iPad Mini Rumors Bolstered by Photos, Schematics

The iPad mini, the Apple rumor that refuses to die, is looking more and more like a legitimate Apple project, and even a tablet that may leave the confines of Apple's R&D labs some day.
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Purported images of the rear casing of a 7-inch iPad.Images: Apple.pro

The iPad mini, the Apple rumor that refuses to die, is looking more and more like a legitimate Apple project, and even a tablet that may leave the confines of Apple's R&D labs some day.

According to new (though still unsubstantiated) information, the iPad mini will function like a small iPad, but will look something like an oversized iPod touch, with thinner bezels along the sides in portrait mode, and wider bezels along the top and bottom (in contrast, the current iPad's bezels maintain a consistent width on all sides). A site called ThinkiOS.com says it's received schematics of the iPad mini from an anonymous source in China, and these schematics have since been qualified as likely authentic by 9to5Mac based on information from its own sources.

A schematic of what the iPad mini could look like.

Image: ThinkiOS

Based on mockups and purported image leaks (like the ones above from Apple.pro, released on Aug. 3), it appears the device would have a significantly smaller form factor, lighter weight, and cheaper price than the current iPad, while still maintaining a 4:3 aspect ratio for the display.

This small iPad is widely expected to have a 7.85-inch display running a 1024 × 768 resolution. It's expected to fetch $200 or $250, aiming at the market of tablet holdouts who think the iPad is too large or too expensive. And although Steve Jobs originally dissed 7-inch Android tablets as undesirable "'tweeners", the lighter, more portable size has found a growing audience, proven particularly popular by the Nexus 7.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber wrote a lengthy analysis of the miniature iPad on Tuesday, making a case for its release -- it's worth a read if you're an iPad mini conspiracy theorist. 9to5Mac also published a number of images of purported iPad mini parts. Check these out if you're the "I'll believe it when I see it" type.

The fabled iPad mini is rumored to be revealed alongside the next iPhone at Apple's next media event on Sept. 12.