With the fallout from Apple's first foray into mapping now hopefully behind us, it's now time to turn our attention back to something a little bit more fun - iPad rumors.
With the fallout from Apple’s first foray into mapping now hopefully behind us, it’s now time to turn our attention back to something a little bit more fun – iPad rumors. Okay, truthfully, the never ending photographic examples of how Apple Maps weren’t quite up to snuff with Google Maps were rather humorous.
But I digress.
Getting back to iPad rumors, it’s been assumed for quite some time now that Apple is planning to launch a 7.85-inch iPad (dubbed the iPad Mini by the media) sometime this Fall. That said, Philip Elmer-DeWitt over at Fortune, citing a major Apple investor, writes that Apple will be sending out invitations to a special iPad oriented special event on October 10.
According to our source, who asked not be named, there appears to be some truth to the widespread rumors that Apple is preparing to launch a smaller and cheaper version of the iPad — often called the iPad mini or iPad air and usually described as having a 7.85-inch screen.
What our source adds is the specificity of a date: The press, he says, can expect invitations to go out on Oct. 10.
It’s odd that any investor, no matter how large, would have information as to when Apple might send out invitations. In short, take this report with a grain of salt. But if we assume for a second that invitations will go out on October 10th, Apple typically sends out invitations about a week before its events, which would put Apple’s rumored iPad Mini event sometime around October 17th.
With the iPhone 5, there was 10 days between the product unveiling and launch. If Apple follows suit with the iPad Mini, and assuming of course that October 10th is when invitations go out, we might be looking at a launch date of Friday, October 26th or so. Elmer-DeWitt speculates it may be a week later on Friday, November 2.
Regardless, Apple will certainly lock up a launch date that will ensure that they take full advantage of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Lastly, it’s been rumored that Apple may price the iPad Mini at around $199 to really eradicate any price advantage other ~7-inch tablets like the Google Nexus 7 have enjoyed over the iPad up until this point.
