New Delhi: The rumoured iPad Mini, a more compact avatar of Apple's hot-seller iPad tablet, that was expected to launch along with the iPhone 5 is now expected to be unveiled at an event on October 17, according to a Fortune report. The iPad Mini is also sometimes referred to as the iPad Air.
Fortune's source, a major Apple investor, says that press invitations will be sent out on October 10. Earlier, AllThingsD, a tech website affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, had reported that the iPad mini will be unveiled at a separate event in October after the iPhone 5 goes on sale.
The iPad Mini is believed to have a 7.85-inch screen and is expected to be considerably cheaper than the 9.7-inch iPad.
Apple still dominates the global tablet market, but rivals are closing in. Google unveiled the Nexus 7 in July to strong reviews. And Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet, with a price tag about half the iPad's, has encroached on Apple's market share. Analysts say smaller, cheaper tablets entice cost-conscious buyers unwilling to spend $500 or more for an iPad.
Documents presented in court during the recent high-profile Apple versus Samsung patent trial revealed that the Steve Jobs was receptive to Apple making a smaller tablet. Steve Jobs had once criticised the 7-inch tablet size, saying that it was too small for a pleasant touchscreen experience. "7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad," said Jobs, adding "they are going to be DOA - dead on arrival".
(With inputs from agencies)
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