WSJ says 8" iPad being tested

[Spoooon]

If it's $100 more, I'd argue it's still aimed at the Fire. The combination of the bigger screen plus the fact that it has that shiny Apple branding will allow Apple to sell loads of these things provided they don't go too crazy with the price.

Yeah, it'll sell like hotcakes at $300. I wish it wouldn't though, I need the prices to bottom out on these things.

 

[dougp]

The 7.7 didn't compete with the iPad 2 on battery life it completely destroyed it. Besides the Transformer Prime is within a couple of minutes of the iPads battery life and even the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 only lost to the iPad by 31 minutes which is certainly competitive.

The entire reason I made the screen comparison was to show that the 8" iPad would be a low end product, clearly the 7.7 is a premium product for people who are willing to pay what it costs to get the best in that form factor.

If you want to see a budget device that still beats the 8" iPad look no further than the upcoming Asus Memo whcih will have a 7" 1280x800 IPS screen and Tegra 3 for only $250.

Yah, cause the 8" iPad is out and we know the specs, RIGHT? I mean OMG!

Dude, just because something has a higher resolution screen doesn't mean it's going to be better. Saying a 1280x800 resolution on a 7" screen is better than if it was on a 10" screen is like saying a 16mp camera is better than a 12mp camera using the same lenses. You're not accounting for screen quality and other stats that need to be considered when looking.

 

[poofyhairguy]

If Apple is honest about the target market for this thing, it will come in pink....

 

[senseamp]

8" is too big for a 4:3 aspect ratio tablet. 7" works really well on 16:10, because you can hold it with one hand from both sides. 4:3 8" is going to be too wide for true handheld, at that point, might as well get the bigger screen.

 

[micrometers]

I think it is logical. Jobs was a product perfectionist who ran by intuition. If he didn't like a form factor, they didn't use it. End of story.

Mr. Cook is more an operations guy. I seriously doubt that he has the same *sense* that Jobs had as to what made sense and what didn't. He just sees categories to compete in.

 

[coloumb]

I'd sell my ipod touch 4g if this was a reality - pending it was in the sub $250 range. Apple tends to jack up their prices a bit, so I would think $300-$350 would be more realistic.

 

[QueBert]

I'd sell my ipod touch 4g if this was a reality - pending it was in the sub $250 range. Apple tends to jack up their prices a bit, so I would think $300-$350 would be more realistic.

$399, it's not going to be a cheap version of an iPad 2, it's going to be top of the line just like the 10" model, just with a smaller screen. If by some miracle this sucker is only $299 it will destroy everything in it's path.

 

[preslove]

There's no way this thing is selling for $300. Apple is all about high margin. It'll be at least $350, but more likely $399.

 

[hans007]

i bet it will be $400 if it happens.

there were rumors they were going to price the ipad3 at like $600, and keep the 2 around, or i suppose make a new model. but they don't want to sell the ipad 3 at $500.

 

[Brian Stirling]

Should Sammy sue Apple for copying there size? OK, leaving that alone...


I see a few problems for Apple with this tablet if it comes out as recently detailed. First, if they make it a 1024 x 768 the form factor will be 4:3 and that's not a good choice for a tab this size -- you want to be able to hold it with one hand. Second, at 1024 x 768 it will be less desirable than most of the competition with 1280 x 800 screens. Third, price ... there's been no confirmation on what Apple would sell an underspec tab for but Apple always likes to charge towards the upper end of what's out there so they will face stiff competition from the Android players. Lastly, if they make it higher spec with better than 1024 x 768 resolution it will cost them more and make it even harder for them to make the margins they're used to.

The upside to Apple and the reason they may offer an "entry level" tab is to put a hurt'n on Sammy etc. So, if they come out with a 1024 x 768 tab of 8" and offer it for, say, $300 they may not make any money off it (up-front) but they could kill off any chance at profit for Sammy etc.

So, I think it's entirely possible Apple will release such a tab and if they do and price it low they will probably kill off most of the Android tablets and absolutely make the market unprofitable for Sammy. Even selling it for a loss they will make money with apps and media. As much as Apple likes f'n the competition they would gladly trade up-front profit for a chance to kill off Android in this space.

I would not want an 8" iPad with 1024 x 768 resolution, but if they were to rethink the form factor and offer something like 1280 x 800 then I could be interested. I've been waiting for Sammy to f'n release the g'damn 7.7 in the USA for *hrist sakes -- if Apple get's here first too bad Sammy!


Brian

 

[zoiks]

If it's anything like the current iPad. Pass.

 

[ultimatebob]

I thought iOS5 reduced the dependency on iTunes? (SOmeone correct me if I'm wrong here)

Yes. You no longer need iTunes to do updates, and you can supposedly activate the device now without a PC running iTunes as well.

Which is good, because iTunes upgrades have a bad habit of failing and/or screwing up my music collection (Like playlists, album covers, and star ratings disappearing).

 

[pcslookout]

iPad 3 comes out next month so we will see.

 

[zerocool84]

I also believe it'll be $400 which is fine for an Apple product seeing as how the regular iPad has been selling at $500+.

 

[pcslookout]

I don't even think there will be a 8" iPad but I sure hope I am wrong.

 

[Patranus]

If this happens I think they will price it at $299.
The Kindle Fire is $199 and Apple doesn't sell its products at a loss.

If they chose to continue to sell the iPad 2 like the iPhone 4, that would probable put the pricing around $399 thus allowing Apple to hold the entry level price for the iPad 3 at $499.

 

[Zaap]

An 8" iPad would freaking rock. Not too big not too small. It would trump most 7" Android tablets now and for a good chunk of the foreseeable future. (And I say that as a much bigger Android fan than iOS.)
If it were $299 I would own one yesterday. Me and half the world's population.

For most of the above reasons I'm going to discount the rumor. Even without Jobs Apple couldn't possibly get things THAT right.

 

[corkyg]

Until it acquires a USB3 port, I'll pass.

 

[Red Storm]

Until it acquires a USB3 port, I'll pass.

As well as (Micro)SD, and (Mini)HDMI.

The Transformer has spoiled me...

 

[Fantazn]

As well as (Micro)SD, and (Mini)HDMI.

The Transformer has spoiled me...

Sadly I think that these are things that will never happen with apple. They really want to separate their mac computer line with their phone line up while android is going the other direction trying to connect everything together

 

[kami]

Should Sammy sue Apple for copying there size? OK, leaving that alone...


I see a few problems for Apple with this tablet if it comes out as recently detailed. First, if they make it a 1024 x 768 the form factor will be 4:3 and that's not a good choice for a tab this size -- you want to be able to hold it with one hand. Second, at 1024 x 768 it will be less desirable than most of the competition with 1280 x 800 screens. Third, price ... there's been no confirmation on what Apple would sell an underspec tab for but Apple always likes to charge towards the upper end of what's out there so they will face stiff competition from the Android players. Lastly, if they make it higher spec with better than 1024 x 768 resolution it will cost them more and make it even harder for them to make the margins they're used to.

The upside to Apple and the reason they may offer an "entry level" tab is to put a hurt'n on Sammy etc. So, if they come out with a 1024 x 768 tab of 8" and offer it for, say, $300 they may not make any money off it (up-front) but they could kill off any chance at profit for Sammy etc.

So, I think it's entirely possible Apple will release such a tab and if they do and price it low they will probably kill off most of the Android tablets and absolutely make the market unprofitable for Sammy. Even selling it for a loss they will make money with apps and media. As much as Apple likes f'n the competition they would gladly trade up-front profit for a chance to kill off Android in this space.

I would not want an 8" iPad with 1024 x 768 resolution, but if they were to rethink the form factor and offer something like 1280 x 800 then I could be interested. I've been waiting for Sammy to f'n release the g'damn 7.7 in the USA for *hrist sakes -- if Apple get's here first too bad Sammy!


Brian

Problem is all the 3rd party apps are designed for the 1024x768 ratio. The iPad 3 rumors of a 2048x1536 resolution are the same ratio so in theory the apps should still work. Developers could obviously support an extra ratio like they already do for Universal apps but with apple they might want to keep it simple.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I've always thought that the smaller than ipad-sized tablets were in a kind of awkward nether region between tablets and phones. The screens were never quite big enough to comfortably use like I do my ipad, yet they are still too big to really be that portable. I feel that I still wouldn't carry one around with me, and yet I would rather use my ipad than squint at the smaller tablet when at home. I really can't understand why people get that excited about them.

 

[TheStu]

I've always thought that the smaller than ipad-sized tablets were in a kind of awkward nether region between tablets and phones. The screens were never quite big enough to comfortably use like I do my ipad, yet they are still too big to really be that portable. I feel that I still wouldn't carry one around with me, and yet I would rather use my ipad than squint at the smaller tablet when at home. I really can't understand why people get that excited about them.

In the case of a 7-8" 4:3 iPad though you are talking something roughly kindle size (and weight?) which means better one handed operation but more screen real estate (though not much more resolution) compared to the iPod Touch. The onscreen keyboard could be problematic though

 

[annomander]

Not sure I'd be happy if they did as I just got a galaxy tab 8.9

 

[basslover1]

If this does get released, I might buy one.

If Jobs was alive, I'd say 0% chance, with Cook, I think we'll see one sooner rather than later. iPod Touch sales aren't great, and I think that's what Jobs was worried about, aside from his rant about functionality... an 8" tablet would sell like crazy, the trick for Apple is pricing and fitting a range of devices into Apple's pricing strategy.

An 8" tablet will pretty much kill the iPod Touch.

I think an 8" tablet would just assist the iPhone in pushing the knife farther in.

The PMP market has been dying for a while now, ever since Smartphones started including full featured media players. I don't think the iPod Touch is going to die anytime soon as it's still the cheapest way to enter the Apple World (as far as iOS is concerned), but certainly it isn't as strong of a seller as it once was.