Everything We Know About the iPad Mini (So Far)

Here's what we've learned about Apple's next tablet

Oct 16, 2012

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Earlier today Apple confirmed what the rumor mill and various reports have been saying for the past five or so months: a new, smaller iPad is coming. The new tablet will be announced next Tuesday at an event held at the California Theatre in San Jose. There's been a deluge of information in the past months in the form of leaked photos, supply chain workers dropping dimes as to the devices dimensions, and good old fashion conjecture. Before Tim Cook pulls back the curtain on what everyone's been calling the iPad Mini, we put together all the credible rumors and reports so you can have some sort of idea what's going down next week. 

It Will Look Like a Larger iPod Touch and a Smaller iPad

If the leaked photos we've seen are to be believed, Apple's upcoming tablet looks like a mash up of the company's new touchscreen media player, the iPod Touch, and the new iPad. Most images have it sporting rounded off edges, with the speakers and Lightning connector at the bottom. Like the iPad, it will reportedly have a headphone placed on top. According to a report from iMore, it will also be remarkably thin, measuring in at a scant 7.2mm. Again, this could all change come Oct. 23.

It Will Not Have a Retina Display

According to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, the iPad Mini will have a 7.85-inch display that will rock a lower resolution than the current iPad. Many analysts see this as a way to keep costs down in order to better compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7 tablet. John Gruber figures the display will likely have a 1024 x 768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio like the iPad 2.

It Will Likely Have iPad 2 Internals

Due to its size and cost restraints, it's safe to bet that the iPad Mini will be powered by the A5 dual-core processor made for the iPad 2 and currently found in the new iPod Touch. In keeping with the A5, the iPad Mini will probably also have around 512 MB of RAM. We haven't heard any rumors regarding storage for the iPad Mini, but we expect it to match the iPod Touch's 32 GB and 64 GB configurations.

It Will Likely Come with Only Wi-Fi

A few early rumors had the iPad Mini having a built-in 3G connection, but we've seen little evidence to back up that claim. Also, if the device is really 7.2mm thin, it will be difficult to squeeze in a mobile data antenna. A Wi-Fi only model will fall in line with the Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7 which both don't have wireless data antennas.

It Will Cost More Than its Competitors

Rumors regarding the iPad Mini's price fluctuate all over the map. Some have it starting right on the $199 line where the Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7 sit, while others have its base price closer to the $399 of the current iPad 2. Logic dictates it will fall closer to the former. Though, something will have to give as the cheapest iPod Touch is $299. We it will fall somewhere between the price of the 32 GB iPod Touch and the iPad 2, still making it more expensive than its two competitors.

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