iPad Mini Release Date: Apple Rumors May Contribute to Much Needed Sales in October

Impact

Rumors are flying around about the new iPad mini. With Apple facing more and more competition in the tablet market from the likes of Amazon, Lenovo, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft, it was only a matter of time before the company started nosing in on the 7-inch tablet size arena.

Luckily for consumers, the mini isn't just a downgrade in size but also in price. Apple is rumored to be planning on pricing the iPad mini at around $250-$300. The numbers that really matter to the company, though, are the sales numbers if and when Apple does release its newest product in mid-October.

The mini is expected to be 7.85 inches diagonally; inside, it's rumored to sport a dual-core 32nm A5 processor. It isn't expected to have retina display, instead having the same display as older iPads. It is also said to be WiFi-only, lacking 3G or 4G. On a good note, it will have a high quality front-facing camera, possibly 720p HD.

Compared to the full-size iPad, it appears that the release of the iPad mini is a defensive maneuver to ward off competition. While this may irk some of Apple's fans, who view it as a company which constantly moves forward at no expense, it is probably a good idea from an investor's point of view.

Apple should have products covering all of the tech bases, and an affordable tablet was something Apple was missing. Watching a movie or reading a textbook on a iPhone or iTouch leaves something to be desired, but paying $400 for the old iPad 2 means paying twice as much for something that is only slightly better than the competitor's products in ways that the layman may not even notice. (Apart from the bigger size, of course.)

While there is always a bunch of hoopla with new Apple  products, some are wondering if there will be such enthusiasm for what is essentially a scaled-down iPad. People are willing to wait in huge lines for the latest and greatest, but are they willing to do so for the smaller and the less?We will have to wait until the speculated release date in mid-October to find out.

But even without all the media and tech hype and excitement, Apple is still a business. Businesses don't make money from hype and excitement — they make it from sales. The iPad mini may fill in some gaps in Apple's product line, which, in turn, may give the company the sales which really matter.