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iPad Mini to debut next week?

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 15 Oct 2012
While Apple is yet to send out any formal invitations, insider sources reportedly say the iPad Mini will make its debut next week.
While Apple is yet to send out any formal invitations, insider sources reportedly say the iPad Mini will make its debut next week.

Apple will unveil the long-rumoured iPad Mini at a special event on 23 October, according to reports.

Rumours of the iPad Mini have been doing the rounds for months now, and it was speculated in August already that Apple would unveil the smaller, lower-cost tablet in a separate event, following the September launch of the iPhone 5.

While Apple is yet to send out any invitations, AllThingsD reports sources familiar with Apple's plans say the event is still due to go ahead next week. While the event is expected to be somewhat smaller than the iPhone 5 launch, a smaller iPad could still steal the thunder of Microsoft's Surface tablet, due to be released on 26 October, with Windows 8.

Details about the actual specifications of the iPad Mini are still few and far between, but most reports claim it will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display and will, of course, feature Apple's new Lightning connector. It has also been said it will be thinner than the standard iPad.

The seven-inch tablet market has been heating up recently, with Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's refreshed Kindle Fire line-up. While some commentators have discounted the iPad Mini rumours, saying the product would be too far a departure from Apple's strategy, others say competition is too strong for Apple not to respond.

When the rumours first emerged, World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck said there is greater likelihood of Apple releasing a seven-inch iPad than of it not doing so. "The Kindle Fire made the first serious and real dent in Apple's American market share, and that is where it responds most aggressively."

Respected Apple commentator (who has a reputation for accurately clarifying Apple rumours), Jim Dalrymple, of The Loop, has also responded to the rumours of an iPad Mini event on 23 October with a simple "Yep".

In the meantime, an inventory system screenshot has purportedly been leaked, showing the pricing scheme for the iPad Mini. The screenshot is said to be from a widely used inventory system in Europe and Asia used by mobile firms and cellular networks. According to the screenshot, the iPad Mini will start at EUR249 for an 8GB WiFi-only model, going up to EUR649 for a 16GB cellular model. It will remain to be seen if these figures are accurate.

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