4 ms·
I don't see Apple being one to release the tablet just to compete. The 7" would eat into 10" sales and a new formfactor only adds another resolution that devs h
by nchlswu 14y ago
I don't see Apple being one to release the tablet just to compete. The 7" would eat into 10" sales and a new formfactor only adds another resolution that devs have to account for (unless the original iPad's resolution is effectively retina at a 7" size?).
When it comes to portability, would 7" be that much more portable? I know people can put these in their pockets, but it's hardly practical.
Ultimately, it doesn't quite make sense to me at this moment. In the event that Apple does release a 7" one day, I really think there'd have to be a drastic repositioning of the 10" or the 7" would serve some special niche purpose
- arn 14y agoPart of the point of the article is that it would not really add another resolution that devs would have to account for. A 7.85" iPad could have the exact same resolution as a non-retina 9.7" iPad and still have the same pixel density as the iPhone. This would result in UI elements that would be no smaller than normal for the iPhone, making it relatively easy for existing iPad apps to run with no modification.
- telcodud 14y agoCan you walk us through the math you did to arrive at the following conclusion? A 7.85" iPad could have the exact same resolution as a non-retina 9.7" iPad and still have the same pixel density as the iPhone.
- arn 14y agoSo the trick is that Apple tells App devs that the minimal tappable UI element at 44x44 points. - The original iPhone had a PPI of 163PPI - The original iPad had a PPI of 132PPI The 44x44 point recommendation was the same for the iPhone and iPad. So the minimal tappable element on the iPad happened to be physically bigger even though it was the same # of points. A 7.85" iPad happens to have a PPI of 163PPI. (same as original iPhone) So that means any UI element designed with a minimum of 44x44 points will still be as tappable on a 7.85" iPad as it was on the iPhone. If you see the PDF/actual-size file I linked in another comment, you'll see the UI elements on a 7.85" iPad are no smaller than elements on an iPhone. actual math here: http://www.appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/apple-has-163-reasons-to-release-fabled-ipad-mini http://www.appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/apple-has-163-reasons...
- nchlswu 14y agoThe article focused on resolution, but with all of Apple's flagship mobile offerings bearing retina displays, I consider it a requirement that any new device is retina. I didn't make it clear, but I understand the author's talking about logical resolution. I'm wondering if the iPad (1024x768) resolution scaled to 7" would effectively be Retina based on Apple's definitions. He scaled it by a factor of the iPhone's logical PPI (not the Retina pixel density). If the resolution was scaled by the required PPI to create a retina display (at ~7"), would a 1024x768 display still work out to a physical size of approximately 7"?
- protomyth 14y agoIt would fit the pattern of the iPod if Apple started moving into the lower dollar ranges with new products. Since the article demonstrates that most apps will be fine, it seems like a reasonable win. The retina display is nice in the iPad 3rd generation, so they have a clear differentiator between models besides size.
- nchlswu 14y agoAh. I never considered the parallels between the iPod device line. That's probably the one argument that helps me understand and appreciate the reasoning for the 7" a bit more. However, I still consider the retina display a mandatory for all new* products that Apple releases *where new is not a new revision of an existing device + form factor.
- protomyth 14y agoI get the feeling the normal displays are going to hang around for a while. Keeping a non-retina iPhone model (3GS successor) would allow Apple to continue its move into prepay with a cheaper device than the retina iPhones.
- geon 14y agoI have thought about this too, but how it would work for the iPhone product line. What would an iPhone nano or iPhone shuffle look like? Wold there be a market for it? Obviously, an iPhone "shuffle" would not randomly call people, but could perhaps be displayless. Even voice-only controlled.