Kamis, 05 Juli 2012

Apple to launch 'iPad Mini'

Apple to launch 'iPad Mini'

  • Smaller cheaper machine to launch 'soon' claim factory sources
  • Screen between 7 and 8 inches
  • Built to compete with cheap rivals such as Google's £159 Nexus 7
  • Sources in Apple's supply chain claim tablet is already in production
  • Earlier leaks hinted tablet would be on sale later this year
  • Launch will go directly against Apple founder Steve Jobs wishes

By Rob Waugh

PUBLISHED: 03:36 EST, 5 July 2012 | UPDATED: 07:55 EST, 5 July 2012

Apple is to launch a smaller, cheaper version of its iPad tablet this autumn, according to sources within the Far Eastern factories that supply the technology giant.

The new machine will be less than 8 inches across the diagonal - considerably smaller than the current 9.7-inch model.

It will also be cheaper, to compete with rivals such as Google's £159 Nexus 7.

The unnamed sources in Apple's supply chain said that the launch is 'very near'.

The competition: Apple's latest iPad on offers a fantastic experience in the hand - put a painful one in the pocket

The competition: Apple's latest iPad on offers a fantastic experience in the hand - put a painful one in the pocket

'Mid-sized' tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Note have been big sellers - and have begun to eat into Apple's dominance of the tablet market

'Mid-sized' tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Note have been big sellers - and have begun to eat into Apple's dominance of the tablet market


Rumours were reported by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, quoting several unnamed sources within Apple's supply chain.

Earlier reports by Far Eastern technology blogs had also hinted that a launch was imminent.

The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was vehemently against a smaller iPad, but analysts have long predicted that a machine would appear in the second half of  this year.

Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu predicts that the move would be a devastating blow for Android competors.

'It would be the competitors’ worst nightmare,' Wu said. 'The ball is in Apple’s court.'

The iPad Mini would show that Apple is prepared to break away from former chief exec Steve Jobs' deeply-held mantras.

The Apple leader, who passed away last October, publicly derided the smaller tablet model, in particular the seven-inch form-factor, which is becoming a standard for a smaller tablet.

In a 2010 earnings call, he said: 'One naturally thinks that a seven-inch screen would offer 70 percent of the benefits of a ten-inch screen.

'Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. … The reason we won't make a seven-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit a lower price point, it’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software.'

Future: Hugo Barra, director of product management of Google, unveils the Nexus 7 tablet today

Future: Hugo Barra, director of product management of Google, unveils the Nexus 7 tablet today

                       

WHY APPLE ARE WORRIED: THE 7-INCH TABLET THAT IS STEALING iPAD'S THUNDER

                          Nexus 7         iPad

Price:           $199 (8GB)          $399(16GB)                                     $249 (16GB)

Size:             7 inches              9.7 inches

Weight:       340g                    650g

Battery:        9 hours                    10 hours

The move is seen as a direct response to the launch of smaller, cheaper Android tablets such as Google's Nexus 7, a 7-inch tablet which is priced at £159.

The Nexus packs a high-definition screen, the latest 'quad-core' processor, runs the latest version of Android, and has a battery life which can handle nine hours of continuous video playback.

The firm hopes the tablet will take on Apple’s iPad.

It's part of a new generation of iPad rivals, including Microsoft’s Surface tablet which was revealed last week, and current Android tablets including Amazon’s Fire.

Two versions will be available, one with 8GB of storage for $199 and a second with 16GB for $249. By comparison, Apple's new iPad, which has a larger 9.7 inch screen, costs $399 for a 16GB version.

The Windows version of a tablet: A The new Surface was unveiled by Microsoft last week

The Windows version of a tablet: The new Surface was unveiled by Microsoft last week

Amazon's Kindle Fire is likely to be hit hard by Apple's new launch - the cheap tablet is also seven inches, but built on unglamorous hardware

Amazon's Kindle Fire is likely to be hit hard by Apple's new launch - the cheap tablet is also seven inches, but built on unglamorous hardware

Earlier this year, a Samsung official appeared to confirm the existence of a smaller 'iPad Mini', due to be released this year.

The official said to a Korean newspaper, 'The amount of the current contract [between Apple and Samsung] is around $9.7billion.

'The contract is expected to rise to $11billion by the end of this year as Apple is planning to release a smaller iPad, probably with a 7.85-inch screen, and to sell more of its MacBook Air PCs using Samsung’s faster solid state drive (SSD) storage.'

Microsoft also recently unveiled its own 'Surface' tablet, a touchscreen running its new Windows 8 software.

Apple's new tablet will also be a concern to Amazon, as their Android-running tablets, such as the Kindle Fire, have been runaway successes in the U.S.

Kindle Fire is also a seven-inch tablet, built around the old BlackBerry PlayBook, but running a customised version of Android focused on selling videos, apps and music via Amazon's Marketplace.

Microsoft has previously tried and failed at bringing Windows tablets to the market.

Bill Gates spent the tail-end of the 1990s trying to convince people that tablets were the wave of the future - but Microsoft never quite got either the hardware or software working together, and their early efforts - as long ago as 2001 - never convinced anyone.


The runaway success of 'mid-sized' devices such as Samsung's Galaxy Note, which has a five-inch screen, has helped Samsung gain ground in the tablet market

The runaway success of 'mid-sized' devices such as Samsung's Galaxy Note, which has a five-inch screen, has helped Samsung gain ground in the tablet market

On the other hand, the risk to Apple is that a different-sized tablet might lead to fragmentation - where apps and games need re-configuring by their developers to ensure they are compatible on both versions.

This has been Android's biggest issue in the last few years.

Different screen sizes, different manufacturers, different versions of the operating system and different price-points all lead to choice for the consumer - but at the cost of development headaches and an inconsistent experience.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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Android = Google = Spyware. No go for me. I will pay extra for honesty and privacy, which means a Windows or Apple tablet/smartphone.

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wont sell

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All this will do is badly HURT the sales of Apple's larger iPads. Many customers who would have saved up for an actual iPad will now be able to get an "almostPad" at a far lower price. I think this move will be looked at as a major mistake by Apple's new regime in the not too distant future.

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Clever move Apple, wipe out the opposition by sheer financial muscle -greedy as MS now.

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iPad mini - so an iPhone without the functionality of a phone?

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I have an iPad mini the call it the iphone

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Getting an Apple product in my hands is the equivalent of of an Hermes handbag. There is just something so tactile about them that they just make you feel good. The little extra $ spent gives me the peace of mind of knowing I have a quality product. I'm in on the iPad mini.

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The Apple Minipad, LOL

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As usual DM is late to the party. This rumour has been doing the rounds for ages. Once again the proof will be in the pudding.

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So Apple have finally conceded that people want a smaller tablet like the Surface, Xoom, Galaxy Tab, Nexus 7 etc. About time they came to their senses (although I'll still be buying the Nexus :) ) - Paul, Newcastle, UK, 05/7/2012 13:49 You need a paperweight do you?.

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