Apple SVP Eddy Cue Argued For An 'iPad Mini' Back In 2011
by Joe White
August 4, 2012
It looks like Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, was arguing for the Cupertino, Calif. company's development of a small-size "iPad mini" back in January, 2011, according to a recently unveiled internal email sent to Apple's leadership team.
The email was presented in the Apple-Samsung patent trial courtroom, and was sent from Eddy Cue to Tim Cook, Scott Forstall and Phil Schiller on Monday, Jan. 24, 2011. Here's a screenshot of the email, via CNET:
Interestingly, Cue claims that the late Steve Jobs, who famously spoke out against the potential of Apple's development of a 7-inch iPad, is said to have been "very receptive" to the idea of an iPad mini. The Verge, who was in the courtroom when the aforementioned email came to light, reported:
Wow. Forstall is shown a 2011 email from Eddy Cue, in which Cue forwarded an article that a journalist wrote about dumping the iPad after using a Galaxy Tab. Cue writes “Having used a Samsung Galaxy [Tab], i [sic] tend to agree with many of the comments below… I believe there will be a 7-inch market and we should do one. I expressed this to Steve several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time.”For some time now, iPad mini-rumors aplenty have been hitting the Web, with one analyst recently claiming that display production for the small-size tablet is expected to begin this month. In addition, miniature iPad cases have also been "spotted in the wild," suggesting that such a device could indeed be slated for a fall launch. If Apple does launch an iPad mini, we would expect the company to do so at its anticipated fall event, during which the sixth-generation iPhone is expected also to be unveiled, along with the general release of iOS 6. In terms of pricing, we are expecting the small-size iPad to compete directly with Google's Nexus 7, which currently retails for around $200. Have you ever spent time with a smaller tablet like the Galaxy Tab? If so, do you agree with Eddy Cue's comments? Let us know. Source: CNET Via: 9to5Mac
