(Image source: 9to5 Mac )

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR LOGAN TITTLE

The iPad mini might still be nothing but a rumor, but that’s not stopping the mockup artists from doing their thing. 9to5 Mac cites multiple sources it believes to be credible, who have fresh info on what the rumored iPad mini might look like.

The latest renderings show a slimmed-down frame — with edges closer to that of the iPhone than the existing iPad. Extra credibility could come from accessory makers, who are floating images that suggest a tinier iPad could be nearing production.

The Next Web says chopping off some of the bezel would make the iPad mini more of its own device — that is, less like a smaller iPad or a larger iPhone.

“…if you use the full-size iPad for comparison, you’re saving as much as a full inch trimming down the side bezels, versus mimicking the proportions of the larger tablet’s trim. This also fits well with Apple’s continuous move to minimize the size and weight of the device in order to fade it into the background, allowing the content to move forward.”

iMore expects the device will be as thin as the iPod touch — but it will have more in common with its larger sibling.

“Looking at it, the iPad mini may not seem radically smaller than the 9.7-inch iPad. And that's the point. It's not supposed to be a major sacrifice in screen size or usability. It is, however, thinner and lighter enough to make a substantial difference.”

Of course, Apple might not keep all the components of an iPad. The only details at the moment are of the form factor — not the guts. GottaBeMobile explains Apple could omit one or even two cameras to keep pricing down, or go the other way and add functions like 4G radio to make the tablet a more attractive offering.

How attractive? CNET says the pricing could fill a couple of gaps at the same time — in the competitive midsize tablet market, and in Apple’s own product line.


“Google is foisting the $199 price point on the market with its popular 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet, following in Amazon's footsteps. And a $399 iPad 2 is already being sold by Apple so that could force the price of a small iPad even lower.”

As for when the theoretical mini could hit the market, the blogs suspect Apple will want to get the iPhone 5 out of the way first, sometime in late September.