In mid-December of last year, DigiTimes said that information from its supply chain sources indicated that Apple would release the iPad 3 by the end of Q1 (which seems set to happen) and a 7.85-inch iPad before Q4 2012. The site is now doubling down on that second prediction and is saying the smaller iPad will launch by Q3 2012.
The site is narrowing in on a date it appears, although DigiTimes has a past spotty history in terms of rumors and leaks.
It's also true that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said that tablets with screens below 10-inches in size would be DOA. We have never missed an opportunity to remind Apple that the iPad only has a 9.7-inch screen.
Meanwhile, the Motorola Xoom and a number of other Android tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 have 10.1-inch screens. That is, of course, nit-picking.
The price of the new 7.85-inch iPad is likely to be set at between $249 - 299, the report added. The new device, despite the prior assertions by Jobs, is set to compete with smaller 7-inch tablets such as the $199 Android-driven Kindle Fire, which have seen decent acceptance by consumers.
Rumors about a smaller-sized iPad have been running around for quite some time. Until now, Apple hasn't pushed one out the door, but it's long been believed Apple was working on a smaller tablet. Since the introduction of the Kindle Fire, those rumors have just gone up exponentially.
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