Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) may or may not introduce an HD television in the coming quarters, but the rumor that just won't die this past week calls for the world's most valuable tech company to put out a smaller iPad.
Sales of the new iPad have been brisk -- and we'll get some hard numbers when Apple reports on Tuesday -- but there's no denying that a market exists for a slightly smaller tablet that can be introduced at a price point making it competitive with the Kindle Fire, Nook tablets, and other Android-powered gadgetry that's available for around $200.
It's unlikely that Apple would ever get that cheap. It would eat into its iPod Touch business. However, the groundswell of speculation for the "iPad mini" is only getting louder.
Briefly in the news
And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.
- SanDisk (Nasdaq: SNDK) will probably want to erase Friday's drop from its memory. The flash-memory giant saw its shares slip after the company posted uninspiring quarterly results, warning that pricing pressures are weighing on margins.
- Howard Stern's lawsuit against Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) -- alleging that he, his agent, and his production company were owed more than $330 million as a result of the merger between Sirius and XM -- was thrown out. Stern promises to appeal, but shareholders caught a break.
- E*TRADE (Nasdaq: ETFC) posted better-than-expected results on Thursday, bucking the trend of rival discounters that merely met Wall Street estimates earlier in the week. Now we know why the E*TRADE Baby is usually smiling.
Moving on
Now that you've had a glimpse of the past, let's delve into the future. A new report details the latest Rule-Breaking multibagger that has earned Fool co-founder David Gardner's attention. The report is free, and you're closer to it than you think. Check it out now.
