Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Eddy Cue Worked to Convince Steve Jobs of Need for 7-Inch iPad in Early 2011
Back in October 2010, Steve Jobs appeared on an Apple earnings conference call to address the Android-based iPad competitors that were just then coming to the market. With the majority of those tablets carrying 7-inch displays, Jobs noted that the screens were only 45% as large as the iPad's and that Apple believed the iPad's 9.7-inch display was the minimum necessary for an acceptable user experience.
Mockup of 7.85-inch "iPad mini" next to an iPhone (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)
With rumors of an "iPad mini" having circulated since that time and now appearing to gain traction with more prominent sources beginning to point to a launch later this year, interest in the potential device has continued to build. Supporting the idea of a 7-inch tablet, Wired's Christina Bonnington notes that part of iOS software chief Scott Forstall's testimony in the Apple-Samsung patent trial has revealed that content chief Eddy Cue was pushing for a 7-inch iPad by January 2011.
Update: CNET posts the full email sent by Cue to other senior executives at Apple:
Mockup of 7.85-inch "iPad mini" next to an iPhone (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)
With rumors of an "iPad mini" having circulated since that time and now appearing to gain traction with more prominent sources beginning to point to a launch later this year, interest in the potential device has continued to build. Supporting the idea of a 7-inch tablet, Wired's Christina Bonnington notes that part of iOS software chief Scott Forstall's testimony in the Apple-Samsung patent trial has revealed that content chief Eddy Cue was pushing for a 7-inch iPad by January 2011.
In email, Eddy Cue wrote "I believe there will be a 7-inch market and we should do one." referring to a 7-inch iPadCNBC's Jon Fortt reports that Steve Jobs was evenutally won over by arguments in favor of the smaller iPad.
Apple internal email shows Eddie Cue advocated in 1/11 for 7" iPad, said Steve Jobs seemed receptive most recent timeiMore, which has offered reliable information on a number of topics in recent months, claimed earlier this week that Apple's September 12 media event that has been all but confirmed by numerous mainstream media reports will see the introduction of both the next-generation iPhone and the iPad mini. Other reports have been less clear on the timing for an iPad mini launch, but many believe that it will launch in time for the holiday shopping season.
Update: CNET posts the full email sent by Cue to other senior executives at Apple:
Having used a Samsung Galaxy, I tend to agree with many of the comments below (except moving off the iPad). I believe there will be a 7" market and we should do one. I expressed this to Steve several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time. I found email, books, facebook and video very compelling on a 7". Web browsing is definitely the weakest point, but still usable.
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Tag: Eddy Cue
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90 months ago
I miss Steve. :(
I always looked forward to his presentations. He used to have me so excited to purchase the next Apple product.
I always looked forward to his presentations. He used to have me so excited to purchase the next Apple product.
90 months ago
It's important to remember that this "7 inch" iPad people are talking about is rumored to be closer to 8 inches.
The math I saw worked out to this smaller iPad having 40% more screen space than the current 7" Android tablets (http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/07/10/a-conduit-for-content-how-an-ipad-mini-could-define-the-small-tablet-market/).
So worth remembering...when Steve said those 7" tablets were too small they could still have been planning something in between that and the current iPads.
The math I saw worked out to this smaller iPad having 40% more screen space than the current 7" Android tablets (http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/07/10/a-conduit-for-content-how-an-ipad-mini-could-define-the-small-tablet-market/).
So worth remembering...when Steve said those 7" tablets were too small they could still have been planning something in between that and the current iPads.
90 months ago
It's funny that everyone is saying Apple needs to build a 7" iPad to compete in the $199 to $299 market.
I keep thinking about something Jobs once said....
"What we want to do is deliver an increasing level of value to these customers, but there are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk; our DNA will not let us do that. We've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody, and you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy." - Steve Jobs
Remember this is a company that sales $2199 to $2799 base price laptops that they cannot keep in stock due to demand.
Why would they care about the $199 to $299 market?
I keep thinking about something Jobs once said....
"What we want to do is deliver an increasing level of value to these customers, but there are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk; our DNA will not let us do that. We've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody, and you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy." - Steve Jobs
Remember this is a company that sales $2199 to $2799 base price laptops that they cannot keep in stock due to demand.
Why would they care about the $199 to $299 market?
90 months ago
Steve Jobs would never have allowed it.
Or did he? He didn't like the idea of a 7" iPad, but that didn't mean he didn't allow it to be built later on.
90 months ago
I keep thinking about something Jobs once said....
"What we want to do is deliver an increasing level of value to these customers, but there are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk; our DNA will not let us do that.
You forget that Steve Jobs was always in salesman mode, and basically said whatever was necessary to set the consumer up for their next purchase.
If that meant telling the public that Apple wasn't going to make a phone, or wasn't going to make a tablet - then that's exactly what he would (and did) say.
So I'm afraid that Steve Jobs quotes just aren't a great indication of what Apple will do...
90 months ago
This is not apples style. They don't listen to the consumer, they are normally the onces telling us what we want.
Plus if they do release a 7in tablet, it's like saying, " Hey yeah, you know what we where wrong, you were right" Apple doesn't do that.
Steve also famously said no wanted to watch video on an iPod and the very next iPod was the 5th gen iPod with video.
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