Apple to launch Apple mini in 2012

Apple plans to begin production of a 7.85-inch iPad next year, theipadguide.com reported, citing a recent report from the DigiTimes.

The smaller tablet, dubbed the "iPad mini," will be available in Q4 of 2012, and the iPad 3 will still launch in February or March of the same year. DigiTimes claims Apple will purchase the 7.85-inch panels from LG Display and AU Optronics, and that production of the new models will begin at the end of the second quarter of 2012.

The success of the Kindle Fire has revived old rumors about a smaller iPad that date as far back as 2010. The Korean Times wrote in November of 2011 that Apple met with LG Display to discuss production of 7-inch displays, and a few analyst have restarted the iPad mini rumor mill this year as well. The device will reportedly feature the same resolution as the iPad 2, and will be Apple's answer to the growing demand for more affordable tablets.