2 
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple’s Asian component suppliers have ratcheted up production, and are now churning out the as-yet-unannounced iPad Mini.
According to the Journal, “people with knowledge of the situation” explained that the factories have already started mass production of Apple’s new tablet which will “have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution compared with the latest iPad model that came out in March”. Those specs certainly tie in with other rumours we’ve heard.
The report offers little else in the way of details. We’ve seen a couple of different rumoured prototypes floating around, though, so—unlike the recent iPhone—we don’t have a clear idea what the device might look like. If it exists.
Elsewhere, speculation suggests the smaller tablet would share the guts of the iPad 2 and, perhaps, launch some time around mid October, but for a full round-up of iPad Mini rumours you can read our recent report. Of course, for now this is all hearsay—but we might not have to wait long until we find out what Apple really has up its sleeve. [WSJ]
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The iPod Touch, iPhone 4S/5 and new iPad all have ‘retina’ screens. Why launch a new product in a hugely competitive market without that single, arguably most important feature? It makes no sense and if it does ship with an ‘average’ screen that feature will be conspicuous by its absence during the keynote speech.
It only says that it has a lower screen res that the big iPad. It could still have a similar ppi seeing as it has a smaller screen size.
Okay okay, calm down. Sheesh, you’re such an Apple fanboy. Just let it go buddy, let it go.
Don’t make me do it man.. I’m close to the edge!
Because Apple are playing catch-up, and are trying to get a foothold in the mini-tab market. They’re very late to the game.
Additionally, the current ~7″ tab market contains multiple devices that are very well priced with excellent hardware (Nexus 7, new Kindle) and Apple will need to compete. Of course they won’t actually compete, they’ll slap a stupid price on it (see earlier Giz articles) and rely on Apple hype to sell it. Which is very short-sighted of them, and will most likely result in them losing out.
But it’s the way it makes you feeeeeel deep inside your loins.