Rumors of a 7-inch iPad mini are nothing new, but those rumors have been revived once again,with Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil stating that he expects Apple to announce such a device alongside the iPad 3.
In an interview with Computerworld this week (via BGR), Gottheil stated:
I believe that’s always been in the plan. Actually that’s a good form factor for some users, and although they will also charge a premium above other similar-sized tablets, they want to protect that price flank.
In addition to the iPad mini, Gottheil also suspects that Apple will introduce a new iPad case that includes a built-in keyboard, which would presumably be similar to Logitech and ZAGG’s popular case.
Steve Jobs famously stated that 7-inch tablets were too small, and would require users to “sand down their fingers” in order use them. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of 7-inch iPad competitors, such as the Kindle Fire, which may cause Apple to reconsider that form factor.
Personally, I very much doubt we’ll ever see a 7-inch iPad, but of course nobody knows for sure until Tim Cook and company hit the stage at the iPad media event in early March.
