The oft-rumored 7.85-inch iPad ‘mini’ is said to begin production in September, this according to Japanese Mac blog Macotakara (via MacRumors). They go to say the newer, smaller iPad will be manufactured in Foxconn in Brazil. A production test to ‘collect data for new cutting machine’ has already been completed in China.
Not unlike its big brother, the iPad mini will have wireless capability. The source says 3G, so perhaps they are using 4G LTE as a reason to jump to the larger iPad. There are also space and battery issues to contend with, which are more of a challenge given the smaller form factor. As for size, expect it to be as thin as a 4th generation iPod touch says the source, who claims to have seen a prototype.
This week has seen a plethora of 7.85-inch iPad mini rumors, some coming from established publications like Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. This thing has to be for real, right? Guess we’ll find out together this holiday season when it’s rumored to be released.
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Man, I’m trying very hard to take these rumors seriously. But I AM trying. What’s your opinion, Chris?
I’m a believer. Initially, I didn’t think it was going to happen, but there’s too much smoke not to be fire. I think Apple isn’t worried so much about canibalizing the iPod touch, which it inevitably will do if they release a mini. In typical Apple fashion, they’ll remove a few features that will allow for the 9.7-inch model to still be very attractive. Retina, 4G being the main reasons for the jump. As for price, I don’t see it being less then $299. The rumors of a $200 price point seem out of line with Apple’s pricing structure.