"Apple Will Totally Do A 7-Inch Device" Insists Lead Android Advocate

Steve Jobs minced no words back in October 2010 when he described 7-inch tablets as "dead on arrival", telling investors that Apple had decided "this size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps." Now Android developer advocate Tim Bray has offered up some advice of his own to Jobs, suggesting that "Apple will totally do a 7-inch device" and that when it comes to the validity of so-called "tweeners" the "argument is over."

"Apple will totally do a 7" device. Anyone who's spent quality time reading books or playing games on the Galaxy Tab knows; there's a great big hole in the ecosystem that needs something bigger than a handset but that still fits in one hand and you can use for four hours in a row sitting up. This argument is over." Tim Bray

Bray is careful to make it clear that the suggestions are his own and not Google's official stance, but the high-profile developer will still likely rekindle speculation about the potential of a smaller iPad. He has previously argued that 10-inches is the sweet-spot for sharing content, but 7-inches is better for sustained use; that certainly fits in with our experience of the Galaxy Tab.

"I think Apple will sell a ton of devices because they're good, and superbly marketed" Bray concludes, going on to suggest that "a bunch of people will sell a ton of Android devices because they're good and there are so many options for different needs and networks and price-points." However, the biggest challenge remains input: "they really can't become dominant as work tools until we have a better solution for high-speed low-friction text input" Bray believes.

[via SFGate]