iPad Mini 2 latest rumours: Release date, price and specs
We round up all the iPad Mini 2 specs and rumours into one neat package
The iPad Mini was the big Apple launch of 2012, but what does 2013 have in store for the pint-sized tablet?
We round up all the rumours of the iPad Mini 2 right here, including the release date, pricing information, specs and rumoured features.
iPad Mini 2: Release date
A release date of the iPad Mini 2 is still wide open to speculation at this point. Some reports claim we’ll see the device announced in the first or second quarter of 2013. By now, of course, the first quarter is pretty much out of the question, but Q2 is still a possibility.
Rumours also say we’ll see the iPad Mini 2 announced alongside an full-size iPad 5, just as we saw the first iPad Mini alongside the iPad 4. If that’s the case things could go either way, with the iPad 5 tying in to whenever Apple plans to launch the iPad Mini 2.
However, if the iPad Mini 2 piggybacks on the iPad 5 launch, that is rumoured to be as late as October. This also makes sense in terms of Apple’s usual product cycle as October saw the launch of the iPad Mini in 2012.
Update...
On the subject of the iPad Mini 2’s release date, this week’s prediction comes from DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza who recently spoke with CNET.
‘We're seeing potential in the third quarter of panel production for a higher-resolution iPad Mini. When would the Mini be available? Could be third quarter or fourth quarter.’
Interestingly, Semenza believes Google will beat Apple and release a 1080p version of its Nexus 7 at Google I/O 2013 in May. Should this happen, and we really do hope it does, the Nexus 7 would have a pixel density of 323ppi.
‘For the Google Nexus 7, we're seeing the potential for stepping up to a 1920 x1200 pixel 'HD+' kind of format. We're seeing panel production possibly in the second quarter.’
Apple’s iPad Mini 2 may launch later than expected, according to a research paper from analyst Ming-chi Kuo. Apple has yet to confirm the device although both the iPad Mini 2 and iPhone 5S are believed to be landing at some point during the second half of 2013.
Kuo says Apple is having difficulties integrating a Retina Display into the iPad Mini 2. Just as we saw with the iPad 3, the iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display is said to be thicker and heavier than its predecessor. Apple is apparently trying to find a solution.
The iPad Mini 2 and its Retina display is going to hit the market in the second half of 2013, with production of the display panels beginning in ‘June or July’ according to an analyst.
Richard Shim, an analyst for DisplaySearch, told CNET that the mass production of 7.9-inch Retina panels would begin in the summer for a launch in the second half of the year which could mean either late Q3 or some time in Q4.
The iPhone 5S and iPad Mini 2 may launch later than expected, according to a research paper from analyst Ming-chi Kuo. Apple has yet to confirm either device although both are believed to be landing at some point during the second half of 2013.
iPad Mini 2: Price
The iPad Mini was released at a price point to compete with the Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire range of tablets. It was slightly more expensive than both of those, with a starting price of £269 for the 16GB model with Wi-Fi only, and £369 for the model with 3G/4G, we can expect a tablet with a Retina display to be priced a lot higher.
Our guess would be £299 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only, £399 for the 3G/4G version. Recent reports indicate the iPad Mini 2 will be an attempt to bring the iPad Mini design up to a premium standard alongside its larger counterpart with a Retina display and a processor upgrade, so we would expect the price to be relatively high accordingly.
Stabley Times is predicting a price-cut for the iPad Mini 2, citing unnamed sources as corroboration for its assertion. Whether this turns out to be the case remains to be seen. Without a credible source the claims are likely nothing more than a rumour, but the idea that Apple will price the next iPad Mini aggressively is well within the realms of possibility.
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