Apple is the king of the tablet market. But this doesn't mean they’re resting on their laurels, quite the opposite in fact. It’s clear that they've cornered the premium tablet market with the iPad and now, according to some, it plans to take on Amazon and Google with a smaller budget tablet.
The budget end of the market is the only part that Apple doesn't command. Last year Amazon decided it would release a tablet, but instead of falling foul of Apple's market share, they decided they would release a smaller, cheaper tablet. It was a stroke of genius from Amazon, the Kindle Fire was a massive success, and it did this by not simply copying Apple (ahem, Samsung) but decided to sell the tablet at a loss and recoup the money from its own walled-garden app store.
What’s Changed?
It worked so well that Google has now decided to get in on this new emerging sub-market by announcing their own 7-inch tablet called the Nexus 7. Using a similar principle to Amazon; they will undercut Apple's price by over half and will look to gain a much needed foothold in the market, it also helps that were in the grip of a recession which has seen household incomes shrink and big-ticket purchases put back until the economy improves. It represents a perfect storm for any company looking to corner the budget tablet market. Google and Amazon have seemingly recognised that tablets are still very much the preserve of those who have deep pockets. Another interesting point to remember is the fact that Amazon hasn't actually released the Kindle Fire outside of the US - so it's far from cornering the market itself.
Steve Jobs Didn’t Think 7-inch Tablets Would Work.
Famously former Apple CEO Steve Jobs lambasted the idea of an iPad mini, he said: "One naturally thinks that a seven-inch screen would offer 70% of the benefits of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a seven-inch screen is only 45% as large as iPad’s 10-inch screen. You heard me right; just 45% as large
“If you take an iPad and hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on the seven-inch tablets are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the iPad display. This size isn’t sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.”
“Well, one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference. It is meaningless, unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of the present size. Apple’s done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.”
So its evident that Steve Jobs wasn't that enthused about the idea of an iPad Mini - but as you'll probably know Steve Jobs is no longer with us, so can we expect Apple to perform a 7-inch U-turn and release a smaller, cheaper tablet? Well, according to raft of tech sites it's happening and happening by the end of the year. But would Apple release a product it doesn’t necessarily believe in just to make sure they don’t lose out – maybe – but it’s not really the Apple way. But if consumers want smaller sizes, who are Apple to argue against the merits of a 7-inch tablet. After all not everyone wants to take their £500 pride and joy out of the house for fear of dropping it or worse getting it stolen – a cheaper, more portable version really could be the tablet for on-the-go we’ve all wanted.
Those Familiar With The Project…..
Ever since Apple made the original iPad many consumers and tech commentators have postulated that it’s only natural that Apple would one day release a smaller, cheaper alternative. They did it for the iPod – so why not the iPad?
The New York Times, one of Apple’s most favoured publications, reported over the weekend that the Cupertino company had all but confirmed it plans to them: "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."
Even more interesting is the the story was apparently divulged to The New York Times on the eve of Google’s Nexus 7 announcement and can only be seen as an attempt to steal a bit of Google’s thunder.
To be honest we’re still unsure whether Apple will go down the iPad Mini route. Steve Jobs has obviously made his position clear on the matter, but its not beyond the realms of possibility that Cupertino company would go against its former boss. It’s clear, though, that the market is ripe for picking and there’s no better company than Apple to do a 7-inch tablet justice. With the emerging budget market growing it would be a rare misstep if Apple was last to this particular party.