As has been the case for several months, a veritable raging swirl of rumors have been engaged with the concept of the 7 inch iPad. Now, adding to that swirl is a source with a little more gravitas than those making the previous claims. The site iMore is claiming that they have an unnamed source who has knowledge of the 7 inch iPad and that, in fact, Apple is planning on launching the new device alongside the next generation iPhone in October of this year. The site is also claiming that the new 7 inch iPad will launch with a price between $200 and $250.
According to the report, the 7 inch iPad will have a screen resolution of 2048 x 1546 pixels which is identical to the resolution found in the current 9.7 inch iPad, but that resolution would be packed into a 7 inch screen. This would mean a 326 ppi pixel density which is same as the iPhone 4 and 4S.
This has been a rumor that has, in the past, resulted in a lot of animated discussion by many people and, as such, it’s hard to pinpoint the accuracy of this particular source. However, if Apple were to launch this device and, in the process obliterate the majority of the competition in the tablet arena, they would be hard pressed to keep it around the price point stated. A teardown of the new iPad revealed that the display and touchscreen components were nearly $130 in themselves and that a 16GB Wi-Fi version total component cost was around $316.
It’s therefore hard to see Apple launching a slightly smaller device with similar screen and similar specifications for the sub $250 price point stated in the article and therefore we’d estimate a $300 price if the new 7 inch iPad should come to fruition.
…and that’s a big ‘if’.
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