iPad mini

Rumor: iPhone 5 due in September, iPad mini in August, iPad 4 in Q4

Citing sources close to Apple's supply chain, Asian hit-and-miss trade publication DigiTimes reported this morning that Apple will launch a sixth-generation iPhone in September, followed by the long-rumored seven-inch iPad mini in August and a fourth-generation iPad in the fourth quarter of this year.

According to the report, Pegatron has reportedly landed orders for the next iPhone while Foxconn is said to manufacture the seven-inch iPad mini, presumably designed to tackle the lower-end of the tablet market currently occupied by Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire tablet...

Kindle Fire now accounts for over half of Android tablet market

Still wondering why Apple would want to enter the budget tablet market with a 7.85-inch iPad? Perhaps this will help shine some light on the matter.

ComScore, a highly regarded research firm, is out with a new report today regarding the current landscape of Android tablets. And guess which slate is leading the pack? The $199 Amazon Kindle Fire...

Analyst is confident Apple will release a smaller iPad

In a note to investors today, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said that it was a "question of when, not if" Apple would release the rumored 7.85-inch iPad. He believes it would make strategic sense for it to expand its tablet family.

"A smaller iPad would be the competition's worst nightmare," he explained. Apple's competitors are already having trouble beating the company on price at $399 and $499. They wouldn't stand a chance against a $299 tablet...

Rumor: Apple making six million sub-$300 iPad minis for third-quarter launch

According to a new report out of China, Apple is allegedly looking to launch a 7.85-inch iPad model some time in the third quarter of this year. The device is said to be priced between $249 and $299, an obvious effort to compete with Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire that launched last holiday to become by far the most popular Android tablet.

However, the iPad mini is said to be primarily intended to "counter attack" upcoming tablets running Windows 8. If the rumor is true, than the low-cost iPad mini is going after the low-to-mid-end of the tablet market.

But does a miniaturized iPad sound like something Apple would even consider doing?

What an iPad with a 7.85-inch display would look like

Rumors of Apple building a smaller iPad with a 7.85-inch display have been around for several months. Pundits believe that the Cupertino company would do well to release a smaller version of its popular slate to appeal to the budget tablet crowd.

Well known Apple-insider John Gruber fanned the flames last week when he said that he was aware of such a product being tested in Apple's labs. And today, the folks over at Ciccaresedesign poured even more gas on the fire with this iPad mini mockup...

Apple has 7.85-inch iPad with 1024×768 display in its labs

As noted by TechnoBuffalo, well-connected Apple proponent John Gruber (of DaringFireball) made some interesting comments today regarding the oft-rumored "iPad mini" on his weekly 5by5 podcast with Dan Benjamin.

Gruber claimed that he has been told by a number of Apple insiders that a 7.85-inch tablet exists inside Apple's labs, but he's unsure when or if it will see the light of day...

Samsung official says iPad Mini to feature Samsung display

The iPad Mini has been in the rumor mill for quite a while, and we've heard some pretty interesting things about the 7-inch tablet. Yesterday, a report was published saying the smaller version of the iPad will feature a slim bezel display that may allow for a larger viewing area.

Today we got word that Samsung is the exclusive supplier of the Retina display for the third-generation iPad. We're also hearing out of the Korea Times, that a Samsung official told the publication that Apple will release a 7.85-inch iPad by the end of the year, using Samsung's displays...

Rumor: 7.85-inch iPad moving closer to production

A new report from DigiTimes surfaced this morning claiming that the oft-rumored 7.85-inch iPad is moving closer to production. The site points to an article from United Evening News, a Taiwanese newspaper, which says Apple has just picked suppliers for the tablet.

DigiTimes doesn't have the best track record in providing accurate Apple information, but we've seen a number of reports over the past few months regarding a mini iPad. And these particular claims appear to have some kind of basis...

Rumor: 7-inch ‘iPad mini’ launching in Q3

A 7-inch iPad has been in the rumor-mill for quite awhile, but has yet to see the light of day. Many have said Apple will never choose to go with a 7-inch display and will continue to opt with its 10-inch iPad -- which is currently the top selling tablet. However, many reports indicate a 7-inch (or 8-inch) version of the iPad will launch later this year.

OLED-Display says it has obtained a leaked document from Samsung, dated from December 2011. According the document, Apple will launch a 7-inch 'iPad mini' in Q3 of this year...

Rumor: Apple still planning on releasing 7.85-inch iPad later this year

It looks like the fact that Apple's iPad 3 event is less than a week away wasn't enough to deter rumors of a smaller iPad coming in late 2012. We've been hearing about this "iPad mini" for what seems like much more than a year now.

The latest report comes from DigiTimes, who by the way appears to be rather busy this morning. The news outlet is claiming that Apple is looking to start mass production of a 7.85" iPad sometime in the third quarter of this year...

The Wall Street Journal says the 8-inch iPad is real

Following up its report last night that seemed to confirm Apple's next slate will contain LTE, The Wall Street Journal has just weighed in on more tablet gossip. According to the newspaper, the oft-rumored 8-inch iPad is real.

The iPad-mini has been talked about for months, with folks thinking that Apple would have to respond to Amazon's successful Kindle Fire. The rumor, however, has only been supported by hit-or-miss sites like DigiTimes — until now...

iPad Mini in the Works?

I love these rumors that are completely unfounded and created just for the sake of generating noise. The new iPad Mini rumor is no different than others.

According to iLounge:

A seven-inch-screened version of the iPad is substantially finished and will be ready for announcement either later this year or early in 2011. Apple has been prototyping devices with screens of this size for a long time—quite possibly predating the original iPhone.

It seems that every year around the same time we hear the same insane rumors. Before, it used to be about a potential iPhone Mini. Now that we have the iPad, of course the noise is about an iPad Mini.

This is not happening. And if it was, it would be in April, when Apple refreshes the iPad.