Smaller iPad Costing "Significantly Less" Than $499 Coming This Fall, According to NYT

The New York Times has added to the concerto of reports hinting at the arrival of an iPad with a 7.85" screen this fall. Two weeks ago, Bloomberg offered a similar report, also citing anonymous sources. iMore reported something similar back in May.

NewImage

Mockup of 7.85-inch iPad next to an iPad 2 (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)

The company is developing a new tablet with a 7.85-inch screen that is likely to sell for significantly less than the latest $499 iPad, with its 9.7-inch display, according to several people with knowledge of the project who declined to be named discussing confidential plans. The product is expected to be announced this year.

Amazon has seen some amount of success with its 7" Kindle Fire, while Google recently launched its Nexus 7 tablet. A so-called iPad Mini, priced aggressively by Apple, could prevent other companies from flanking Apple with cheaper tablets equipped with a smaller screen.

In October of 2011, Tim Cook said on an earnings call that he was "very confident about our ability to compete and extremely confident in our product pipeline."

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
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Top Rated Comments

Adidas Addict Avatar
175 months ago
Oh god, not that mock up picture again.....
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skika Avatar
175 months ago
Another day, another iPad mini rumor.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adildacoolset Avatar
175 months ago
Why do I keep gettingthe feeling that these are controlled leaks?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
175 months ago
Killer.

I look forward to the end of Kindle and the Nexus. :p
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristianVirtual Avatar
175 months ago
a smaller iPad and cheaper is also something I would give to my son. with some parental control he could start learning email and use facetime with family. Of course one for Papa, too.:D
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TSE Avatar
175 months ago
Already ordered a Nexus 7.

With Apple iOS products, you are really just buying for the superior ecosystem nowadays, unless you absolutely need a Retina display. Good for some people, not necessary for others.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)