The Rumor mill continues to swirl about Apple's highly speculated iPad Mini device. Though various reports have surfaced over the past few months about the iPad Mini, Apple has officially never commented on its existence.
German tech site, MobileGeeks, divulged the price of the tablet. It reportedly appeared in the internal inventory system of Media Market, Europe's largest electronics retailer.
MobileGeeks managed to get a screenshot of the inventory system of the consumer electronics giant. It also revealed that the iPad Mini will roll out in 16 different memory and wireless configurations.
iPad Mini is priced $322 (249 euros) for Wi-Fi only 8 GB. The high-end version is $650. The new device will reportedly feature a 7.85-inch display. There were reports of mass production, with Apple ordering 10 million units for the fourth quarter.
The pricing has drawn skepticism from analysts.
"It really depends on how Apple views the competitive dynamics in the industry," said Sameer Singh, analyst at Finvista Advisors, who predicted a $299 starting price for the device, ComputerWorld reported. "If Apple sees the [Google] Nexus 7 and the [Amazon] Kindle Fire as major threats, they could get more aggressive with a $249 price.
"With the iPad Mini, Apple's targeting two sets of consumers: First time, price-sensitive buyers and tablet owners looking for a second, more portable device. I don't think either segment would be willing to pay a steep price for an iPad Mini. And Apple may be better off steering high-income customers toward higher-end models [like the larger iPad]. Apple's goal would be to draw as many first time buyers as possible while minimizing cannibalization," he added.
Meanwhile, Apple blog 9to5mac reported that Apple may update its Mac Mini desktop computers. The Mac Mini was last updated in July 2011.
The grapevine has it that Apple will hold a media event to unveil its smaller, less expensive iPad Mini on Oct. 23.
