We previously reported rumors of a possible 7.85 inch iPad;  DigiTimes later claimed that Apple’s manufacturing partners have delivered samples of the smaller iPad to Apple. But with the success of the New iPad, is a smaller tablet still a possibility?

Appadvice outlines why releasing a smaller iPad would make sense:

Because the original iPad screen was set at a pixel resolution of 1024 x 768, it’s a good guess that the mythical iPad mini — in order to simplify and streamline third-party development as much as possible — will need to sport that same resolution (or, like the new iPad, a multiple thereof). Of course, the entire proposed point of the mini is to keep production costs low enough to hawk it for between $250 and $300, which pretty much meansno Retina display. So, 1024 x 768 will have to do.

And, boy, does it ever. If you do the math, a 7.85-inch tablet with a resolution of 1024 x 768 works out to a PPI of 163. 163!

Apple and its manufacturing partners — who’ve been making original spec iPhone and iPod touch screens for almost five years now — have all the machinery they need to make 163 PPI displays, and costs to do so are cheaper than ever.

I’m still not convinced, I get Apple could create a 7.85-inch tablet, but with no retina? It does not seem likely that Apple would be looking to release a smaller screen iPad, so close to the New iPad’s release.

[via appadvice, macrumors]