Following recent reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reasserting belief that Apple's been working on a smaller, inexpensive iPad allegedly coming in September, analysts are running their spreadsheets like crazy attempting to guesstimate the sales potency of the elusive $249-$299 device...
Following up on a string of recent reporting which revives the iPad mini rumor, the usually accurate Japanese blog Macotakara claimed that the device will be produced in Foxconn's new manufacturing facilities in Brazil. Manufacturing is apparently set to ramp up in September, just in time for mass availability around the holiday shopping season, as indicated in other reports...
I just read this argument how anyone that thinks Apple might do an iPad mini because of the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7 should be banned from writing about Apple. Seriously? I'd wager it's the other way round. Apple absolutely cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while Amazon and Google take over its prospective customers on the low-end and lock them into their ecosystems.
Yes, Apple knows all too well that Google's $199 Nexus 7 is a game-changer. Tim Cook understands this thing is gonna be big and you can bet he'll do something about it. Why else do you think Apple has started alerting the press that it's been working on a seven-inch competitor...
Weighing in on a recent resurgence of the old iPad mini rumor, this time corroborated by credible news outlets such as Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Apple pundit John Gruber opined that Apple could use existing manufacturing processes to quickly - and more importantly, cheaply - churn out millions and millions of seven-inch display panels for the iPad mini...
Following yesterday's report by Bloomberg that Apple is planning to debut a smaller, inexpensive iPad by year-end, The Wall Street Journal (an unofficial Apple mouthpiece) on Wednesday cited the obligatory "people familiar with the matter", reporting that Apple's component suppliers in Asia are preparing for mass production of the iPad mini in September. Get your sandpapers ready!
Hot on the heels of analyst-based reports regarding a smaller iPad, Bloomberg is out with its own story this afternoon.
The credible news outlet says that it has received word from people with "knowledge of the plans" that Apple is looking to unveil a 7-8-inch tablet this October...
If you believe the rumor-mill, smaller iPads have been spotted at Apple. And if you believe the usually  cred§ible Wall Street Journal, Apple's in fact been developing a shrunken iPad to address the low-to-mid range of the market. And with Amazon's Kindle Fire and now Google's Nexus 7 tablet fighting for these customers, no wonder the iPad mini rumors are beginning to surface all over again...
It was inevitable that after Google's Nexus 7 announcement, the "iPad Mini" rumors would start surfacing again. The 7-inch Asus-branded tablet has garnered quite a bit of attention this week.
Apple has long been believed to be working on its own 7-inch slate, with reports coming from both Apple-insiders and news outlets alike that such a product exists. But will we ever see it?
If this morning's prospects of getting a glimpse at iOS 6 and new Mac hardware aren't exciting enough for you, maybe this will pique your interest. We've come across some photos of what appears to be the rumored 7-inch iPad.
Rumors that Apple is working on an "iPad Mini" have really ramped up in the last 6 months, gaining support from credible news outlets and Apple insiders alike. But so far, we've yet to see any real evidence of the project...
An analyst wrote in a research note today, based on his supply chain checks, that he expected Apple's rumored television set to feature a Kinect-like motion sensing and a new kind of remote that resembles the iPad and relies heavily on touch gestures.
He also believes Apple will launch an iPad mini in September, alongside the next iPhone...
Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster's been insisting repeatedly on his checks with suppliers suggesting Apple will launch the next iPhone in October of this year, even in the face of Qualcomm chip supply issues. We've also heard independent claims of the handset not being finalized yet, but still being set for an October release.
And now, another analyst has chimed in, citing checks with Apple's supply chain in Taiwan that point to a September release rather than October...
This 7-inch iPad seems to be becoming more and more real by the week. Not only has the device been confirmed by industry insiders and other credible sources, but part suppliers are now receiving orders from Apple to build the thing.
Makotakara passes along a report from The Liberty Times, a publication that the site describes as "one of the top four major Taiwan news media," regarding the purported 'iPad Mini.' And it appears that Apple is moving forward with plans to produce the smaller tablet...