Mr.Bhat
EntMnt Contributor
The tablet will be competitively priced to take on the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus 7
According to sources cited by The New York Times, the iPad Mini is indeed real and could break cover before the end of this year.
We've heard plenty of rumors about the Apple iPad Mini, which by the way is still not officially announced. Media agencies have cited sources "familiar with the matter" to get the info through to us all. It's the New York Times this time around, which has stated that the smaller iteration of the iPad is indeed real and will be competitively priced to combat the likes of the Kindle Fire and the newly launched Google Nexus 7.
According to NYT, the smaller iPad will feature a 7.85-inch display and will be priced lesser than $499 (which is the cost of the entry level third gen iPad). The new iDevice is believed to break cover before the end of 2012, possibly along with the new iPhone.
The rumor has now come through numerous sources which increases the likelihood of its existence. Thanks to a couple of leaked pictures/engineering samples of the iPad Mini, we have a strong reason to look forward to it. As expected, the target will be Kindle Fire (or the yet to be launched Kindle Fire 2) and the Nexus 7. The latter offers great hardware for a nominal price with minimal profits, so Apple would want to combat that with its offering.
Manufacturers are finally taking tablets seriously which is evident from Microsoft and Google's offering. Apple has been in the field for a while, so they might just have the edge.
iPad Mini's existence reaffirmed by the New York Times - News - Know Your Mobile India
