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Why a 7.8-inch iPad won't require sandpaper

Why a 7.8-inch iPad won't require sandpaper

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iOS developer Joel Bernstein has used Apple's user interface guidelines to demonstrate why 7.8 inches would be the perfect size for the next iPad.

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iphone and ipad together
iphone and ipad together

In a blog post that managed to skip by us last week, developer Joel Bernstein makes some interesting points about the iOS user interface, using it to substantiate rumors of a 7.8-inch iPad. Describing a "logical" pixel as a single standard pixel or four Retina pixels in a two-by-two grid, he notes the disparity in logical pixel density between the current iPad and the iPhone —132 vs. 163 DPI — and points out that shrinking the iPad's screen to 7.85 inches would equalize the two. Given that both platforms currently use the same standard size, 44 points, for touch targets, the smaller iPad's targets would come out equal to the iPhone's at 0.27 inches, and the move could be made with very little disruption to app developers or users. It looks like the late Steve Jobs wasn't entirely correct when he said that users would have to file down their fingers with sandpaper to operate a 7-inch tablet — check out Bernstein's post for the full argument.