7-inch iPad due next year, claims report

Apple is planning to revamp the iPad for the first quarter of 2011, Taiwan-based industry watch site Digitimes has reported.

The current 9.7-inch screen unit will be upgraded to 512MB of RAM, double the current 256MB and the same capacity as the iPhone 4, and incorporate a later version of the ARM Cortex CPU according to Digitimes Research senior analyst Mingchi Kuo. The Digitimes frequently features reports on upcoming devices based on sources from within electronics manufacturers in the region such as iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn.

Kuo had previously been quoted by the site confirming specifications for the Apple iPhone 4 prior to launch. The current iPad and iPhone contain an Apple-designed system on chip (SoC) which has a performance enhanced version of the ARM Cortex A8. Kuo claims the new model will feature a CPU based on the Cortex A9.

Apple will also launch a new smaller 7-inch iPad according to the report, based on the same resolution and with an IPS LCD based screen, the same technology used in the "retina" display of the iPhone 4.

An updated version of the Apple TV is also planned based on the AMD Fusion platform with a combined CPU and GPU. The new Apple TV will have no hard drive and will adopt an iPhone-like interface, the site reports.