iPad Mini Rumours

Apple has sent out an invite for an event on October 23. The invite states "we've got a little more to show you" - which we're assuming refers to the iPad Mini.

The new iPad has been and gone, sporting a chunkier and heavier build than the iPad 2, which left some wondering: what's with all the extra weight?

However, it looks like Apple may be about to aid those conscious of extra grams in their bags, as rumours hot up about a potential iPad Mini (or iPad nano, if you prefer) as the Amazon Kindle Fire, Google Nexus 7 and Nook HD steal the budget tablet show.

Back in 2010, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that smaller screened tablets were not "sufficient to create great tablet apps" and would be "dead on arrival", so the suggestion that a new iPad mini is in the works reveals a potentially new direction for the firm in its post-Jobs era.

There's certainly a lot of chat surrounding the iPad Nano, so we've scooped it all up, mushed it all together and expelled it into a handy round up, allowing you to keep track of every twist and turn.

According to analyst Ben A. Reitzes, the iPad Mini would not be a threat to Apple's current domination with the new iPad, and is likely to be a favourite among gamers as well as educational institutes, particularly with the electronic textbooks introduced earlier this year.

And if you were ever wondering, will Apple really go with the iPad Mini name, an "Asian source" quoted by a Japanese site seems confident that yes, it really will be called the iPad Mini. 

About Prices

Apple is known for its extravagant products, launch events and pricing policies, but the iPad Nano may herald a new era for those who long for an Apple device, but simply can't part with an arm and a leg to buy one.

With the reasoning behind a smaller tablet being to compete with the likes of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire at the lower end of the market, we expect the iPad Mini price to be competitive against its super-cheap competition.

The New York Times spoke to people "with knowledge of the project", who claim the iPad Mini will be significantly cheaper than the iPad, while analyst Brian White reckons the iPad Mini price will be between $250 and $300.

A Digitimes source predicts the iPad Mini price could be sub £200 ($249-$299), another reckons it will be between $200 and $250 and a third says it will cost $250-$350 (around £160-£230).

German site MobileGeeks claims to have a screenshot from an inventory system used in Europe and Asia showing the iPad Mini price in Euros – apparently the tablet will start at €249 (around £200/$320/AU$310) for the 8GB version, rising all the way to €649 (around £522/$837/AU$820) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G/4G model.

Alongside the iPad Mini, reports have suggested that Apple might unveil a 13-inch version of its 'Retina' MacBook Pro. The laptop with a very high resolution display is currently available on in 15-inch screen size.

Improvements to Apple's iMac and Mac Mini computers are also expected but it is not known whether they will be shown off at next week's event or released separately.