Apple’s highly anticipated “iPad mini” is reportedly 4-6 weeks behind its original production schedule due to various manufacturing issues.
According to analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets, the above-mentioned delay will result in a relatively small 5-7 million Mini devices sold in the December quarter.
”Similar to the iPhone 5, we sensed that suppliers have found the specs around Apple’s 7.85-inch ‘iPad Mini’ to be a challenge and yields have been frustrating,” he explained in an industry note obtain by BusinessInsider and MacObserver.
“In our view, this is the reason the ‘iPad Mini’ is 4–6 weeks behind our original launch expectation that we discussed in June… We believe that supply constraints will initially hold back the full sales potential during the first month or so of the launch.”
In terms of pricing, White believes the iPad Mini will be priced at the $250 to $300 range, which should enable the device to effectively compete with Amazon’s Kindle lineup and Google’s Nexus 7. If successful, Apple could theoretically corner the medium-range tablet market, while simultaneously dominating the higher-end tablet space.
It should be noted that Cupertino has yet to confirm or deny the existence of an iPad Mini, so official specs are obviously non-existent.
Nevertheless, reports from at least several analysts indicate the device will be equipped with a screen measuring 7.85 inches diagonally – which is significantly smaller than the 9.7-inch display found on all iPad models to date.
Additional features are believed to include a smaller bezel around the screen, at least one camera, the new Lightning connector and Apple’s indigenously designed A5X processor.
