Will Apple join Google and Amazon in the fight for the lower end of the tablet market? According to Bloomberg, Apple may announce "a smaller, cheaper iPad" sometime around October 2012.
If the Bloomberg sources are correct, the "new" iPad will be similar to the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire-- a 7-8" device lacking a Retina display, smaller than the standard 9.7" iPad size. It would also (perhaps obviously) cost less.
Never mind the late Steve Jobs was skeptical (to say the least) of small tablets, saying the iPad size is the minimum for the best user experience... and that small iPad rumours have been around since the very first Apple tablet hit the market.
Currently, the chief Apple competitors are going for the opposite ends of the market. Microsoft's Surface tablets might cost even more than an iPad ($500+) as the company targets the ultrabook and enterprise markets. Meanwhile the newly revealed Asus-made Nexus 7 costs around $250.
Apple however has one big advantage (other than an immense app library) over both Microsoft and Google-- retail. So far Google sells Nexus 7 tablets exclusively through the Google Play online store, and Microsoft plans to sell Surface tablets through its 20-strong store chain. In comparison Apple owns over 360 retail outlets.
Go Apple to Plan Smaller iPad to Vie with Google Nexus (Bloomberg)
