iPad Mini Render via Martin Hajek’s Flickr stream
Like many others, I was anxiously awaiting news this week that Apple had issued invites for a special event next week to announce the iPad Mini, or iPad Air or whatever name they give to the new, smaller iPad. That was the timeframe that previous rumors had suggested.
When that news never came I was beginning to wonder whether dates had just shifted slightly or whether there might be some substantial delay in the whole (expected) release timeframe. It looks like it’s more of the former, at least according to AllThingsD and the venerable Jim Dalrymple. Here’s John Paczkowski at AllThingsD on this subject:
The silence from Apple left some to wonder if it still plans to debut a smaller iPad this fall; others speculated that production delays may have forced it to postpone the device’s unveiling until later in the year.
Neither is the case.
As AllThingsD reported in August, Apple will hold a special event this month, at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called “iPad mini” on Oct. 23 at an invitation-only event.
What really grabbed my attention this morning was a slightly shorter post in response to the AllThingsD from Dalrymple:
Yep.
Dalrymple’s yeps have become as close as it gets to an official confirmation prior to Apple actually putting us out of our misery.
If we take 10/23 as a safe bet now for the iPad Mini unveiling event, the next big question is when the actual launch day might be. The previous consensus had been Friday November 2. I still hope and believe that’s a good possibility, given that it’s still 10 days after the new expected unveiling event date.
I’ve got my warm clothes ready, all I need is a date now Apple.
Patrick Jordan
Founder and Editor in Chief of iPad Insight. Husband, father to a lovely daughter, Commander of the Armies of the North, dog lover (especially Labs), Austinite, former Londoner, IT consultant, huge sports nut, iPad and mobile tech blogger, mobile apps junkie.
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I really cannot wait for Apple to release the new iPad Mini. I was hoping it was going to be available in October, but I have no more hope for that, so the November 6th date would be good if they kept it that date. I was a little upset when they didn’t send out the invites on the 10th, but I still have hope it will be soon. Having an iPad Mini would be awesome to carry around with me at all time, and not to have it weigh me down. I have been hearing about the iPad Mini for weeks from a coworker at DISH and now I can’t stop looking for whatever information I can find on it. I really just want it to be able to take it with me out of the house, especially with all the new shows and new fall season here, to watch live TV on the DISH Remote Access app so I don’t have to miss any of the shows this season. I would definitely keep my regular iPad for home use, but I would love a Mini to take with me everywhere.
I’m just as excited Cheri. Hopefully not much longer to wait.