Apple expected to unveil smaller iPad

CLEVELAND - Could Apple be releasing a new, smaller iPad? Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs said two years ago that a 10-inch screen was required for an iPad, and that he would not consider a smaller size.  He said a smaller tablet would require sandpaper, to make fingers smaller.

But a lot has changed in the past two years. Amazon, Samsung, and Barnes & Noble have all released 7-inch tablets, and found they met a consumer need: a tablet that more easily fits into a woman's purse.

A Wall Street Journal report , citing Apple suppliers as sources, says Apple is now experimenting with a smaller 8-inch iPad. It could be unveiled later this year, according to the Journal, with fewer features and a lower price than the $499 iPad.

Next iPad coming soon

Apple is expected to release the iPad 3 next month , though it will be the same size as the current iPad 2. Tech blogs, again basing their information on supplier information, say the iPad 3 will have a sharper screen, better cameras, and will incorporate the iPhone's Siri voice software.

People familiar with Apple's tests of a smaller iPad don't know if it will have a different name, or be called something like the "iPad mini." But it would logically follow what the company did with iPods 10 years ago, making smaller and more inexpensive versions to appeal to more buyers.

Whichever you choose to buy, as always don't waste your money.

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