Apple iPad Mini Prices, Configurations Leaked; Point To 16 Different Versions

By Kukil Bora | October 16 2012 5:16 AM

According to multiple recent reports, Apple’s long-rumored iPad mini is likely to be unveiled on Oct. 23. There have also been reports speculating on what the smaller iPad could possibly feature. But the one thing that still remains a mystery is the price of the device.

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Most analysts and sources close to Apple expect the 7.85-inch iPad Mini to do everything the traditional 9.7-inch iPad can do – Web surfing, book reading, game playing, movie watching, all of that – but what about speed? What about cameras? What about battery life? Here are the eight most important features and tech specs we're expecting to see in the all-new iPad Mini, set to be unveiled this Tuesday.

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However, a leaked screenshot from Mobile Geeks claimed to solve that mystery as well. According to the screenshot that looked like an inventory list of 16 different iPad mini versions, the device’s storage capacity will start from as little as 8GB to 64GB. The image also indicated that the iPad mini would be available in white and black and other than Wi-Fi versions, the device will have versions that can connect to cellular networks also.

The prices were listed in euros. If the prices are converted to dollars using today’s exchange rate, the Wi-Fi models would cost $320, $450, $580 and $710 for the 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, respectively. On the other hand, the cellular+Wi-Fi models of the iPad mini would cost $450, $580, $710 and $840 for the 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, respectively.

Are The Prices Accurate?

As noted by Information Week, these leaked prices of the iPad mini indicate as much as $130 premium for each storage jump, which is not the usual Apple pricing in the U.S. The iPad-maker typically charges $100 extra for each storage jump; for example, the 16-GB Wi-Fi only iPad costs $499 and the 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad costs $599. Only the cellular models of the iPad in the U.S. cost $130 more than their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.

“The entry-level iPad Mini model, which has Wi-Fi only and 8 GB of storage, comes in at $320, based on the numbers we have today,” Eric Zeman of Information Week wrote. “I doubt this would be the real price charged by Apple for such a device. First, I'd expect Apple to round it down to $299. That's the price point Apple is probably targeting.”

If the leaked prices are indeed true, the iPad mini would be the costliest lower-end tablet among the top players in the market. By comparison, the 32GB version of Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire HD costs $249, while the 16GB version of Google’s 7-inch Nexus 7 also costs the same price.

Gizmodo reported that if the currency of the leaked prices is changed to dollars, “you get less ridiculous skew, but it's still way more than the competition.” For example, at $250, the 8GB version of the iPad mini would cost the same as a 32GB Kindle Fire HD, or 16GB Nexus 7.

“And with a 16GB Wi-Fi only model at $350 you're suddenly paying even more just to go Apple, when for a lot of people, a cheaper competing tablet would probably work just fine,” the report added.

As the likely Oct. 23 release date of the Apple iPad mini approaches, rumors have it that the Apple iPad mini will feature a 7.85-inch LCD screen and a Lightening connector. It is also expected to have an aluminum back cover, two speakers and a relatively thinner form factor.