Our sources in Taipei are highlighting that the demand for 7 inch panels have surpassed those of 9.7 inch in the supplier chain. This would be mainly down to high demand for both Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble 7 inch tablets in recent months. This is the first time in supplier history that the figures have swung in favour of the smaller size, which has always been driven by Apple's iPad.

7 inch panel shipments rose by 18% percent in November, compared to the previous month. We don't expect this figure to last long however as Apple will be preparing for the iPad 3 production shortly and will be demanding a high inventory of panels for the new device. If they release a new 7 inch version of the iPad to target the Kindle Fire, then the figures would certainly swing back in favour of the smaller screen.

Right now, the jury is out on which size is more popular. Each size has its own fanbase, with 7 inch users saying it is much easier to carry around and is a more ‘portable' friendly device size. Users of the larger 9.7 inch screen claim the size is more enjoyable for surfing, playing games and general work load. In 2013 we would expect the weight of devices to drop a little more, as well as the thickness.

Kitguru says: 7 inch or 9.7 inch? does size really matter when considering a purchase?

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