Rumor: Apple is developing 7.85-inch iPad to compete with Kindle Fire

Apple may begin selling smaller, 7.85-inch iPads next year to compete with newer tablet devices, according to sources within the US firm’s supply chain who are quoted by a DigiTimes report. The company is rumoured to already be sourcing parts to begin producing the units by mid next year: In addition to purchasing 7.85-inch panels from LG Display, Apple will also buy panels from AU Optronics (AUO), indicated the sources, adding that makers in the supply chain are likely to begin production of the 7.85-inch models at the end of the second quarter of 2012.The rumoured size has been selected to allow the iPad to compete with, but differentiate itself from, the 7-inch Kindle fire and a number of large-sized smartphones that manufacturers...

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Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime vs Apple iPad 2

It's fair to say Apple's iPad 2 has enjoyed relatively unimpeded dominance in the tablet market. The device is powerful, user friendly and just oozes with Apple appeal, making it a sure-fire hit. But now we're starting to see tablets from Apple's competitors roll-out with some striking design features of their own.Foremost among these contenders to the iPad 2's crown is Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Prime, a device that may have a silly name but is rather more smart when you dig below the surface. Will it offer enough to topple Apple's tablet from its lofty perch, though?DisplayThe screen is the heart and soul of any decent tablet and both of our contenders are able to give plenty in the display department.The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime offers...

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Motorola Xoom 2 vs Apple iPad 2

Android tablets are numerous but few have managed to come close enough to Apple's iPad 2 to provide a real challenge. Today's contender, the upcoming Xoom 2 from Motorola, aims to change that.Will the Xoom 2 win the day, or will it be yet another contender steam-rollered by the iPad 2's seemingly limitless charm and good looks?Build & FormApple iPad 2 - 241.2x185.7x8.8 mm, 607gMotorola Xoom 2 - 253.9x173.6x8.8mm, 599gThere isn't much between these devices in terms of design and build. They are both slim, relatively light and admirably crafted.The Xoom 2, with its nicely rounded off corners and slim bevel certainly looks as if someone with an artistic eye has had a hand in its design, and the improvements over the previous model are easy...

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iPhone 4S, Siri and today’s Apple event – EVERYTHING you need to know in a handy list.

It’s been months in the making, and today we finally have confirmation from Apple, as well as a few squashed rumors. Apple has released the iPhone 4S today, as well as iOS 5 and the addition of Sprint in the company’s lineup of US carriers. Funny enough, we got confirmation of the 4S name via Apple’s own Japanese store site, less than an hour before launch. Most of these rumors were nailed down prior to today’s event, but it’s good to finally get completely confirmation. That said, here’s a rundown of everything that happened today, plus links to our coverage for the specifics. The Business of AppleCEO Tim Cook opened, taking the stage with the obvious statement of “this is my first prouct launch since being named CEO”. The event is...

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Amazon Kindle Fire vs iPad 2

The Amazon Kindle Fire has arrived complete with its 16 million colour screen and all the backing of the enormous online retail platform that is Amazon itself. Big, but is bigger necessarily better? There also happens to be a certain other massive player in the tablet market in the shape of the company who redefined it back in April 2010 with the arrival of the first iPad. So, now with the iPad 2 ruling the roost, how is Amazon going to compare with Apple in this space and, more importantly as far as your decision goes, how do their tablets match up? Here is the Amazon Kindle Fire vs iPad 2 to help you figure that one out. Form FactorTie: iPad 2241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8mm, 613gTie: Kindle Fire190 x 120 x 11.4mm, 413gIt’s not really fair...

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Amazon CEO says Kindle Fire is an end-to-end device – like the iPad

Bezos goes so far as to say that he doesn’t consider the Kindle Fire a tablet at all. “We think of Kindle Fire as an end-to-end service,” he told an interviewer, saying that the Fire is a wrapper meant to consume a wide array of digital media, from books and magazine to video, apps and music, all while staying constantly connected to the cloud. It’s hard not to think of Apple’s strictly-enforced walled garden of hardware and software when one hears about an end-to-end service. And while that may sound like a sour note to the Android faithful, there’s no denying that it’s allowed Apple to dominate the tablet market, with the iPad holding on to an 82% market share even as Android tablets become more and more advanced. Amazon may even...

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Acer hopes ultrabooks will slow down iPad, save PCs

Acer VP Scott Lin in remarks captured Wednesday was adamant that Intel's MacBook Air-inspired ultrabook concept would help rescue the PC industry. Tablets like the iPad were mostly popular because they were light, thin, and had good battery life while focused on entertainment, he said with Digitimes in earshot. Once ultrabooks got to that point, buying habits would "reverse" as people would rather get one ultrabook that did both instead of having both a tablet and a regular notebook.Buyers would swing back to notebooks in 2012, Lin insisted. While some signs have emerged of a disputed iPad 2 production cut, the remarks come from a company with a history of predicting the imminent end of the tablet market and the iPad, only to be repeatedly...

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 vs Apple iPad 2

We take a look at two of the hottest tablets on the market, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Apple's trend setting iPad 2The tablet market is rapidly becoming as diverse and popular as the smartphone one. Manufacturers are beginning to push boundaries with every release, looking to create the ultimate product. Two tablets that have come pretty close to perfection are Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Apple's iPad 2, and we're here to play a little game of tablet top trumps to see which one has the most to offer. Screen Apple's iPad 2 comes equipped with a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT touchscreen which operates at resolution of 768x1024 pixels and performs brilliantly. Colours are well represented, responsiveness is good and the overall user ...

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iPhone and iPad competitors could benefit from Jobs’s resignation

Apple’s iPhone and iPad competitors could benefit with Steve Jobs out as CEO of Apple. “It’s going to give competitors a bit more of a lease of life to go out and compete harder,” Nomura International Plc. technology analyst Richard Windsor told Bloomberg, which noted that Sony and Nokia’s stock prices jumped after Jobs’ announcement. “It’s been thought about, talked about endlessly for the past several years that Tim Cook would probably take over so while you get an initial knee-jerk reaction on the downside, we would probably expect that not to last very long.” Apple will also need to maintain the momentum and market lead that Steve Jobs created as CEO. “If the new management team doesn’t sustain the level of innovation that Steve...

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Apple iPhone 4S and iPad 3 production slated for September, report claims

We have heard at least a dozen rumors that Apple will launch the next iPhone in September, possibly alongside the next-generation iPad. Several of those rumors have suggested Apple will announce a new iPhone 5 and an iPad 3 with a Retina Display, while others have predicted the Cupertino-based company will simply announce the iPhone 4S, a marginal upgrade from the current model. The latest rumor from Macotakara.jp says that Apple will begin production of the iPhone 4S in September and will bring it to market in October along with the iPad 3. The iPhone part of this rumor corresponds with an earlier report from TiPb in terms of release timing, though that report also claimed that the iPad 3 won’t launch until next year. Macotakara.jp...

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Android steals 20% of tablet market from iPad over past year

Android-powered tablets have taken 20% of the global tablet market from Apple’s iPad over the past 12 months according to new data from ABI Research. While Android tablets have collectively managed to make a sizable dent in the iPad’s global market share, ABI says no single tablet vendor has managed to “mount a significant challenge” against the iPad at this point. “Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple,” ABI Research mobile devices group director Jeff Orr said in a statement. ”In fact, most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads. Apple, never a company to be waiting for others, has introduced its second-generation...

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Walmart dances around Apple’s in-app purchase rules with VUDU web app for iPad

On Wednesday, Walmart subsidiary VUDU launched a new iPad-accessible web app that allows iPad users to stream more than 20,000 movies and television shows directly from the Web. iPad owners don’t have to use iTunes and simply need to navigate to http://VUDU.com for access to rentals and purchases. “VUDU’s launch on the iPad plays into that vision as we’re committed to offering the VUDU experience on as many devices as possible so customers can shop for and access their favorite movies and TV shows however they want, whenever they want,” general manager of VUDU Edward Lichty said. Customers can add a VUDU web app to their home screen by clicking the “Add to Home Screen” button once they have accessed the website. Read on for the full...

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