Apple's CEO Tim Cook slates budget tablets at Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference

Yesterday, Pocket Gamer reported on a rumour that suggested Apple is actively testing an 8-inch iPad, which could be sold for less than its 9.7-inch brother.

The late Steve Jobs had berated smaller tablets in the past, so we took the rumour with a pinch of salt.

At yesterday's Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, though, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the opportunity to criticise the plethora of low-priced and poor-quality tablets on the market.

"Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody gets it home and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it, and the joy is gone," Cook said.

"The joy is gone every day that they use it until they aren't using it anymore. You don't keep remembering 'I got a good deal' because you hate it."

While Cook's comments don't completely debunk the rumours of a smaller and cheaper iPad, they do suggest that a stripped-down, cut-price version of Apple's bestselling tablet isn't high on the Cupertino company's agenda.