In the midst of all the rumors about the new iPhone and iOS 6 and Siri on the iPad that are circulating today we’ve got an interesting rumor to report concerning the long-rumored iPad Mini.
According to AppleInsider, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White is meeting with some his sources in Apple’s Taipei supply chain, and has picked up some interesting news about what Apple may have coming down the pipeline. In a note to clients, he predicted that Apple would have an “exciting” September that would see the launch of both the new iPhone and the iPad Mini.
Unfortunately, White doesn’t have any more details about the iPad Mini than the fact that it will launch alongside the iPhone. Speaking of the iPhone, however, he says his sources confirm some of the reports we’ve been seeing about the new iPhone’s redesign.
While reports of the iPad Mini have become increasingly credible in recent months, a September launch alongside the new iPhone seems an odd choice for Apple. Most rumors place the iPad Mini in the $200-300 range, on par with the iPhone. The new iPhone is likely to be every bit as popular and in-demand as the iPhone 4S was last year. The problem, though, is that the iPad Mini is likely to be extremely popular as well, especially if the price point rumors are true. Releasing the two products simultaneously is bound to split the market for both devices. Of course, there are plenty of people who would want one device but not the other, and there are probably a sizable number of people who would buy both devices at the same time. But the markets for the two overlap significantly, and for the average customer a $200-300 iPad Mini and a $200-400 iPhone is going to be an either-or purchase. If Apple releases the iPad Mini alongside the new iPhone, they’re going to have more than a few customers who will decide to forego upgrading their iPhone in favor of an iPad Mini, or who will pass on the iPad Mini to get the new iPhone.
