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Apple to show off iPad Mini at Oct. 23 event, report says

The company's smaller tablet will reportedly come with a 7.85-inch screen, a Lightning connector, and thinner design than its predecessor.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read

Tim Cook earlier this year announcing the new iPad.
Tim Cook earlier this year announcing the new iPad. Donald Bell/CNET

Apple's long-rumored iPad Mini will be outed in less than two weeks, a new report claims.

Apple plans to hold a special press event on October 23 to unveil its iPad Mini, All Things Digital is reporting today, citing sources. Following the report, iMore, The Loop and The New York Times weighed in, saying the date is legit.

Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple is planning to launch a smaller iPad. More recently, reports had claimed that Apple had hoped to get it outlast month but production issues have caused it to push the launch back. An October 23 launch date would be two days before Apple's quarterly earnings are announced and three days before Microsoft's Windows 8 launch event in New York.

Artist rendering of iPad and the Mini

The widely rumored iPad Mini, or whatever its official name will be, is expected to have a 7.85-inch screen and come with Apple's new Lightning connector. If Apple follows its past form, the iPad Mini would be available to customers within a few weeks of the unveiling. The company is reportedly manufacturing up to 10 million of the smaller iPad for the fourth quarter.

See also: Apple iPad Mini: The ultimate rumor roundup

If and when the iPad Mini finally hits store shelves, it'll be going head-to-head with Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire. Both of those devices come with displays in the 7-inch range and are notably cheaper than more powerful devices, like Apple's new iPad. Given that, it's believed that the iPad Mini will be substantially cheaper than the new iPad, though it's not known by how much.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the iPad Mini report. We will update this story when we have more information.

Watch this: The Apple rumor mill churns out iPad Mini details

Updated at 12:29 p.m. PT to include additional claims of event date.