The rumor that was making its way around before the iPad 2 debut last year is back for an encore. At the time, it was suggestedthat the iPad would be getting a refresh and a smaller, low-cost version at around 7" would also come out. It would have directly contradicted Jobs’ own dismissal of that smaller form factor, but the rumor mill churned mightily anyway. And of course there was no mini-iPad, only the thinner and faster iPad 2. Now those whispers are starting back up again, as LG Display and AU Optronics are reportedto have sent samples of 7.85" LCD panels to Apple.