Smaller iPad won’t include a Retina display
If Apple plans to release a smaller, 7-inch version of its popular iPad tablet, it likely won’t include the company’s ultra-sharp Retina display.
This past week, the rumor mill certainly began firing up about a smaller iPad — or the iPad Mini, as Apple fans have already pegged it. When big players in the field, like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg start talking about it, however, people certainly start listening.
According to both sources, the iPad Mini will be released sometime this year, likely before the holiday season. It will feature a 7.85-inch screen and be priced around $250.
The feature that has been in question is whether or not it will feature a Retina display — Apple’s flagship technology that jams an unbelievable amount of pixels into a display to make it look crystal clear.
Bloomberg reports, however, that the smaller iPad will likely not have the Retina display like Apple’s third-generation iPad. That could make sense, as Apple is trying to keep the price down on the tablet to compete against Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet, which is similar in size.
As for a release date, both sources say that Apple would introduce the smaller iPad in October, when it has historically introduced music, movies and as of the iPhone 4 — iPhone products.
Is resolution a big deal on a smaller iPad? Not really. Going forward, iPads will become cheaper to manufacturer and the larger iPad, which Apple will continue to market as its greatest tablet, will always feature a Retina display. By not putting a Retina display on the smaller iPad, Apple can force people to decide how they plan to use a tablet.
If Apple does release a smaller iPad, it should continue to reign dominant in the tablet market. The iPad remains the most-purchased tablet on the market, and if Apple can make consumers decide they don’t need to waste their money on a Kindle or Google tablet, it should continue that way for many years. The iPad Mini can do just that for them.
