Apple Inc ‘s component suppliers in Asia are were told to prepare for mass production this September, of a tablet computer with a smaller screen than the previous iPad, thus suggesting a launch for the new device may be near.
It is also rumored that the new tablet’s screen will likely be smaller than eight inches. The iPad’s screen measures 9.7 inches, some thing that has been unchanged since the first model release in 2010.
The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Apple was testing a new device but was still uncertain whether or not to proceed with production. An Apple spokeswoman in California declined to comment.
Analysts are saying that a smaller tablet could help Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple maintain its dominance in a market that keeps getting more crowded. Competitors include Samsung Electronics Co, Amazon.com Inc. Microsoft Corp, and Google.
In 2011 the iPad held a whopping 62% share of the world-wide tablet market, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli, which expects overall tablet sales this year to surge upwards of 85% to 126.6 million units..
As the market continues to expand, consumers’ choices—in size, technical specifications and price—are growing more varied. Last week, Google started taking orders for the Nexus 7, a tablet device with a seven-inch screen that will sell for $199. That matches the price of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which came out last year and also has a seven-inch screen.
