The web is ablaze with rumours, supposed "leaks" and talk of an 7-Inch or 8-inch iPad, but we believe the concept is silly. The theory implies that the $199, modestly-spec'd Kindle Fire has carved out its own section of the tablet market that doesn't seem to be eating into the sales of the $499 iPad (as the costs and features target subtley different consumer segments), though logic would suggest that Apple could be selling digitized media and programmes to those self same consumers through its own hardware as an alternative.

As a result, it might appear logical for Apple to launch a similar tablet priced up at about $199 or less to bite into the sales of the Kindle Fire, which would allow the company to stupendously boost profits as those same consumers spend cash at Amazon's digital stores and services (rather than Amazon's). The only issue with that speculation is that Apple already launched a Mini iPad, and that was before the iPad even existed!

It's called the iPod Touch, and it's Apple's first modern tablet if you don't consider the iPhone a tablet. Additionally, the latest generation of iPod Touch units begin at $199 already, and all this took place long before the Kindle Fire was being developed.

If Apple plans to release a Mini iPad, it might make rather more sense to upgrade the iPod Touch line than to downgrade the iPad line, and the lack of an iPod Touch hardware refresh last year would suggest that Apple is prepared to give its first tablet a bigger display to take those Kndle Fire buyers away from Amazon..

To conclude, we'll probably see a larger, more powerful iPod Touch that retains the iconic name, but it will be advertised to compete against the Kindle Fire in a marketing fury that we haven't seen since Apple destroyed the MP3/CD player market. Also, corporations like Apple steadily test products that never see the bright lights of a shop, so there is no reason to presume that product testing regularly leads to a product release.

But anything can occur nowadays.

Fausto Mendez is the editor of ReleaseDates.co, a free site and subscription service that updates its readers only about the gadgets and companies they care about.

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Tags: 7-inch, Amazon, apple, electronics, ipad, ipad 3, ipod, Ipod Touch, Ipods, kindle fire, Marketing, mini ipad, minipad, news, technology

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