Rumor: New iPad has 7-inch screen, Cortex-A9 processor

Now that news related to the iPhone 4 launch has cooled down, iPad rumors are heating up. The latest suggest a speedier and possibly smaller-screened tablet device from Apple as early as January.

Digitimes claims to have the drop on Apple's first revision to the wildly successful iPad. According to the report, Apple will beef up the speed of the iPad by swapping the Apple-built A4 processor with a Cortex-A9 and replacing the 256MB of RAM with the same 512MB currently found in the iPhone 4.

Interestingly, the report also claims that Apple will release a 7-inch version of the iPad to complement the current 9.7-inch screen. The smaller screen will maintain the 1,024x768-pixel resolution currently found on the first-generation iPad.

Though not specifically mentioned in by Digitimes, one wonders if Retina Display technology will be used in new iPads. The devices currently only boast a pixel density of 132 ppi (compared with the sultry 326 ppi included on the iPhone 4).

The best part? You may be able to swipe your fingers across one in the first quarter of 2011.

In current (and official) iPad news, Apple has turned on the Mobile Genius App-finding feature for iPad apps in the App Store. You can find the Genius tab on the bottom toolbar to the far right after opening the App Store on your iPad. If you're stuck trying to sort through the more than 200,000 apps available on the App Store, the Genius feature can help you find apps based on those you currently own.

How do the latest iPad rumors strike you? Would you buy the smaller 7-inch screen or the current size? Let us know in the comments!