I don't mind admitting that I am hugely looking forward to the announcement and release of the new iPhone, as it is almost here, and the excitement will quickly subside and I'll be looking for my next Apple hardware related thrill. Thankfully for me and countless others, rumor has it that Apple is set to announce a lot of new and updated devices in the coming months, with one of those being the speculated iPad Mini that could be with us before the holiday shopping season gets into full swing.
Although Apple is planning on taking to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts tomorrow to hold their much anticipated press event, we can't be exactly sure what they are going to announce. It's pretty much nailed on that we will see the new iPhone appearing as well as some announcements surrounding the availability of iOS 6. But as yet, we don't have any indication on whether Apple will make it all about the iPhone or introduce some additional hardware such as the rumored miniature iPad or possibly a couple of new iPods. Thankfully we don't have long to wait to find out.
Although Apple has now officially confirmed that there will indeed be a media event taking place on September 12th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, we can all breathe a heavy sigh of relief and get our credit cards ready for whatever the company announces on that day. It's widely expected that Apple will introduce us to the sixth-generation iPhone, but considering the rumor that we will see up to eight new Apple products released between now and the end of October, the possibility still remains that the Cupertino giants could announce a couple of new iPods on Wednesday or even the new iPad Mini that we have all been expecting. The chances for the latter actually happening are extremely low, though.
Ever since the critical success of the Nexus 7, and the reasonably good commercial success of the Kindle Fire (both $199 Android powered tablets), Apple has been strongly rumored to be preparing their contestant for the small, economical tablet. Just about every Redmond Pie reader has now heard of the iPad Mini. It’s rumored to be a 7.85” tall tablet that has the specs of an iPad 2, and that it will be announced and launched in October for the price of $249.
Japanese Apple blog Macotakara - a little hit and miss when it comes to inside information - seems to believe the smaller iPad will definitely receive the "mini" moniker, while the iPod nano will be treated to some Wi-Fi connectivity - allowing users to connect to the cloud in order to access music.
The purported iPad Mini has been circulating in the rumor mill for several months, and the device - now thought to be releasing a couple of weeks after the next iPhone - will certainly ramp up the pressure on competitors already struggling to to match Apple's 9.7-inch model.
Rumors and reports of a smaller, more portable iPad have been in the air since 2010, but their frequency has increased significantly this year thanks to the success of smaller, cheaper tablets like the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7.
There have been some major revelations over the past couple of weeks with regards to the purported "iPad Mini" device, and the consensus seems to be that it will look and feel somewhat closer to a larger iPod touch than it will a smaller iPad. Said to be releasing later on this year after the Cupertino's next smartphone - dubbed the "iPhone 5," it will not only be a great deal smaller than the 9.7-inch display of the main Apple slab, but it is also set to be a great deal cheaper than even the superseded iPad 2.
The murmurs and speculation with regards to Apple's entertainment of a smaller iPad has fluctuated over the course of the past six months or so, and although the fruit company dominates the tablet market with an iron fist, bloggers, analysts and commentators seem generally convinced Apple will release a downscaled tablet to see off a lingering threat.
We are pretty sure that we will see an Apple media event being held in September, part of which will be dedicated to introducing the world to some new hardware. As things stand at the moment, it looks nailed on that Tim Cook and his colleagues will take to the stage to announce and show off the next-generation iPhone in all its glory, but apart from that, the jury is still out on whether or not they will use the same forum to tell us about a couple of new iPods we are expecting, as well as the baby iPad, commonly dubbed as the iPad Mini.
