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Apple iPad Mini 2 preparation underway as iPad Mini shipments wind down?

The Apple iPad Mini 2 may be about to become a reality following word that distribution of the current iPad Mini is being dialed down. According to DigiTimes, shipment information submitted by numerous industry sources suggests that production and distribution of Apple’s most affordable tablet is slowing, with the likelihood being that materials and resources in general are now being reserved for its successor.

During Q2 this year, Apple are on track to cut production of the current iPad Mini to around 12 million units, with a potential decrease of up to 20% come April and numbers as low as 10 million units by the end of the quarter. This follows on from the arrival of refurbished iPad Minis in the Apple Store and an anticipated arrival for its successor sometime in Q3, 2013.

Apple iPad Mini

Such suggestions should be taken with a pinch of salt as highlighted by Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was quick to point out that information from his company’s supply chain is subject to constant change, often negating statements about production which may have previously been true. A September-time launch could potentially work, should Apple decide to introduce a new iPad Mini along with their next major iPhone announcement: an occasion which typically takes place around that time of the year.

Indeed, Apple has already been seen to be adjusting its retail targets for both the current iPad and iPad Mini brands to 33 and 55 million units sold in 2013 respectively, but these targets don’t explicitly refer to the current iPads on the market. Whilst conflicting reports suggest arrival of a next-generation iPad Mini even sooner, Apple already made the mistake of cutting the upgrade cycle to under the year with the 4th-gen iPad; a move which was met with significant upset from iPad 3 owners who’d laid down the hundreds of pounds for a now outdated device only a few months earlier.

We’re hoping that the next Apple iPad Mini will bolster the screen resolution to within the realms of Retina quality, but we’ve not yet had reports of such a screen in the works.

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