WSJ: Apple testing iPad with smaller screen

Apple iPad 2

Following its report that the next iPad from Apple will have 4G LTE connectivity and be carried by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, The Wall Street Journal now also reports that Apple is currently testing a version of the iPad with a smaller display. The iPad and iPad 2 both have had the same size 9.7-inch display, though many people have longed for a smaller, more portable version of the popular tablet.

The WSJ says that Apple has already talked to component suppliers in Asia about building a smaller iPad with a screen about 8 inches in size. The smaller iPad is expected to have a similar screen resolution to that of the iPad 2 (1024 x 768 pixels).

If Apple were to make a smaller iPad, it wouldn't make too much sense to make an 8-inch version, as that doesn't seem like it would be significantly smaller than the existing 9.7-inch models. Many users have asked for a 7-inch version of the iPad, similar in size to some of Samsung's tablets or the Amazon Kindle Fire. Such a form factor would make the iPad more portable and slightly less unwieldy when handled with one hand.

Apple is expected to announce the iPad 3 with a high-resolution display, faster processor, and 4G LTE options on March 7 of this year.