The Chinese website MyDrivers.com claims the long-rumored 7.85-inch iPad will be as thin as the second-generation tablet. The machine translation also suggests Apple will improve the battery life of the upcoming device. According to the report, the so-called ‘iPad mini’ will sport a Sharp-made IGZO display optimized for a pixel density of 330 ppi.
The smaller iPad will reportedly have an 8GB capacity and is said to range in price from $249 to $299. With a 7.85-inch tablet, Apple is supposedly trying to steal market share from Google’s recently announced Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, both of which retail for $199.
However, while various publications have claimed the ‘iPad mini’ to feature a 7.85-inch screen, both the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire incorporate smaller 7-inch panels. Talk of a smaller iPad has never stopped since Apple debuted the original tablet two years ago.
This February, speculation on the ‘iPad mini’ gained steam again after The Wall Street Journal argued that Apple officials have been showcasing designs for a smaller device with a screen resolution comparable to the iPad 2. However, the publication did caution that the company could be simply testing new designs that might not actually see the light of the day.
Sharp’s IGZO panels have been also rumored to make their way on the latest-generation iPad. But that speculation didn’t pan out, as later reports claimed that the overseas display maker failed to meet Apple’s standards and failed to pass the approval process.
