Are Seven-Inch Tablets the New Sweet Spot for Tablet Buyers?

11.08.2011
Amidst this year's sea of tablets, I've seen only a smattering of 7-inch models released since Samsung first broke the ice with its last fall. Now, with the expected announcements of two more 7-inch models coming soon--this time from major manufacturers Acer and HP--that smattering of small tablets becomes a bonafide stream.

Acer is rumored to be offering its A100 this month. Meanwhile, HP has been mum on the details of its next tablet following last month's debut of the 9.7-inch TouchPad, but word of its 7-inch TouchPad Go has . These two models join the 7-inch , the HTC-manufactured , the original and Wi-Fi-connected , and the .

The potential arrivals of two new small tablets from major manufacturers give new weight to the so far little-noticed 7-inch tablet market. Compact tablets--already very popular among low-cost tablet makers--are getting ready for the next battle for would-be tablet owners' dollars.

The majority of 7-inch tablets we've seen apart from those mentioned above have come from second- and third-tier manufacturers, who--eager to join the tablet stampede--have done so with "bargain" tablets.

The news that more top-tier manufacturers are dipping a toe into the 7-inch waters gives credence to this nascent tablet category. I expect to see even more 7-inch models hit with the arrival of the to the Android Honeycomb operating system, which adds support for additional screen sizes, including those that measure 7 inches.