Apple announces 7.9-inch iPad Mini with a 1,024 x 768 display, A5 CPU
Well hello there, the worst-kept secret in tech. Apple's iPad Mini is a 7.9-inch tablet that's designed to go toe-to-toe with Google's Nexus 7. Packing the same 1,024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2, it's designed to be the newest entry-level unit in the company's growing iPad pantheon -- and despite the smaller screen, Apps should carry across seamlessly. On the hardware size, the 7.2mm thick, .68 pounds device has been manufactured with an "all new" process that gives it the same anodized edges as you'll find on the iPhone 5. While Phil Schiller didn't mention Google or the Nexus 7 by name in his presentation, the rival slate and its app library was compared to the iOS device -- claiming that the .9-inch increase in diagonal space gives Apple's slate 35 percent more display area than Google and ASUS' collaboration.
If you were hoping for equal specifications to the (now-retired) 2012 iPad, you may be mildly disappointed. While it will pack a 5-megapixel camera and LTE, it's running the last-generation A5 CPU*, but combined with that less-dense display, might explain why the company has been able to squeeze 10 hours of battery life from such a small device. Pre-orders for the 16GB WiFi-only model begin on Friday (October 26th) and will begin shipping on November 2nd, while units with added LTE will set you back an extra $130 (or so) and be available shortly after.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/apple-ipad-mini/
