Rumor: iPad mini to start at $329
updated 04:09 pm EDT, Sat October 20, 2012
Wi-Fi only models to top out at $529
When Apple unveils the iPad mini next week, it may be priced at a premium above the 7-inch tablets it is meant to compete against. News outlets are citing unnamed sources that say pricing for the smaller iPad will start at a minimum of $329, though information on the device's capabilities is as yet unavailable. These reports have the new smaller iPad topping out at $659, with the high-end models having the highest storage capacity as well as cellular connectivity.
9to5Mac claims that its source has tipped a $329 baseline price for the forthcoming smaller iPad. That would position the new device between the fifth-generation iPod touch and Apple's current cheapest iPad, the 16GB iPad 2. The new, smaller iPad is said to come in three memory configurations and two color options. It will also come in a Wi-Fi-only model and a version sporting either 3G or 4G connectivity.
Should this pricing model bear out, it would mean that Apple's new smaller tablet would be priced significantly above its competition. The iPad mini is expected to feature a 7.85-inch screen, giving it a good deal more display space than the 7-inch screens found on the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7. The rumored prices, though, would place the baseline iPad mini at about a 30 percent higher price point than a 16GB Nexus 7 and 65 percent higher than a 16GB Kindle Fire HD.
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At $329, one can assume a minimum of 16GB of storage and hopefully a Retina display (1600x1200). Otherwise, it's unlikely to benchmark well against the competition or the full-sized iPad.