According to Digitimes, Apple will begin the production of a 7.85-Inch iPad in Q2 2012. Apple will reportedly begin selling the smaller iPads prior to Q4 2012, but will also sell another iPad in Q1 2012, presumably the iPad 3.
Digitimes had published that “Apple is likely to launch a 7.85-inch iPad prior to the fourth quarter of 2012 in addition to a new iPad scheduled to be released at the end of the first quarter, according to sources in the supply chain.
In order to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire-which has been selling very well, Digitimes says their sources say Apple has been persuaded to manufacture the 7.85 inch tablet to compete.
However, in order to cope with increasing market competition including the 7 inch Kindle Fire from Amazon and the launch of large –scale smart phones from handset venders, Apple has been persuaded into the development of 7.785 inch iPads, the sources indicated.
LG Display and AU Optronics will reportedly be the manufacturers for the 7.85 inch panels and will hit the supply streams in Q2 2012. This isn’t first time that we have heard of smaller iPad, as it’s been in the rumor-mill for quite some time. More iPad 3 rumors have also been popping up over the last few months.
