\A new report from All Things D says the iPad Mini (or whatever Apple will call it) will be unveiled on October 23rd — three days before Microsoft releases its highly-anticipated Surface tablets powered by same-day-release Windows 8 — at an “invitation only” affair, likely to be much more low-key than the iPhone 5 launch last month.
Apple could possibly host the launch at its on-campus Town Hall Auditorium, says the report, where Apple “has debuted a number of important products [such as] OS X Lion, a next-generation MacBook Air and the iPhone 4S, so there’s plenty of precedent.”
The iPad Mini won’t compete directly with the Microsoft Surface, but could possibly divert some sales.
The Mini slab sports a 7.85-inch display, front and back cameras, and iOS 6, despite the well-reported shortcomings of the iOS 6 Maps app, which lost to Google Maps in a comparison experiment by Truphone last month. As with the iPhone 5, users can also expect Apple’s new 9-pin Dock connector to be seen in the final product.
Early reports also say the iPad Mini could be a Wi-Fi-only device. This could be a good device for Truphone VoIP users who don’t like the larger tablets.