New photos of the iPad Mini have been leaked online this week, right around the same time that Apple is rumored to unveil the new tablet to the public.

PCMag, who has the new leaked images of the iPad Mini, reported that Apple is likely to hold a press event later in October for their new device and reports suggest that it will be on shelves in time for the holiday shopping season coming up.

The new leaked photos show the tablet's smaller size, which is reportedly 7.85 inches. The new tablet also includes a smaller dock connector and a rear-facing camera.

Enstarz reported on Oct. 8 that Apple has ordered over 10 million iPad Mini units for production this season, roughly double the amount of Kindle Fire tablets Amazon ordered.

But is the new device worth getting and how will it do in numbers? According to ABC News, the iPad has lost its footing in the tablet market, falling behind in sales.

A recent Pew report revealed that as of summer 2012, 52 percent of all tablets bought and in use in the United Stated are Apple iPads. That might sound good, but it is a mark down from the 81 percent Apple experienced last year. Additionally in the report, almost the same amount of people (48 percent) own Android-based tablets and half of those (21 percent) are Kindle Fires.

Also, the current price of the iPad on sale (starting at $500) is nearly a third higher than the cost of the largest and most advanced Kindle Fire.

Though many are praising the new, and smaller, features of the iPad Mini, the news report stated that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs "might be rolling in his grave and this notable departure from his design vision."

Jobs dismissed the 7-inch tablet in 2010, saying, "It's meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size."

Tags
Apple, Steve jobs, Ipad mini