Before there’s anything, there’s always a prototype.
Per The Next Web, Apple is “noodling” with ideas and prototypes for a 7.85-inch iPad, though it’s not clear if the device will ever see the light of day.
John Gruber of Daring Fireball commented that he has “heard from nobody” on whether the 7-inch iPad will actually be released and when that would happen. Gruber did speculate, though, that Apple may have prepared enter the low-end tablet market should the Kindle Fire prove to be a runaway success. He also suggested that the company could possibly unveil the smaller iPad at the Worldwide Developers Conference, since it’s unlikely that Apple would release a 2012 iPhone at WWDC.
Reports of a smaller iPad have persisted since the original iPad launched in April 2010.
Speculation on a smaller form factor iPad gained legitimacy in February when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple officials have been showing off designs for a smaller iPad that has a similar screen resolution as the iPad 2. The report did caution, though, that Apple could be simply testing new designs and might not actually release the device.
Recent reports have also suggested the rumored device could feature a “slim bezel display.” A leaked research note from Samsung Securities that surfaced in March hinted that Apple will release a so-called “iPad mini” in the third quarter of 2012.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.