Mass production of the rumored iPad mini has reportedly already begun, according to the Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the situation believe the smaller tablet will have a 7.85-inch liquid crystal display with a lower resolution compared to the last iPad model, which came out in March. South Korea’s LG Display Co. and Taiwan’s AU Optronics Corp. have reportedly begun mass producing LCD screens for the new iPad.
Current iPad models measure 9.7-inches, and this size hasn’t changed since the first model was released in 2010. Apple has not responded for comment on these rumors.
Since the iPad first launched in 2010, Apple rivals have released their own tablets that vary in size, features, and prices. In July, Google, Apple’s biggest software rival, launched the Nexus 7 and last month Amazon revealed the latest models of Kindle Fire tablets. Both of these devices are much more affordable at $199 and $159 respectively, while the latest iPad model starts at $499.
News of the iPad mini mass production comes just a day after new iPad mini parts were allegedly leaked online, showing both black and white designs and a space for a nano-SIM tray, so at least one model may have cellular data connectivity.
The iPad mini rumor mill has really been picking up speed with a media event expected to take place this month. If the Wall Street Journal is right, and mass production of the iPad mini really has begun, then a media event shouldn’t be too far away.
Source: The Wall Street Journal via Apple Insider
Image Credit: The Independent Blogs
