Following the leaked images of both the front glass panel and back housing that allegedly belong to the rumored iPad Mini, The Wall Street Journal reports that mass production of a smaller iPad is currently underway.
Apple Inc.’s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. GOOG -0.63% and Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.56% that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.
All but confirming the previous rumors of an iPad Mini with a 1,024-by-768 display, The Wall Street Journal cites two sources who suggest the device will come equipped with a smaller 7.85-inch screen with a lower resolution than the third-generation Retina display iPad.
Coincidently, this report happens to follow UkrainianiPhone’s leaked images of supposed iPad Mini components. Assuming Apple is indeed mass producing the iPad Mini, it wouldn’t be unheard of if a few components happened to slip through Apple’s supply chain – just look the iPhone 5 leaks.
With Apple rumored to mail invitations to an iPad Mini-exclusive media event on October 10th, stay tuned for complete coverage.
