Apple In Secret Plans To Unveil New Range Of Device Known As ‘iPad Mini’

Are you already bored of your iPhone 5 (have you seen anyone with it here in Nigeria?) and the latest iPad? Then you may not have to wait any longer to add a new device to the Apple family as the iPad Mini, a shrunken version of Appleā€™s market-changing tablet, is expected to hit the market soon.

With a launch date expectedly set for October 17 and the device available in shops on November 2, according to Fortune magazine, Apple is now set to break into the market of smaller tablet devices.

The device is believed to have similar hardware to last yearā€™s iPad 2, but reduced to an almost pocket-friendly seven or eight-inch form.

Fortune reports that Apple will send out invites for the launch on October 10, gathering tech journalists and stakeholders together to unveil the device.

If Apple follows previous form, the event will be held in San Francisco, with a simultaneous launch on London.

Images purporting to show the iPad Mini suggest a device measuring 7.85inches, with an aluminium back-cover similar to the most recent iPad.

It is likely to sport a rear-facing camera and come with Appleā€™s newest ā€˜lightningā€™ connector, a controversial re-design which made previous accessories and chargers obsolete without an adapter.

If Apple follows its usual design styles, it is likely to come in white and black versions, with a choice of WiFi only, or a 3G option. However this unconfirmed.

The device, while still likely to garner a premium price-tag, will help Apple compete with the burgeoning smaller tablet market.

The 7-inch Google Nexus tablet sells for Ā£159 for the cheapest version, while Amazon is also producing a budget tablet range.

In his life, Steve Jobs was unconvinced that a smaller tablet would be a success, seeing it as a poor compromise between a tablet and a phone. However Apple appears to have had a change of heart, particularly now that the tablet market has now matured.

Almost ready for prime time? Website Apple.Pro revealed these images of the alleged eight-inch iPad Mini, due to launch on October 17
Front and back: Alleged sightings of the iPad Mini suggest it retains the simple, minimalist style of previous models

 

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