Apple's new rumour: an iPad Mini

The latest rumour going around is that Apple is planning on releasing a smaller version of its iPad, and they're going to call it the iPad Mini. According to Mashable, the Cupertino-based company is facing some stiff competition from the Amazon Kindle Fire and is responding with a junior version of its tablet. The screen size of this rumoured device will be 7.85 inches, which is about 2 inches smaller than the current iPad's 10-inch screen. LG is rumoured to be in talks with Apple about manufacturing these smaller screens. The screen resolution will stay at its current 1024x768 pixels, so apps will not need modification to function on the smaller screen. The device is rumoured to be launched, late next year.

Smaller is bigger?

This mini version of the iPad goes against what Steve Jobs wanted. Jobs believed that the ideal size for a tablet is 10 inches and that there are 'clear limits on how close you can place things on a touchscreen'. Other rumours on the next iPad are that the device is going to be thicker than the iPad 2. This rumour says that the next iPad will be out in early 2012, though, which means it may not be the same device as the iPad Mini. The other Apple device rumoured to go mini was the iPhone, but for now, those rumours have been put to rest. The iPhone mini was supposed to battle head on with lower-end Android devices.