The rumor mills are going crazy about the latest product to be launched by technology superstar Apple – the iPad mini. With many experts certain that the latest addition to the Apple family will be announced at an exclusive launch party set for the 17th of October, consumers are wondering just what they might expect from the iPad mini, and whether indeed the rumors are true at all.
For all intents and purposes, it seems wise of Apple to launch a smaller, more affordable tablet. Although the IPad remains top of the tablet sales figures, smaller tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus 7 may give Apple something to worry about, and it makes sense that they would produce a similar product to keep up with their competitors.
In 2010, Steve Jobs claimed that tablets with smaller screens would be ‘dead on arrival’ and were simply not practical enough to create fantastic applications. The launch of an iPad mini may well point to a new direction for Apple after the loss of their visionary CEO.
Although Apple has as always been tight lipped about the rumors, a number of sources have revealed what consumers can expect from the IPad Mini. There is no official release date for the device, however according to an unknown source, invitations to an October 17th launch party are expected to be sent out on October 10th, meaning that it may not be too much longer to wait before the rumors are confirmed (Hardy).
The iPad Mini will have a screen size of approximately seven inches in comparison with the current iPad’s 9.7 inch display, and will be almost as light and compact as an iPhone as cited by Salvador Rodriquez in his article at the Los Angeles Times. The device will be approximately 7.2mm thick. The screen resolution will be similar to that of the new iPad, meaning that the same apps could be transferred easily between devices. In addition, the iPad mini is expected to boast the same revolutionary retina display as the new iPad and the iPhone 5.
In order to keep the iPad mini affordable, sources believe that the internal memory on the device will be just 8GB, but will come with 3G technology.
A number of iPad mini accessories and cases have already started being produced by large manufacturers in anticipation of the device. The cases that have been released raise some questions of what will be included in the mini, with one case having no space for a rear facing camera and another with a mysterious hole in the case causing people to wonder whether Apple will perhaps include a rear facing microphone in the device.
Although there are some doubts as to whether Apple will ever have the courage to go against their popular former CEO, Steve Jobs, who made his stance on small tablets very clear, it seems likely that Apple would want to be a player in the ever growing compact tablet market. At this point, all we can do is wait and see
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at Car Financing.
