Apple sending out press invites for iPad 'mini' launch: report | Bangkok Post: tech

Sources suggest that invitations for a launch event for an 'iPad mini' are being sent October 10 and that the new seven-inch tablet will be wi-fi only.

Myriad stories have already leaked this week from sources claiming to be suppliers and component manufacturers that suggest that invitations for the iPad Mini launch are going out Wednesday and that 10 million of the devices are already in production and will be on the shelves in time for Christmas.

However, a rumor that began Tuesday and generated increasing attention when it appeared in The Guardian suggests that the new smaller iPads will ship with wi-fi connectivity only and therefore won't be able to connect via 3G or 4G networks. This seems like a very strange decision considering that the growing market for smaller tablets is due in part to their increased mobility -- for instance, they are much easier to slip into a jacket pocket than their 10-inch counterparts. Some sources have cited last-minute design changes as the reason, while others believe it is a way of keeping costs down and therefore making the iPad competitive in a marketplace that is aleady becoming crowded.

The Guardian goes on to claim that the existing iPad range is also likely to be refreshed, possibly before Christmas, with changes including 4G connectivity for European territories and a move over to the lightning connector that was first seen on the latest iPhone.

Meanwhile, though keeping quiet about anything iPad-related, Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 5 will go on sale in India on October 26.

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