Apple 5-inch Retina Display iPad Mini Set For 2013 Debut? (Rumor)

Apple has been sticking to 3.5-inch screen size for its phones and 9.7-inch screen size for its tablets. But for past few months, we have been hearing rumors about bigger screen iPhone and smaller screen iPad dubbed iPad Mini. Recent reports have warmed up all these rumors.

According to a Japan-based Web site Macotakara - (English Translation), Apple is working on a 5-inch retina display device. The new 5-inch Apple gadget will be announced in 2013, and will have a resolution of 1600 X 960 pixels or 1280 X 960 pixels.

Apple iPad Mini has been a hot topic for discussion for a while, but it was assumed to sport 7.1-inch screen with 1024 X 760 pixels resolution. Reuters reported that iPad Mini's screen size to be 7.85-inch. So the 5-inch device seems to be something unexpected. Rumors about 4.6-inch iPhone 5 are high but 5-inch device seems like a fiction. It could be a next generation iPod with bigger screen for better video playback and gaming experience. Who knows?

Samsung Galaxy Note has a big 5.3-inch screen with a resolution of 800 X 1280 pixels. Is Apple releasing a phablet next year with 5-inch screen size to compete with big droids like Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus? But that looks unlikely too.

The 5-inch retina display fits iPad Mini's criteria the best. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs had discarded all concepts of a smaller iPad saying that 10-inch display is the minimum screen size requirement for optimal user interface. But with the change of management, current CEO Tim Cook does not think in the way Steve Jobs did, and he has emerged from the shadow of his predecessor.

Hence, it is not surprising to see Apple insiders believe that the tech giant is doing some homework for a small-sized iPad. Apple iPad Mini could compete with low-end tablets like Amazon Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook as well as take on phablets like Galaxy Note.

However, we suggest you to take all these buzz with a pinch of salt, as always.

(reported by Johnny Wills, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)