FollowThere is no stopping the rumour mill when a whisper of a new Apple product is heard. We know that devices are coming, like the iPhone 5S for example, but we still can’t help but be excited and try to find every piece of information possible. The big tech secret that created a wave of anticipation last year was the iPad Mini, Apple’s small form iPad that became an instant success.
We know Apple will follow up the iPad Mini with the iPad Mini 2 eventually, but of course we do not know when. However, we may have just had some help with the when problem thanks to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who told clients that the iPad Mini 2 is set to land in mid-2013, after the iPad 5.
Munster is claiming the Cupertino company will launch the iPad 5 in April, and that the tablet will feature a new design, one that apes the more curved nature of the iPad Mini. Munster also says the iPad 5 will feature a vastly superior screen to the one on the iPad 4, with quality boosted from 264 ppi to 324ppi.
The iPad Mini 2 will follow shortly after the iPad 5 according to Munster, and the new Mini will also have a screen quality update. One gripe about the original Mini was its lack of a Retina Display, so fans of the device will be happy to know that the iPad Mini 2 will feature a Retina Display.
However, there is a problem here. While Munster is for the most part correct about the design and screen updates, he is probably wrong about when the device will launch. Apple launched the Mini and the iPad 4 in October last year, and that was to bring all product launches under one date. The company is unlikely to release two iPad variations at two different times throughout the year, and what’s more, Apple is aiming to avoid 6 monthly releases in fear of irking its customers.
The upcoming iPhone 5S is slightly different, because that is merely an updated version of a current product. Expect Apple to launch the iPhone 6, iPad 5, and iPad Mini 2 around October this year; you heard it here first.
The release date of iPad Mini 2 is expected to be soon. It is expected to be launched alongside iPad 5 after the release of iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 somewhere in mid 2013.
