Forget the iPad Air hype: Small tablets look like the future

Forget the iPad Air hype: Small tablets look like the future

Apple may not like the implications for its margins, but smaller, cheaper tablets are on the rise. Stephen Baker of the NPD Group writes that his company’s research has found that sales of tablets that measure in at under 9 inches have grown by a whopping 550% so far this year while sales of tablets that are more than 9 inches have actually fallen by 36% over the same period. One of the most interesting things to watch over the next few months will be how well Apple’s Retina-equipped iPad mini is selling now that it has a $400 price point even though the iPad Air is priced at just $100 higher. The original iPad mini was a hit at $329 last year and while Apple is still selling the year-old device for $300 it remains to be seen how well it still competes with cheaper tablets with higher display resolutions such as Google’s newest Nexus 7.