“We received a number of tips over the last few weeks from sources that we have reason to believe hold knowledge about Apple’s plans on the upcoming iPad mini,” Seth Weintraub reports for 9to5Mac.
“A reoccurring theme of late is that the iPad mini will ‘look like a big iPod touch’ with smaller bezels along the sides in portrait mode and separate volume buttons and not a ‘rocker’ and a mic on the back,” Weintraub reports. “We were not confident enough to post the above information alone, but the very reliable John Gruber chimes in today with many of the same bits of information.”
Weintraub reports, “The lack of bezel on the side will not allow you to carry it like you hold a full-size iPad when in portrait mode without triggering some multi-touch on the display. Perhaps Apple has some software to dull the side touches when in portrait mode. But, really, this is unnecessary. You will need to hold it from the back more like you hold a phone… When held in a landscape mode, however, you cannot get your hand around the back. You will hold it like an iPad—using the bezels— and it will be better for gaming with two hands.”
More info (camera(s), LTE, launch date) and a large gallery of additional images the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If anything close to the image above is released, Amazon’s and Google’s efforts will have been for naught. Apple will immediately own the “low-end” tablet market, too, even if they price “iPad mini” at a premium. The difference between a 7-inch screen at 16:9 and a 7.85-inch screen at 4:3 is huge. Imagine if Apple somehow also managed to pack an “iPad mini” with a Retina display (264 ppi or higher)! Even, if not, at that size (7.85-inch, 3:4), an iPad 2-quality display (132 ppi) would be more than fine vs. other tablets on the market and for the foreseeable future.