[Brettison]

The perfect device for people who don't care for eInk. I wouldn't necessarily want one -- I want to easily type on the thing and existing tablets at that size are a pain in the ass -- but for reading books/comics, if that's your primary use for a tablet, you might as well get this form factor.

I still like eInk. Apple just seems to rule the roost in terms of a ton of really well done tablet apps (verses phone apps where a ton of ecosystems are doing well). I'd still use my kindle to read on, but I could use this for apps/games/netflix.

It's more a want not a need, but that's why I don't own a regular iPad at $500. That being said the 7" tablet screen wise would only be slightly less than 3" smaller if not close to 2". With a price point of $250 or less it would cross that thresh hold of well I don't need it, but it's just soooo cheap now.

[Kaizer]

Yes please.

[animlboogy]

I don't buy it. At that pricing, best case scenario is that it's an iPod Touch XL. And even then, it's not in line with Apple's premium prices.

Why do people keep saying this? iOS has ALWAYS been reasonably priced considering the staff they pay to design these things. Certainly much moreso than their PC line.

[animlboogy]

I still like eInk. Apple just seems to rule the roost in terms of a ton of really well done tablet apps (verses phone apps where a ton of ecosystems are doing well). I'd still use my kindle to read on, but I could use this for apps/games/netflix. It's more a want not a need, but that's why I don't own a regular iPad at $500. That being said the 7" tablet screen wise would only be slightly less than 3" smaller if not close to 2". With a price point of $250 or less it would cross that thresh hold of well I don't need it, but it's just soooo cheap now.

Yeah, once I see it on a store shelf, it'll be pretty tempting. But I just know I wouldn't use it much. Instapaper sent to my Kindle as well as standard books takes up so much of my reading time, and my phone covers passing the time on a smaller screen. For the uniquely touch-powered apps, which I'd mostly use at home or doing music performances or something, I would really need a bigger screen.

[snacknuts]

I would finally understand the appeal of these things at that price, but I still wouldn't want one.

[Yoshiya]

It should be said that this would surely use the 32nm die-shrunk A5 that has shown up in some of the cut-price iPad 2s post-launch of the "new iPad", not the A5X which has power demands and thermal output very nearly too high for the 9.7 inch device. Anandtech made it completely clear in their technical analysis of the A5X that it is not going to show up in the next iPhone or something like this.

[ThatCrazyGuy]

A Touch costs 200 +. How could they hit that price point for a 7in? Seems like BS.

Maybe info is crossed, and the 7in is the wrong part and everything else is for the new ipod touch model to go along with the new iphone.

[Al-ibn Kermit]

It'll be about 7 inches but it will have a 1024X768 resolution like the iPad2 and it will cost no less than $300.

$200 tablets barely make a profit as is. Do we really expect apple to sell a 7 inch tablet for the same price as an 8GB ipod touch?

[MThanded]

That seems to include a 2048x1536 resolution display, just like the new iPad

Not a chance in hell

[demon]

As someone who's never bought an Apple product before in his life...... Would.

[Somnid]

Amazon certainly helped a ton with the Fire and it's price point. Other tablet makers and other tablets like the Nook definitely took notice. Amazon better bring it with the Fire sequel though because you'd be stupid to get a $200 Fire 2 or the Nook sequel if the iPad was 7" and around the same price point.

There is no possibility that Apple (or anyone) would ever be able to beat Amazon in the pricing wars. In fact it'd be bad for Apple because then they'd get sucked into Amazon's commoditizing machine. They aren't there to make a profit on hardware and that's Apple's bread and butter.

Considering the success of Fire they will get stronger in the market and be able to exert even more pressure on manufacturers. I'm personally expecting a bloodbath between the two as their markets start colliding and pricing is not something Apple will continue to be able to shake off and still maintain the profits they have.

[dr3upmushroom]

What resolution is the Kindle Fire? I really like my dad's when I mess around with it but very often I find myself wishing the screen was just a little higher resolution.

I love the form factor though, I'd be all over a high-PPI 7" tablet.

[bengraven]

Yep, this is more my price and size.

[Gamer @ Heart]

Same specs and cheaper? No way. Something will give.

[dr3upmushroom]

Do we know about how much iPod Touches cost to make now? What if Apple dropped the price of Touches to like $100 or $150 this year but kept them with their current specs. The current model is already closing in on two years old, so I'm guessing their pretty cheap to produce, and it seems like they're being marketed towards kids more recently.

They could have the cheap Touch for kids, the mid-priced 7" tablet for students/ people on a budget, and then the 10" tablet for professionals.

[speculawyer]

Isn't that called an 'iPhone'?

[funkystudent]

thats ipod touch money.



No way in hell apple would release a sub $300 tablet.

[DopeyFish]

I would buy a 7" iPad

Loved the size of the playbook...

And the res of the device would very likely be 1920x1080 (exactly double the iPhone)

iPad res is next to impossible right now

[coldfoot]

Apple doesn't do <%50 profit margin on hardware. I predict $299 for a 8GB model and $349 for 16GB.
And it's not going to be 7". It'll be 7.85" which is noticably larger. 1024x768 resolution, same ppi as the non-retina iPhone.
Same internal hardware as the ipad 2.

[Gattsu25]

7inch tablets? Pfft. Get out of here with that garbage. The best size for a tablet is 10", remember?

[dr3upmushroom]

Apple doesn't do <%50 profit margin on hardware. I predict $299 for a 8GB model and $349 for 16GB.

That's been my prediction too ever since the rumors of a 7" Apple tablet started. Personally if it has PPI than the Fire and Nook the premium would be worth it.

[Lonely1]

Would love this to be true, but I don't believe it.

[Raistlin]

That price point is total bullshit.

Not if it actually has realistic specs.

And it will still be a ripoff.

lol wut?

[Al-ibn Kermit]

Do we know about how much iPod Touches cost to make now? What if Apple dropped the price of Touches to like $100 or $150 this year but kept them with their current specs. The current model is already closing in on two years old, so I'm guessing their pretty cheap to produce, and it seems like they're being marketed towards kids more recently. They could have the cheap Touch for kids, the mid-priced 7" tablet for students/ people on a budget, and then the 10" tablet for professionals.

The main thing a student would want a tablet for is reading ebook versions of their textbooks. They would want the 10 inch tablets.

The kindle fire is sold for $200 and amazon actually loses a few dollars on each on that is sold. Unless Apple plans to lose money, in order to drove away any competition, there is no way they could do this.

I don't think apple has ever outpriced a competitor though.

[Copernicus]

Steve jobs is kinetically rebounding in his grave.

[dr3upmushroom]

The main thing a student would want a tablet for is reading ebook versions of their textbooks. They would want the 10 inch tablets. The kindle fire is sold for $200 and amazon actually loses a few dollars on each on that is sold. Unless Apple plans to lose money, in order to drove away any competition, there is no way they could do this. I don't think apple has ever outpriced a competitor though.

Students want tablets to look at Facebook during class. If you were actually going to use it as an educational tool than yeah, you'd want a 10" tablet, but I know a ton of people who bought Fires to have a handy browser/ Netflix machine.

[giga]

They sell the iPad 2 for $400 now. It's not hard to imagine a 7" one with 8GB of storage, a smaller battery, and maybe no back camera for $300 or 350.

[Lonely1]

They sell the iPad 2 for $400 now. It's not hard to imagine a 7" one with 8GB of storage, a smaller battery, and maybe no back camera for $300 or 350.

Not $200-$250, though.

[Copernicus]

They sell the iPad 2 for $400 now. It's not hard to imagine a 7" one with 8GB of storage, a smaller battery, and maybe no back camera for $300 or 350.

Most expensive part is the screen. They got the retina screen under 100 bucks. Seven inch retina is probably like 60 bucks.

[sfedai0]

If even an inkling of this is true, then Google will have some soiled panties. Complete domination of the market by Apple, followed by an anti-trust lawsuit by the govt, whereby the Android system will be included on iOS devices.

[coldfoot]

If even an inkling of this is true, then Google will have some soiled panties. Complete domination of the market by Apple, followed by an anti-trust lawsuit by the govt, whereby the Android system will be included on iOS devices.

Nah, Europe loves Apple, they only hate MS.

[DR2K]

Not $200-$250, though.

If they want to get into that market then it's a realistic expectation.

[Good Job Bob]

If even an inkling of this is true, then Google will have some soiled panties. Complete domination of the market by Apple, followed by an anti-trust lawsuit by the govt, whereby the Android system will be included on iOS devices.

lolwut

[Brinbe]

Damn... Seven is a perfect form-factor, so I'd def be on-board @ $200 (though yes, I know it's highly improbable).

[coldfoot]

Poor Vita if true.

[Soybean]

If they want to get into that market then it's a realistic expectation.

They don't want to get into that market (the low-margins, bargain basement segment).

[biosnake20]

Unless they dramatically reduce the iPod touch prices or discontinue it, its not happening.

[Trent Strong]

7" iPad for less money than an iPod touch? No way that will happen.

[Copernicus]

7" iPad for less money than an iPod touch? No way that will happen.

Pretty sure the iPod has 3rd stage cancer at this point.

[youngplaya21]

Poor Vita if true.

Oh man, didn't think about that....

[MercuryLS]

I see:

7"

iPad 1/2 resolution (1024x768)
A5
512mb ram
8gig memory

$299

[numble]

They already switched from 45nm to 32nm for the iPad 2, so they intend on continuing to mass-manufacture that chip. They can cut costs by keeping it 2 generations behind, it would be like the "3GS" model. That still leaves it at $299 though. I guess they can keep it cheaper with a smaller screen and battery, potentially no cameras or cheaper cameras.

iPhone n-2 (3GS) $0 [$375 unlocked]
iPhone n-1 (4) $99 [$549 unlocked]
iPhone n (4S) $199 [$649 unlocked]

iPad n-2 with smaller screen and smaller battery $249
iPad n-1 10" $399
iPad n 10" $499

Going by the iPhone sale model, they would've been able to keep selling the 10" iPad from 2 generations ago at $299. They surely can cut $50 off by using a smaller screen (most expensive component) and smaller battery.

In fact, when you look at unlocked prices, the 3GS is $274 cheaper than the 4S, and it still sells very well, so they do think they can tolerate the margins of a product using 2 generations old tech while chopping off nearly $300 off the price.

[Trent Strong]

Pretty sure the iPod has 3rd stage cancer at this point.

I thought it was still selling pretty well. But I guess not.

[coldfoot]

I see: 7.85" iPad 1/2 resolution (1024x768) A5 512mb ram 8gig memory $299

Fixed the small error, everything else is spot on.

[Blablurn]

i would buy one!

[Baconsammy]

Bye Kindle.

Never happen.

[Supermanisdead]

7" iPad for less money than an iPod touch? No way that will happen.

The highest gig ipod touch could be the same price as the lowest gig 7'' ipad.

[PhoncipleBone]

If they are able to hit the $200 or $250 price point, that will eat a HUGE bit out of Kindle Fire's sales. Same with the nook stuff and other cheaper Android tablets.

[ToxicAdam]

Ipad Nano

[King Of Fuh]

The only reason I am skeptical of this rumor is because that price would mark only the second time in the history of Apple where I didn't consider the asking price to be overpriced by a factor of 2 (the first time being the Apple TV).

Have to say, for 200 dollars, I might even bite at that. And the world would officially belong to Apple, as it would represent 9/10ths of the global economy and world leaders would start their pilgrimages to Cupertino to pledge fealty.