Today, it seems, is the day of the Apple rumor. Reports about upcoming Apple products have been coming fast and furious all morning. First, there was apparent confirmation of the new iPhone’s 4-inch screen. Then there was a rumor about the iPad Mini getting a fall release date. Then we learned that Apple may have it’s own version of Kinect in the works for the possibly upcoming iTV/Apple TV.
Now we have a second rumor about the iPad Mini. According to Taiwanese new agency The Liberty Times (Google Translation), Apple has certified the two main manufacturers for the iPad Mini’s 7.85-inch display. It seems that AU Optronics and LG are the two companies set to build the screens.
The report also says that the backlight for the display will be produced by TPK Holding and Chimei Innolux, while Nissha Printing will handle the touch sensor film. It also predicts a release date near the end of the third quarter, which would put the iPad Mini just ahead of the launch of the next iPhone, which is widely expected to release in October.
Of course, this report – like everything surrounding the iPad Mini – is still just a rumor. Steve Jobs’s famous pronouncement that the original iPad was as small as a tablet could go and still provide a good user experience has long held Apple back from producing a smaller, cheaper version of the iPad to compete in the 7-inch Android tablet market. If Apple does plan to release an iPad Mini, it would represent a significant departure from Jobs’s apparent opinion on the matter.
