T
he launch of the iPad Mini is the latest in a growing trend of smaller tablets coming onto the market. Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s wildly successful Kindle Fire have seen a growth in media consumption on a smaller tablet screen.
New research out this week points to a 20% increase in user page views and time spent on site [than on an iPhone]. This noticeable statistic points to an engaged audience that are keen to dwell longer than they would on an iPhone.
Apple are predicted to sell between 8 and 10 million iPad minis before the end of the year as part of an expected 34 million mini tablet sales this year and an estimated 67 million units to ship in 2013. No small figure.
The rise in market scale of this mini tablet, coupled with positive engagement figures will require brands to consider the optimum size(s) to display their site.
To date Apple screens have only come in two sizes, making it relatively easy to optimise sites for two sizes. However, the growth in mid screen sizes across all operating systems could require some further thought on site optimisation.
Brands developing for Apple apps will need to consider the new size whilst Android apps have been used to the screen size variations for some time.
Other options available are the improvement of existing sites or the full development of responsive web designs that will maximise a site for any viewing platform.
