Rumors have been indicating arrival of a much anticipated smaller iPad called iPad Mini.
The rumors had started in late November 2011 and since then there wasn’t a concrete proof. Starting very recently, there had been some positive leaks that indicate that iPad Mini is indeed a reality coming very soon.
Apple definitely felt the heat from smaller 7″ Android Tablets like Kindle Fire (HD), Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab2, which appeale consumers coz of their size. We own Nexus 7 and iPad, and I proudly pick the lighter and smaller tablet to read my books on the go. When I’m browsing, I still prefer a larger screen, however, 7″ sounds perfect for single handed reading. Ever tried holding iPad in one hand for reading? You’ve dealt with the pain.
Well, iPad Mini is just around the corner and rumors reveal various details about the smaller iPad. iPad mini would sport a 7.85″ screen and would have 3G/4G LTE support along with standard Wifi. iOS can pretty easily scale down to a 7.85-inch screen as-is and remain usable. So there shouldn’t be any concerns about fragmenting the platform with different versions of iPad apps for the two sizes.
Like the iPad, the stereo mini jack Mini Jack placement seems to be at the top (1). There’s a plastic cover for the Wi-Fi antenna (2) and the dock Lightning connector is at the bottom (4). It also shows a NanoSim tray (3), which is the first evidence of 3G support in the iPad mini.
The material of the back panel is just like the iPhone 5: anodized aluminum.
iPad Mini Specs
iPad mini will be a budget device, and hence hardware configuration wise, it would match the iPad 2, if not iPad 3. Most probably it would feature a 32nm A5 processor, and probably 512MB of RAM, Lightning port, and both-sided camera.
iPad Mini Display
If $200 Kindle Fire HD is retina, it makes no sense for Apple alternative to not have one. iPad mini will still endorse a Retina display, thereby heating the competition. but the question is, will the aspect ration change from 4:3 to 16:10 or 16:9 like that of iPhone 5?
Leaked photos of iPad Mini indicate that its still 4:3. However, apple could have two models prototyped and might just dump one in the favor of the other. For reading, 4:3 is better but for Videos, 16:9. Who knows if they come up with Macbook Pro style 16:10 rations, giving best of both worlds.
Keeping the 768 pixel height will allow Apps expecting 1024×768 to be displayed with Letterbox borders in the same way as on the iPhone 5.
Here are the possible Aspect Ratios:
1024×768 is 4:3 = 1.33
1152×768 is 4.5:3 = 1.50 <— Most Likely
1228×768 is 16:10 = 1.60
1366×768 is 16:9 = 1.78
iPad Mini Price
Competition is priced at $200, whether its Google, Amazon or Samsung. Apple will not compromise and would price this 7.85″ device at $300.
However, selling it for $200 is silly for Apple. It would be kind of nuts if Apple started selling a 7.85-inch tablet for the same price as its iPod, or for less. New iPad starts at $500, and the iPad 2 at $400. So the Mini will be slightly lower than the two to give users more options.
iPad Mini Data Network
The most convincing thing we’ve seen thus far has been what appears to be a plastic cover on some of the leaked parts for the 3G antenna. While 3G is bare minimum Apple would put in iPad minis, 4G could raise the price point. Especially when you’ve a smaller battery, it gets challenging to cope up with 4g.
iPad Mini Release Date
We’ve multiple rumors and one of them has to be true. Rumors indicate: Apple iPad Mini event for October 17th. Most Apple announcements are on fridays, and delaying it further means not grabbing enough attention since October 26th, the release date for Windows 8, and November 2nd, just a few days before the presidential election.
We’re betting on October 17th announcement and device goes on sale a week after.
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