With the new 7.85-inch iPad Mini on the way soon, things could be getting a whole lot different in the tablet market, according to eWeek. Although there has been no official word from Apple about the device, there have been reports building up about this device for months. One likely effect of the release isn't a change so much as more of the same, as the news source said Apple will see its leverage in the market increase.
“The company would have more tablets to offer; its sales would be higher; and vendor partners would be required even more to play nice,” the news source said. “It could help Apple increase its power in key relationships across the industry.”
Other possible changes coming for the industry include prices getting driven down for other tablets from having more selection on the market, other tablets seeing their sales hurt or not as good as expected, and developers increasingly coming to Apple with their ideas. Essentially, the grip Apple has on the industry will most likely tighten.
There have been some negative comments, including from InformationWeek's Thomas Claburn, who said less is not necessarily more in this case. Among his criticisms, Claburn argued a smaller iPad will be awkwardly positioned as a product because it will be something in between a tablet and a smartphone. If you agree with Claburn and want to stick with your current iPad but are suffering from poor performance or a problem like a cracked screen, you can turn to iPad repair to get your tablet back in full working order.