Apple enthusiasts are looking to next week for the first details on the iPad 3, but that may not be the only tablet-related announcement the company has up its sleeve. DigiTimes reports today that Apple may also unveil an iPad mini.
An iPhone 4 is 4.5 inches, for those wondering. According to DigiTimes' sources, Apple's iPad makers have begun manufacturing prototype devices that measure 7.85 inches in height. The current iPad 2 model measures 9.5 inches, down from the original iPad's 9.58 inches. The report notes that Apple is positioning the device as a competitor to Amazon's $200 Kindle Fire.
Production on the device is expected to ramp up in the July-September 2012 quarter, though no launch date was provided. DigiTimes' sources also indicated that the iPad mini will retail for $250 to $300.
Apple will be holding a press event on March 7 at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center. The media briefing coincides with the 2012 Game Developers Conference, which will occupy San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 5-9.