Apple to unveil mini-iPad to take on Amazon, Google

[Xen]

Apple Inc is expected to make its biggest product move on Tuesday since debuting the iPad two years ago, launching a smaller, cheaper tablet into a market staked out by Amazon.com Inc and Google Inc.

Apple hopes to beat back their charge onto its home turf of consumer electronics hardware, while safeguarding its lead in the larger 10-inch tablet space that even deep-pocketed rivals like Samsung Electronics have found tough to penetrate

Apple's invitation-only event, where it is expected to unveil the tablet, gets underway at 10 am PT (1700 GMT) in San Jose.

Wall Street analysts have said for months that Apple was planning a less expensive version of the iPad to take on cheaper competing devices, a move they say might hurt its margins, but prevent its rivals from dominating an increasingly important segment.


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[Technoglitch]

iPad Mini to double 7-inch tablet market


Apple had long eschewed the smaller tablet market in favor of its traditional 9.7-inch iPad. That has allowed other companies, like Amazon and Samsung, to differentiate themselves from Apple with their smaller devices. But Apple is expected to unveil a smaller iPad today, likely ending the 7-inch tablet dominance by its Android rivals.

Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet and monitor research for IHS, had this to say:

"Just as Apple has dominated the market for 9.7-inch tablets with its iPad, iPad 2 and new iPad models, the company is poised to rule the market for 7.x-inch products, driving rapid growth of the segment in 2012 and 2013. The battle in the 7-inch space is highly spirited, with most of the other leading vendors already offering price-competitive products in this size range. IHS predicts Apple will successfully position the smaller iPad as a device that will be attractive and easy to adopt for both new and returning customers. This will spur rapid sales growth and provide tough competition for other companies contending in this size range."​