At the time when every techie was speculating the release date of Apple's smartphone the iPhone, there was a general consensus that Apple would announce another product, the iPad Mini, along with the smartphone.
But on September 12, Apple's CEO Tim Cook and vice president of marketing Phil Schiller announced at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco Apple's latest smartphone - the iPhone 5. But there was no mention of the iPad Mini, which was rumored to be launched alongside the iPhone 5.
But according to Daringfireball.net, the reason Apple did not launch the mini tablet is because it did not want to dilute the excitement for either product. By releasing two products side by side, Apple did not want to confuse or pressurize its customers.
Also a late October or early November launch might be a better idea from a business standpoint. Since it is the holiday season, Apple is optimizing its sales for the new itablet.
In the mean time, while speculations on the release date continue. Currently, pictures of the mini itablet are making waves on the Internet. The images shown on theage.com.au show a tablet that resembles the iPad. Thus pictorially reiteration various reports that the iPad Mini will be a miniature, as the name suggests, version of its successful tablet iPad tablet. According to the Huffington Post, the iPad Mini will be 7.85 inches, with a front and back side camera, Wifi, a new array of applications, better Facebook and Google Map integration. According to a Forbes article the basic storage capacity of the iPad Mini will likely be 16 GB. The tablet will also have a lightning' 8-pin dock connector and Apple's popular Siri.
The price is said to be between $250-$300. Apple's iPad Mini will compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire (16GB - $199) and Nexus Fire (16GB -$249).Ewan Spencer of Forbes.com said, "From the evidence today, I'd expect to see a 16GB iPad Mini with Wi-Fi connectivity to launch at $299, with a 32GB model at $399, and a 64GB model at $499."
The iPad Mini will have Apple's new operating system, iO6. There is also talk about Apple's very own music service, something analogous to Pandora Radio.
Apple, as is characteristic of the Cupertino company to remain mum about any new product and let the rumors and speculations take over to create excitement and enthusiasm among customers, seems to be applying the same tactic with the iPad Mini. So now we'll have to wait for October to see if the rumors are valid.
Currently, Apple is busy juggling with providing inventory to all company outlets across the nation. According to a report by Mashable Business, so great is the demand for the iPhone 5 that Apple sold out all inventory within an hour. The report also suggests that due to the hot demand, Apple might delay its release at some locations from September 21 to the 28th or maybe even later. A report by Bloomberg predicts that Apple will sell around 58 million iPhone 5s by the end of 2012.
The iPad Mini is rumored to be launched in October and then hit shelves in November.
RELATED ARTICLES:
iPad Mini Release Date, Rumors and Features: But What Happens if Google Drops Nexus 7 to $99?
iPad Mini Release Date, Rumors and Features: Some Say October, Some November - Conflicting Reports?
iPad Mini Release Date: iPort Creates LauchPort for Apple's Mini Tablet
