Apple's latest iPad model is less than 48 hours away from hitting store shelves, yet remarks from an anonymous Samsung official suggest it won't be the only new tablet the Cupertino company releases this year.
The Korea Times spoke to a Samsung employee, who mentioned the device during a discussion on Apple's plan to purchase around $11 billion worth of parts in 2012. That staggering amount will include components for a slightly smaller iPad that measures 7.85-inches, the worker said.
Such a redesign would place the so-called mini iPad on a leveler playing field with current low-cost alternatives, including the Kindle Fire. Amazon's 7-inch tablet rings up for $199. The Fire, along with Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet, grabbed market share away from the iPad during the holidays.
So far, Apple has stayed true to the 10-inch form factor that's helped the iPad become a big hit among technophiles with money to spare. Former CEO Steve Jobs dismissed rumors that the company was hard at work creating a 7-inch tablet months before the iPad 2 hit shelves. Jobs believed such a display wouldn't do the software justice.
Apple's new iPad, which was unveiled last week at a press event in San Francisco, releases this Friday. Pre-orders for the device have already sold out. (via The Washington Post)
