iPad Mini apparently enters production, instantly hits supply problems

A new report suggests the Apple iPad Mini has gone into production, and that it's already plagued by supply problems.

Sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal have said that components for the device we currently know as the iPad Mini have entered mass production. As with everything iPad Mini related, the sources are anonymous but “familiar with the situation.”

The report says it’s the device’s touchscreens that are being built, and again speculates that they will measure 7.85-inches, and have a lower resolution than the 9.7-inch iPad.

However, previous rumors have suggested the iPad Mini will share the new iPad’s 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina screen, and that production was supposed to start in August.

This news comes soon after a quote from an anonymous Apple investor, who in turn was quoting from a gaggle of unnamed sources, said invitations to the press event for the iPad Mini’s announcement would appear on October 10. An October launch has been on the cards for a while, but then, so was a joint iPhone 5/iPad Mini event.

Supply problems

But, nobody said making a hypothetical product was going to be easy, as no sooner had the elves begun working on the iPad Mini, than those ever problematic supply problems arrived. This time it’s Brian White, an analyst for Topeka Capital Markets with the inside gossip, saying that suppliers had found the iPad Mini’s specification a “challenge” and that the production had suffered because of it.

This, White says, is the reason for the iPad Mini’s delayed launch.

He goes on to talk about “continued yield challenges” — supply chain geek talk for producing the right number of products, at the right time, to make the most profit — before adding that while the iPad Mini is “on track to reach acceptable volume levels for launch,” there will be supply problems “during the first month or so.”

In other words, demand will likely outstrip supply, which is just the way Apple likes it.

The iPad Mini is supposed to be Apple’s response to the popularity of budget tablets such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7. For this reason, if it does ever arrive, the price will most probably be the primary talking point, and it’s expected to be no more than $300.

We’ll know more on October 10, or not, as the case may be.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Apple’s new dock connector to be called Lightning, will be fast as one too

The new 9-pin dock connector that Apple is rumored to announce today is going to be called “Lightning”, according to 9to5mac sources.

If the naming rumor turns out to be true, it would fit perfectly in Apple’s naming scheme, as the company is already utilizing Thunderbolt in its latest Macbooks models. Rumor has it, the new 9-pin connector is going to cost $20.

Another Apple accessory has also got its name leaked. The new earphones that are going to ship with the new iPhone 5 will be reportedly called “Earpod headphones”. They’ll retail for the same price as the current ones – $29 (at least in the US).

In less than an hour we’ll know for a fact how the new cable and earphones will be called, so stay tuned.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

[Exclusive] Barnes and Noble to unveil new Nook in late September

Our sources have confirmed: Barnes & Noble will unveil a new Nook tablet in late September, and it could be running on Windows 8.

Weeks ago, Barnes & Noble slashed the prices of its Nook tablets in response to the 7-inch tablet competition post-Galaxy Nexus 7′s arrival. But this strategy was not only rooted in fears over Amazon’s to-be-announced Fire tablets and Galaxy Nexus 7 — Digital Trends has learned that Barnes & Noble will be announcing a new Nook tablet in a press conference that will take place in late September.

The price cut is a first indication that the company was preparing for a new product launch; three weeks ago, Barnes & Noble dropped the Nook by $20 for its 8GB tablet and $50 for 16GB tablets.

Our sources at Barnes & Noble, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to Digital Trends that a new Nook will be announced in late September and had the utmost confidence that a press conference will be held in the Union Square flagship location in New York City — the same space previous press events have previously been held. The specific details surrounding the tablet’s specs and a solid date for the announcement is still shrouded in secrecy.

The Nook Color was Barnes & Noble’s answer to the 7-inch tablet, but the device never quite left its roots as an e-reader. According to our source, who had discussed the to-be-announced Nook with a Microsoft employee close to the matter, that may change. The existing Nook tablet’s selling point has been the ease of its use as an e-reader, but the new Nook may have a renewed focus on tablet features. If that’s the case, Barnes & Noble clearly has its sights set on competing more aggressively with the Amazon Fire, Google’s Galaxy Nexus 7 and the to-be-released iPad mini.

Based on the history of previous Barnes & Noble tablet releases, we would make an educated guess that the new Nook will be available sometime during the two months before holiday season kicks off. If the device were to hit store shelves in October, the date could coincide with the impending iPad mini announcement — also purported to take place in October. Of course, this means the hype behind the Nook would get drowned out.

With Microsoft’s $605 million investment in Barnes & Noble in exchange for a 17.6 percent stake in a subsidiary, the question that looms is whether the new tablet would scrap the Android OS and run Windows 8. From what we’ve heard, we’re more inclined to believe that the unannounced Nook will run on Windows 8, as many have already speculated. Nothing is for certain until we get that press release, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted on the development.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com