iPad Mini Coming in October with $200 Price Tag?
Suppliers have already been certified to produce LCD panels for the iPad Mini, which could be launched some time in the second half of this year. According to a report from Taiwan news publication Liberty Times, the iPad mini could start shipping by the end of the third quarter. LG and Au Optronics have already been certified to produce the 7.85 inch LCD panels for the mini iPads - which is projected to be a total of 6 million units.
Japanese blog Macotakara also reported that TPK will produce 4 million backlight modules. Chimei Innolux will provide 2 million and Nissha Printing will produce the touch film sensor.
Recent reports suggest that the iPad mini will be sold between $200 and $250, offering 8GB of storage.
iMore reported: "Apple will be going forward with the 7-inch iPad, currently targeting an Oct. 2012 release alongside the new iPhone and - here's the killer-at a $200 to $250 price point. According to our sources, the reason for such aggressive pricing is to do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line."
The iPad Mini will be serious competition against Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire, which is run on Android. The Kindle Fire currently dominates low-end tablet market due to its attractive price tag. However, if the iPad Mini launches in October with the expected price tag of $200, there is no doubt that Apple will rule the tablet market throughout.
