Apple has yet to officially confirm the iPad Mini, but Foxconn and PegaTron, two of Apple's largest manufacturers, have both confirmed the upcoming 7-inch iPad. The two companies tend to be reliable regarding Apple rumors since production of the tech-company's devices takes place in their factories.
Tech analysts and consumers both expect Apple to unveil the iPad Mini at a secial event next month on October 10. Apple has not responded to these rumors, and is unlikely to confirm the iPad Mini until its launch event. Earlier this summer in the months leading up to the iPhone 5's launch event Apple refused to confirm the device's existence until the days leading up the event, when the released a press invitation with the number five printed on it, a reference to the iPhone 5's name, which had been unconfirmed until that point.
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According to the Economic Daily News, a Taiwanese paper, PegaTron has surpassed Foxconn as the primary iPad manufacturer, securing just under 60 percent of all iPad Mini production orders. The vast majority of previous iPad models were manufactured by Foxconn.
According to the Christian Post, the iPad Mini will cost the same as the iPod Touch 5 ($299). However, if Apple wants its redesigned tablet to compete with other popular 7-inch models they may have to offer the iPad Mini at a lower pice point; Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 both start at $199. (See our comparison review between the three 7-inch tablets here).
Pricing the new iPod Touch models so high would seem to put Apple in a bind, since charging less for a 7-inch tablet will likely cannibalize iPod Touch sales. However, if the iPad Mini costs too much it won't be able to compete in the 7-inch tablet market.
A number of images of the iPad Mini have already leaked online, giving us a pretty good idea of what the new tablet's design will entail. Expect a 7.85-inch display (diagonally), a screen resolution of 1024x768 with aspect ratio of 4:3, ad 160 pixels per inch. The iPad Mini is also expected to feature the redesigned "Lightning" dock connector and two cameras (front and rear).
