It appears that Apple intends to plunge in the race of 7 inch tablets as well. According to DigiTimes, Apple has been planning to release a 7.85 inch version of iPad in late 2012 which would be a competitor of Kindle Fire. Kindle Fire has proved to be highly successful and it seems that Apple has realized the importance of a 7 inch device. Currently, Apple holds about 70 percent of the tablet market share on international level and according to estimates, Apple would sell about 60 million tablets in 2011. For the time being, it seems that Apple would retain this position in near future. The mini version of iPad would be released in 2012 but no exact release date has been announced. iPad 3, on the other hand, would be released during the first quarter of 2012. The news about the release of a mini iPad, however, is not confirmed as yet but if Apple releases such a device, it would be a shift from the position that late Steve Jobs took. The panes for the new iPad would be purchased from LG Display and AU Optronics and would take some time before such a device is manufactured.
