7-inch

Don't discount Apple's interest in a smaller iPad, says analyst

Steve Job's protestations notwithstanding, the chances of Apple bringing out an 8-inch class iPad are increasing by the month.

CNET reported in October that Apple was looking into an iPad with a 7.85-inch screen. And reports emanating from the supply chain--the host of companies that make components for the iPad--have continued unabated. The most recent coming from the Wall Street Journal.

Naysayers immediately point to Jobs' comments way back in November 2010, when he seemed to summarily dismiss the notion of a smaller tablet.

"Apple has done extensive user testing and we really understand this stuff...There … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 79: The beginning of the end for locked bootloaders (Podcast)

We say goodbye to HTC's locked bootloaders and hello to Mr. Android and his cadre of Japanese schoolgirls on this week's episode.

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EPISODE 79

NEWS:

-Verizon ready to discontinue Droid 3, 4G hot spots, and more

-Asus Transformer Prime ICS upgrade, bugfixes announced

-HTC makes locked bootloaders a thing of the past

-Google Moves To Ensure UI Integrity On All Android 4.0 Devices

-Clockwork Mod tether: USB tethering, no root required

-Meet Mr. Android

-Android gets manga treatment

CES … Read more

Apple's product roadmap points south

What's Apple cooking up for 2012 and beyond? Look south to Austin, Texas, for an answer.

That's where Apple's component partner Samsung (and legal opponent in an alternate universe) has set up camp.

In fact, probably the single biggest reason that Samsung located its $3.6 billion chip plant in Austin is to make silicon for Apple, a chip industry source familiar with Samsung's plans told me this week (and as Reuters reported).

And that makes it easier to figure out the future course of Apple's products--because we know what Samsung has done so far … Read more

Toshiba Thrive 7-inch review: Too little, too late?

The original Toshiba Thrive 10-inch tablet impressed us with its support for full-size ports and the fact that we could remove its battery and swap in a new one. Features that are still unmatched in mainstream tablets.

The 7-inch version is here now, but with its smaller form factor can it possibly offer the same experience? Probably not, but you should check out the full review anyway.… Read more

Apple's iPad 3 to usher in pixel-packing tablets

Apple's next-gen iPad won't be the only new tablet design with lots more pixels. Market researcher DisplaySearch said today that the average pixel density of tablets will surge next year.

The forecast calls for the average resolution of tablet displays to grow to more than 200 pixels per inch (PPI) in the second quarter of 2012 (see chart above), according to David Hsieh, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. Currently, displays average just shy of 150 PPI.

The transition to very-high-resolution 9.7-inch tablet displays will begin with a bang on the iPad 3's 2048x1536 display likely due in the first quarter of next year. This is expected to have a PPI of 264, twice that of the iPad 2.

DisplaySearch's Richard Shim said Apple will pretty much eat up all supply of the 9.7-inch 2048x1536 displays. (Note that 9to5Mac has found new references by Apple to next-gen iPads here.) … Read more

Get a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet with 3G for $249.99

As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of a 7-inch tablets, which I think are more practical for everyday use than 10-inch models.

While supplies last (and they may not last long), Secondipity has the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet with 3G for $249.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code galaxy4u at checkout.

Let's do a little comparison shopping, shall we? The Kindle Fire is priced at $199, while the just-announced Nook Tablet runs $249. What does the Galaxy Tab offer that those models don't? Three key features: Bluetooth, front- and rear-facing cameras, … Read more

'iPad Mini' to take on Kindle Fire?

Rumors are starting to fly that Apple may be working on an iPad to take on Amazon's already popular Kindle Fire.

An industry source who speaks with the Asia-based tablet supply chain told CNET that chatter is picking up for a 7.85-inch Apple tablet. Maybe not coincidentally, that's only a bit larger than Amazon's $199 tablet that's will ship on November 15.

Other reports, however, say that "Mini" doesn't necessarily refer to the size but simply the lower price point, possibly the mid-$200 range. … Read more

X10 AirPad puts an Android tablet at less than $200

Yet another hardware maker joined the Android tablet fray this week when X10.com began selling its 7-inch AirPad, proclaiming the device to be the "best tablet on the market for under $200." It's also one of the only tablets at that price. So is the AirPad worth considering? The answer depends on your needs.

On the surface, the tablet boasts admirable specifications that include a 1.2GHz Rockchip 2918 Cortex A8 processor, 4GB internal storage, and 512MB of RAM. Toss in HDMI output, microSD expansion, and a full-size USB port and the AirPad begins to show … Read more

Analysts: 'iPad 3' display presents a challenge

Making tablets with a very-high-resolution display in large volumes is posing a challenge for Apple, according to analysts and an Asia-based report.

Two analysts contacted by CNET today said that they don't expect a new version of the iPad, dubbed the iPad 3, until next year because of high-resolution display supply constraints. And a report today from Digitimes made similar claims.

"We have heard that panel makers have had trouble manufacturing panels at efficient yields with the resolutions that Apple is requesting," said Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch. "There's even been discussion of lowering the resolution to get better yields."

A 9.7-inch tablet display with 2,048x1,536 resolution "has been under development for some time," Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS iSuppli, said in reply to an e-mail query. Alexander said iSuppli has built its projections on a 2012 introduction of an iPad with this kind of very high-resolution display. Apple's iPad 2, announced back in March, has a 9.7-inch display with a resolution of 1,024x768. … Read more

Amazon's Nook Color killer shipping soon?

There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks about Amazon releasing an Android tablet to take on the iPad. But much less has been said about a smaller tablet, a 7-inch model, that the company has been rumored to have in the works.

Now Taiwan's DigiTimes, which we can't say is terribly reliable, is reporting that Foxconn will deliver the larger 10.1-inch Amazon tablet in early 2012 but that Quanta Computer has already begun shipping a 7-inch model to Amazon.

We've been hearing similar reports on that 7-inch model. A major app and content … Read more