iPad mini 'will start production in Q3'

7.85-inch tab with a sub £200 price tagTablets News By John McCann 10 hours ago | Tell us what you think [ 4 comments ]

Tweet Cheap. Apple. Same sentence. Madness.

Fresh rumours surrounding a possible iPad mini have surfaced suggesting the production of a pint-sized version of Apple's iconic tablet could start in the third quarter of 2012.

As the world gears up for the Apple event next week in which we expect to see the iPad 3 unveiled, reports are flying around about additional tablets Apple may or may not be launching.

The latest report comes via a Digitimes source who claims the iPad mini will be a direct rival to the Amazon Kindle Fire and will look to steal the budget-tablet market, giving Apple an overall dominance.

An affordable product… from Apple?

The source also revealed that the iPad mini would sport a 7.85-inch screen and would be priced at sub £200 ($249-$299) – very reasonable, especially if it sports a lot of the same features as the iPad 2 – if not the iPad 3.

The iPad mini is certainly not set in stone and Apple does not seem keen to deviate from its single iPad and iPhone offerings, so we would certainly not be placing any money on such an product launching.

We've also heard suggestions that Apple will launch a budget version of its iPad 2 alongside the iPad 3 next week - but we are equally dubious about this report at well.

Would a budget/mini iPad tempt you, or would you prefer an Android alternative? Let us know in the comment box below.

From Digitimes

Tags: iPad mini, Apple, iPad 3, Amazon Kindle Fire, tabletscarouselTweetreddit!StumbleuponComment on this article  Your comments (4) Click to add a new commentlions87a

4 hours ago

4. @compass - what a stupid thing to say.

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compass

4 hours ago

3. Can't wait to see how Apple explain we won't need sandpaper to file down our fingers to accommodate a smaller iPad screen.

Or will they be including an iChisel ?

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raeman

6 hours ago

2. I think it would be quite nice for Apple to make a smaller tablet maybe 7.7 inch screen with iPad 2 specs and market it towards education, ibooks and mobile gaming. probably also a good time to fazeout ipod touch.

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mropinionated

7 hours ago

1. Steve Jobs will be turning in his grave.....

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