iPad Mini - release date, rumours and specs
iPad mini rumours, release date info, pricing and specs - you'll find them all here.The Apple iPad mini has become one of the most anticipated gadgets in the tech world, and we don't even know if it exists yet. However, there have been so many leaks, so many insider stories, that we're starting to become convinced it's the real deal.
We've collated all the news on the iPad mini, rejected the pure nonsense and picked out the gems to put together this summary of what the tablet will be like. The below titbits should be treated as rumour at this point, but many of them are likely to prove true. We'll be updating this information as new iPad mini details are revealed.
Release date and price
Possible 12 September 2012 unveiling, October release, from $249 or £199
If the iPad mini is to surface this year, it'll likely show up on 12 September, when the iPhone 5 is likely to be unveiled. As is traditional for Apple, there won't be a wait of months and months for the device itself to go on sale - the usual gap is two weeks. Today's latest rumour suggests the release date will be 21 September.
Japanese website Macotakara says the iPad mini will sell for between $250 and $350, around half the price of the full-size iPad. If we don't get done over in the currency translation, this means the iPad mini could sell for under £200.
Screen
7.85in, 1,024 x 768 pixels, IPS panel
The iPad mini takes the screen resolution of the first and second-generation iPads and squeezes it down from a 9.7in display to a 7.85in display. This will result in a much sharper image - at normal viewing distances - than the older iPads.
Doing the math, pixel density still isn't exactly amazing at 163dpi, but as Apple is likely to continue using the IPS screen type used in all iPhones and iPads, it'll look snazzy enough to keep Apple acolytes happy. Next to the Google Nexus 7 it won't come off too well, though. The official Google tablet packs-in 1,280 x 800 pixels into a 7in display, for 215dpi pixel density.
The benefit of using the familiar 1,024 x 768 resolution is that the iPad mini should have no problems running any iPad apps that aren't made exclusively for the Retina display iPad. And there aren't too many of those.
Body and design
Anodised aluminium, iPad-like
The iPad mini's name isn't there just to suck popularity off the iPad brand - it'll basically be what's written on the tin. Its rear is likely to use the same anodised aluminium rear as the current full-size iPad, and will be under 10mm thick. Japanese blog Macootakara claims it'll be a crazy-slim 7.2mm thick. That's almost 3mm thinner than the Google Nexus 7.
While keeping the iPad-style build quality is a good thing, what we're looking forward to most in the iPad mini is having an Apple tablet we can comfortably use while standing up on the train. 9.7in and 600g in weight, the current model is just a bit too large and a bit too heavy to get away with being used one-handed.
Battery Life
Expected 10hr battery life
Apple has pinned a 10-hr badge on the iPad range. It was so desperate to keep up this standard that it made the third iPad tablet thicker and heavier than its predecessor just to maintain stamina. Big and heavy are not positive points in the world of portable tech…
However, Apple's going to have to do some clever engineering to get battery life this high without making the iPad mini a bit of a chunkster. 7in tablets generally struggle to match their 10.1in brothers on battery life, as there's less room in the body to fill out with battery. The Google Nexus 7 managed just over eight hours in our tests, but we're not sure whether Apple will be satisfied with this cut-down figure.
Having to cram in a decent-sized battery makes us suspicious about the previous claim that the tablet will be just 7.2mm thick, though.
Software
iOS 6
There's no doubt about this one - the iPad mini will be the same basic software as the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, iOS.
New "features" expected include the removal of Google Maps and TouTube - although replacements will certainly be in-place. Siri is due an update that'll see it branch out to more devices and you'll be able to do more with it, such as launch apps. More Facebook integration is expected too.
Processor
Dual-core A5 chip
In a world filling up with cheap quad-core Android tablets, the idea that the iPad mini might feature a dual-core chip may sound strange. But it's actually quite likely.
A dual-core chip is used in the current iPad - it's the GPU that has all the power. The iPad mini should need less power than the full-size iPad too, as it has to render far fewer pixels, 786,432 instead of 3,145,728. We have no clue as to whether the processor will be exactly the same as the full-size iPad's one, though.
Memory
8/16/32GB, non expandable
As the first real "budget-focused" iPad, iMore speculates that an 8GB version of the iPad mini will appear. Until now, the entry-level point for iPads has been 16GB - and even that is eaten-up pretty quickly.
The Google Nexus 7 offers an entry-level 8GB version, but the 16GB edition has proved much more popular. If an 8GB iPad mini does exist, we expect higher-capacity editions will be much more popular among tech fans. The iPad mini won't let you simply plug in a memory card to get extra storage.
Camera
Conflicting reports
There have been conflicting rumours on the iPad mini camera. Leaked pictures claiming to be of the tablet's rear show no space for a camera sensor - just a smooth metal back. However, these could easily be fakes.
Supporting this, pictures of cases made for the iPad mini show that there will still be a camera. Accessory makers are occasionally given a heads-up about the specs of devices, so that accessories can be made for the launch of the product. Which report is true? We'll have to wait to find out.
Speakers
Stereo, on the bottom
A string of component leaks show that the iPad mini will feature two speakers. Or, at the very least, two speaker outlets. They sit on the bottom edge to either side of the new 8-pin proprietary connector.
The grille design is similar to that of the current iPad - little holes drilled into the aluminium shell. As the speakers are so close together, they won't be able to create much of a stereo image as such, but should offer greater output, and will be less affected by how you hold the tablet.
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