It’s been known for awhile now that Apple has been planning a miniature version of its iPad, and the company is expected to unveil the new device alongside the new iPhone 5 on September 12th.
What will the iPad Mini offer to convince the Apple-driven masses that they need yet one more of their “magical” devices in their households? Not much new, according to recent rumors.
The iPad Mini is expected to be scaled down, to a 7.85 inch diagonal size, but is expected to have the smae ratio of height to width as the current iPad. In all reality, its features will mirror the iPad 2, only on a smaller scale.
The mini iDevice will probably have the high resolution graphics of an iPad 2, rather than the Retina-quality ones of the new iPad. Other rumors point to a indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) display, made by Sharp, who recently teamed up with Foxconn to ramp up its supply chain speed. Sharp’s IGZO technology essentially makes it easier and more power efficient for light to shine through an LCD display, which which limits power requirements on a smaller device.
Obviously, the price should be much lower as well, likely around the $249 USD range.
Other rumors also highlight everything from a thinner design to a smaller Dock connector like the one rumored for the upcoming iPhone 5. 4G LTE compatibility is a possibility. The miniature slate will also (obviously) run iOS 6, Apple’s newest operating system version, and will likely include a camera on board as well.
These rumors have yet to be confirmed by Apple. Do you plan on picking up an iPad Mini this year?