Apple may respond to the Nexus 7 with the iPad Mini

The Nexus 7 tablet was announced at Googles I/O yesterday, and a few people seem worried the tablet would overpower the iPad. Now I’m not someone to get worried, but the Nexus 7 overwhelmed me. From the Tegra 3, quad-core processor, graphics card, pricing, etc, I love the tablet all around. Typically, the usual Android tablet doesn’t worry me, but the specs on this one along with the pricetag of $199 was extremely cheap. At this point the Kindle Fire is in more danger than the iPad, but I would expect some iPad sales to disperse.

The reason why the iPad isn’t quite in as much danger as the Kindle Fire is related to size. The 7-inch Nexus 7  in regards to the 9.7 inch iPad is in a different market. Some people prefer smaller tablets while others prefer a larger tablet. And another thing, those who are willing to spend $199 are not as likely to pull out $499 for an iPad. So its pretty safe to say the iPad sales will have limited effects from the Nexus 7.

However, Apple may feel intrigued by this new Nexus 7 tablet. If Google can release such a charming tablet, why wouldn’t Apple be able to do the same? Maybe Apple does have plans on an iPad Mini. In my opinion, they could have had prototypes out for years awaiting the right time to release it. With the Nexus 7 release coming soon, the timings perfect.

If this ‘iPad Mini’ were to enter the market I would imagine Apples A5x processor and retina display being the star of the occurrence. Even though this may not come to beat the speed on the Nexus 7′s Tegra 3, I believe the fact its made by ‘Apple’ would help them gain ground. There are so many Android tablets with bad reputations and I think that is the groundbreaking choice with consumers. If Android was similar to Apple, maybe only having a few ‘high-end’ devices, they would have a better reputation.

So Apple releasing an iPad Mini would be an excellent decision in my opinion. At this point its only a matter of time. A release point near the holiday season  is a very plausible estimate.

Do you believe Apple will respond with a iPad Mini?