With Kindle Fire HDs and Google Nexus 7s proving to be popular Android tablets, let alone Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs in various 7-inch sizes, the big question since the iPad first emerged was when Apple would release one of its own.
Fast forward to October 2012, and the iPad Mini’s launch date looks like it will finally, finally happen, with October 10 the expected launch date and October 17 the date the iPad Mini is expected to arrive at retail stores, in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia and others.
The latest images of iPad Mini casings, showing potential nano SIM sockets, expected Lightning ports, top facing headphone sockets and more have arrived courtesy of Ukrainian iPhone, (Google Translated English version here) even showing what looks like a black anodised aluminium rear casing, similar to that seen with the iPhone 5.
And, while some initial iPad Mini photo leaks suggested there’d be no rear-facing camera, it does seem likely that the iPad Mini will have the expected rear camera after all, while the Apple A5 processor and a Retina-class screen are also high on the list of expected anticipation and anticipated expectations.
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Some of the doubts have always been around ever since Steve Jobs’ assertion that 7-inch tablets were “dead on arrival”.
However this was a claim made back in 2010 when Samsung introduced its very first 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab running the non-tablet-optimised Android OS 2.x, with tablet-optimised Android not arriving until Honeycomb Android 3.0 tablets.
Still, given the fact that Steve Jobs spoke of a 7-inch tablet, with Apple’s upcoming iPad Mini expected to be 7.85-inches so the right “aspect ratio” and icon “tap zone” integrity is maintained, a 7.85-inch iPad Mini would help Apple stay true to its claim that 7-inches wasn’t a size the company was interested in.
Interestingly, leaked fuzzy photos of iPad Minis were initially non-existent and then far fewer than the frenzy of leaked iPhone 5 parts, however supposed iPad Mini casings and more have turned from a trickle into a flood over the past few weeks.
Indeed, there have now been SO many photo leaks that Apple NOT releasing an iPad Mini would actually be extremely disappointing, even if Apple doesn’t base its business models on the expectations of the rumouristaring instapunditerati of the world wide blogosphere.
So, with yet more leaked photos, and the month of October now here at last, the wait for the iPad Mini looks set to finally be over.
It’s a good thing, too, because the wait for the iPad Mini to launch is holding up all those articles about iPad Mini 2 rumours, iPhone 5S/6 rumours, iPod Touch 6th-gen rumours and new iPad 4 rumours!
We can then add rumours of even bigger 13.3-inch sized iPads – to match already existing 13.3-inch Android tablets already released and on the market from companies like Toshiba.
But to get there, we have to get through October first, and while there’s still every chance the iPad Mini is a mini bit of iFiction, my imaginary money’s on the iPad Mini being as real and as right as rain, with October and the rest of the year set to be Apple’s most iMazing and iProfitable quarter of sales yet!
