonally) screen, Bloomberg has just published its own report claiming that they’re hearing the same from their sources. Rumors about such a device have been plentiful for quite some time now. But, why would Apple want to create a smaller iPad?

Well, if they were to do it, it would be to get a foot in the door of the cheaper tablet market that is dominated by devices such as the Kindle Fire, a tablet with a 7" screen that is priced at $199. Google has decided that it also wishes to gain ground in the lower-end tablet market, just announcing the Nexus 7 at Google I/O which is also a 7" tablet priced at $199. Given Apple’s great success with the iPad – it practically invented the existing tablet market – with 61% share according to Gartner, Google and Amazon would certainly have a lot to fear if Apple did indeed enter this market.

So, what would a 7 or 8" iPad be like? According to rumors, it will lack the glorious Retina display that the latest iteration of the iPad sports, and will rather have the measly resolution of 1024×768. It may also have diminished tech specs compared to the flagship iPad models to pave the way for a decreased cost. However, we can be sure that battery life and build quality will not be skimped on as Apple clearly recognizes the importance of these features in a tablet. But again, this is all if Apple makes one to begin with.

And I’m hoping that they don’t. Perhaps this opinion can be attributed to my personal lack of a need for such a minuscule tablet, but that size seems far too small. It’s that awkward grey area between a real tablet and a phone, and, while portable, you’d lose the benefits of screen estate – and, in the instance of this rumored device, screen resolution – in exchange for some additional portability. But is that portability even necessary? The existing iPad is already sufficiently portable. And it has a "just right" Goldilocks screen size that’s both portable and functional.

Apple doesn’t have much of a need to enter this market. But, if it does, it will be undoubtedly successful.

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.