iPad 2 vs iPad Mini vs iPhone 4S: Designer Render Reveals The Ghost of Christmas Future [Apple’s Rumored 7.85-inch iPad 3 Model Gets Compared with Popular iOS Brethren in New Mockup]

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Various rumors suggest that Apple will launch a smaller iPad 3 version next year, one that will measure 7.85 inches diagonally and that would better fight low-priced Android-running tablets like the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet.

In fact MacRumors helped by CiccareseDesign showed us what a 7.85-inch iPad would feel like and how it would look when compared with the regular 9.7-inch model and the 3.5-inch iPhone 4 / iPhone 4S. But while these images have been beautifully rendered to show us what a smaller tablet would look like, that doesn’t mean Apple will actually launch such a device.

Or at least Apple won’t do it because the media keeps talking about a smaller tablet. The late Steve Jobs left us a memorable rant against 7-inch tablets right around the time the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab was launched, in fall 2010, and it made it pretty clear that he doesn’t like the idea of a smaller tablet. Would Tim Cook and Co. ignore that legacy and release an smaller iPad just so it could compete against the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, devices that cost $200?

Let’s not forget that various analysts and reviews concluded that the Fire, no matter how popular it is, it’s still a entry-level to mid-ranged device that isn’t an iPad killer, at least not yet. Amazon is rumored to release a bigger Fire at some point next year, and that could be the company’s first real iPad rival.

In the mean time Apple is probably going to report an all-time record quarter driven by high iPhone and iPad sales. And it’s surely safe to say that while its tablet market share may be shrinking, it will certainly remain the top choice for many future tablet buyers.

Being an iPad user myself I can say that I definitely wouldn’t buy a smaller one, because this current size feels quite comfortable whether it’s for playing, reading or working. In fact I tend to use the iPad more than the iPhone nowadays, and if the tablet could make phone calls I’d ignore the iPhone even more. But I wouldn’t want to use a 7-inch tablet, no matter who makes it. Just like I wouldn’t want a smartphone bigger than 4-inch, but that’s a discussion for next year, when the new iPhone rumors start to emerge.

What kind of tablet did you purchase did Christmas? Would you buy a 7.85-inch iPad 3?

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