Report:$200, 7-inch iPad Mini Coming in October

Rumors are heating up that Apple is readying a smaller version of the iPad for release later this year.

The website iMore on Thursday claimed to have a ''reliable'' source who said Apple is planning to release a smaller version of its coveted tablet in October for $200 to $250.The Cupertino tech giant is looking to price it so-called iPad Mini aggressively ''to leave absolutely no space for competitors,'' the    site reported.

The iPad Mini will be 7-inches and identical in every other way to the current 9.7 inch iPad.It is even expected to sport a 2048-by-1536 resolution display, just like the new iPad.

Cupertino is said to be keeping costs down on the mini tablet by giving it less storage capacity than it's larger counterpart.The $200 iPad Mini will provide 8GB storage,just like the base iPod Touch, which also sells for currently $200.The current entry-level iPad model comes with 16GB storage.

And to get your head spinning even more, a separate report this week indicates that the iPad Mini is coming even sooner than October.Taiwan-based news organization Digitimes reported that a 7-inch iPad will be released in August, while a new version of the iPhone will launch in this September.According to Digitimes the 7-inch iPad is being manufactured by Foxconn.

Evidence that Apple is planning to launch a smaller version of the iPad has been mounting for months.The rumors first surfaced back in December, with reports that Apple has purchased 7.85-inch panels.

If Apple goes forward with the rumored plans, the scaled-down tablet would likely be a hit with consumers ,a recent survey from PriceGrabber indicates.In the survey of 2,603 U.S online shopping consumers, conducted in late April, 52 percent of respondents said they would consider buying a so-called iPad-Mini.

Source:www.pcmag.com