It's all but official that Apple is planning on releasing a smaller version of its popular iPad tablet this fall. Dubbed the iPad Mini, Apple has yet to confirm its existence, but a Wall Street Journal report shows that Apple is confident of its success - already ordering 10 million units from its Asian component suppliers.
The order for 10 million units covers Apple's fourth quarter expectations - which includes the busy holiday shopping season.
By comparison, the same suppliers told the Wall Street Journal that this is around double the order that Amazon placed for its Kindle Fire tablets. So despite a potential higher price, Apple is expecting to outpace the $199 Kindle Fire HD tablets and the $199 Google Nexus 7 tablet.
It was reported last week by the Wall Street Journal that mass production on the iPad Mini has already started. Apple is expected to reveal the iPad Mini sometime this month, with an early November release timeframe looking the most likely.
The iPad Mini is expected to sport a lower-resolution 7.85-inch LCD display than the iPad 3's 10-inch Retina display. If the reports are true, then it also looks like the iPad Mini will largely be made up of iPad 2 parts.
Apple was initially expected to price the iPad Mini in the $249-$299 range. The latest iPod Touch, however, is priced at $299, and since it would be slightly strange for a tablet to be priced cheaper than a smaller media player, the iPad Mini might just start around $349. This might be higher than what consumers would like, but hopefully Apple will make up for the higher price point with some nifty features.