The iPad Mini might be one of the most highly anticipated tablets ever.
Many analysts predict that Apple's newest little tablet will unveil in October, just some weeks after the announcement for their new iPhone 5, which was Sept. 12.
The iPad Mini will need key components to dominate against other tablets such as Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire. Here are six.
Reports say the iPad Mini will be more affordable and come with a powerful processor. It is also assumed that the new tablet will feature Apple's upcoming operating system, iO6, which includes a new, Google-free Maps app, and Passbook, and promises better Facebook integration, better maps, and better video conferences that use cellular data and Siri. It is also said to have a smaller dock connector, two speakers, and thinner bezel. It may also feature a music service similar to Pandora radio, Retina Display, and FaceTime.
Price
The newest iPad sells for $499 with Retina Display and 4G LTE. The iPad 3 sells for $399. Many rumors say that the iPad Mini might sell for around $250-$300, and may or may not have Retina Display.
Pricing may be an issue for the little Apple tablet. The Kindle Fire HD with 16GB costs $199 while the 16GB Nexus 7 costs $249 with all the Android content. According to Pop Herald, "If Apple will sell the iPad Mini with a $249.99 price tag, then it will be safe to assume that Apple can sell "millions." But what if the iPad Mini will sit within the $300 to $399 mark? Can it still lure customers?"
According to one analyst, Apple might launch the iPad Mini at a $250-$300 price point, cheap enough to convince customers that the iPad Mini is a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire alternative.
New reports say that the Mini may be priced just like the new iPod Touch.
The new Touch, which will ship some time in October, is priced at $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB.
According to Ewan Spence at Forbes.com, he believes that it will be around the same price as the Touch.
"From the evidence today, I'd expect to see a 16GB iPad Mini with Wi-Fi connectivity to launch at $299, with a 32GB model at $399, and a 64GB model at $499."
According to ZDNet, an iPad Mini "would ideally need to be priced at or below $299 in order to remain competitive in the face of the iPad 2 and 3."
Camera
According to Cnet, the iPad Mini should have a camera too because the iPod Touch and the iPhone both have cameras. "We'd expect rear- and front-facing cameras for FaceTime, considering that the ever-more-affordable iPhone 4 includes the same."
Audio
One of the key features of the Kindle Fire HD is its Dolby Digital Plus dual speakers. Though we haven't compared the two in person, Amazon wins this round because the Nexus 7 has just a single speaker located on its back, according to the LA Times.
For the iPad Mini, no one knows how man speakers it will have. However, new leaked photos reveal two speakers.
PadGadget gives more details:
"Additionally, there are two speakers positioned at the center of the device instead of where the speaker is on the 10-inch iPad. Currently, there is only one speaker on Apple's tablet, and it is positioned in the corner. The two-row design looks distinctly different than the 10-inch iPad.
Longer-Lasting Battery
According to MSNMoney, "Battery drain is typically an issue with Apple products," says Dave Smith at the International Business Times. "Amazingly," most iProducts hold only seven to 10 hours of juice between charges. At the very least, Apple will try to squeeze in a battery big enough to accomplish 10 hours of WiFi surfing. But "it would be an added bonus" if the new, cheaper iPad Mini offered 11 or 12 hours.
Wi-Fi
Unlike the Kindle Fire HD, the Nexus 7 has just one antenna to pick up Wi-Fi signals. Amazon claims the Kindle Fire HD's dual antennas give it faster download and streaming speeds than its competitors, according to the LA Times.
A new report suggested that the new iPad Mini will have WiFi-only to keep the price down.
According to Forbes, citing analyst Allan Yogasingam of the research firm, UBM TechInsights, Light Reading reported today that Apple is likely to make the widely expected 7-inch version of the iPad Wi-Fi only in an effort to keep the price tag of the device below $250.
In comparison to the new Kindle Fire HD, Amazon is only offering a WiFi version of the 7-inch version, which is priced at $199.
Books Apps
The Kindle Fire HD features Whispersync for Voice, which Amazon syncs all your books across all your gadgets, that syncs your words-book with your audiobook. You can also sync up your progression in games. Another feature will be Immersion Reading. You can listen to the narration of your book while you read it.
Apple will have to take advantage of their iBooks app, which is already featured on the current iPads.
According to Apple, the iBookstore feature "the best of what's new right at the top of the page." There is over 1.5 million books, including new Multi-Touch textbooks. "Since iCloud keeps track of what you've previewed, you can start shopping on your iPad and continue on another device."
There are also reading tools, such as highlight or underline text, make notes, look up a word in the dictionary or on the web, or search inside the book. You can even use VoiceOver to have iPad read to you. With iCloud, the books you buy on your iPad appear on your other devices, ready to read.
iOS6
Apple's iOS6 will be available for users to download and install on Sept. 19, two days before the iPhone 5 is set to hit shelves.
According to Cnet, the new system is said to have 200 new features.
The new operating system will have many aspects. It will not have YouTube or Google Maps. Instead, Apple revealed a new Maps app made completely in-house.
There will also be a major upgrade for Siri. According to Bostinno, Apple lovers can now get sports game updates, make restaurant reservations, watch movie trailers, launch apps and tweet by voice. Siri is now also available for the iPad.
There will also be Facebook integration. Facebook will integrate with iOS 6 in a similar way Twitter currently integrates with iOS 5. There are also new features. You can now set reminders to call people back, send messages instead of calling, apply a DO NOT DISTURB feature that does not alert you with notifications. iOS 6 Mail VIPs will enable to users to mark certain contacts as important, and in turn, all their messages will be starred.
There will also be updates to iCloud. Notes and reminders will synch up with other mobile devices and Mac PCs but will not support location based reminders, according to Latinos Post. The new lost mode in Find my Phone will enable users to lock any iOS 6 device remotely, ensuring that no one will be able to utilize it while it is lost. The new feature will track the device and email the user updates of any location changes. Lost Mode will also allow users to see locations that the iOS device has visited on a map. iCalender will no longer have Reminders, since they now have their own app.
Users can now use FaceTime over their cellular network instead of only by WiFi. There will be Photo Stream and Passbook, which users can get all their passes in one place, such as boarding passes, tickets, and coupons.
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