Apple iPad Mini Rumors May Be Wrong: No 'Leaked' Press Release Found Ahead Of Announcement

By Lisa Eadicicco | September 12 2012 11:27 AM

Apple is scheduled to make some big announcements today at the Yerva Center in San Francisco, with tech geeks, fans and critics anticipating the official iPhone 5 unveiling. Reports have long indicated the Cupertino, Calif.-based company will also reveal a refreshed line of iPods and an iPad Mini at today's media event, but some of those speculations may not hold up to be true.

Apple.pro

The focus of this week's Apple media event will undoubtedly be the next-generation iPhone, but consumers might be talking tablets rather than phones after this Wednesday's product unveiling. Most news outlets and sources close to the company say Apple will also introduce a new "iPad Mini" to its tablet lineup. We don't know the exact features or specs that Apple has packed into the iPad Mini, but we nevertheless have a pretty good idea of what CEO Tim Cook might unveil on stage this Wednesday.

Sponsorship Link

Apple's official website has prematurely listed links to some of the new products expected to be announced today. When using the search box on the website, links to press releases will appear but direct users to a "Page Not Found" website when clicked. If a user types in the term "iPhone-5" three links appear. One of which has the ending URL "Apple-Introduces-iPhone-5.html."

When typing in "iPod-nano," similar broken links appear. One contains the ending URL "ipod-nano" while the other says "ipod-nano/specs.html. This is likely to be a fact sheet for a new generation of iPod Nano devices that may be unveiled today.

However, when typing in "ipad-mini" in the search box, no results appear. This is not a sure-fire sign that there will be no iPad Mini announced today, but it could very well mean that Apple will not put out a smaller version of their widely popularized tablet for the time being. Fans will have to wait until Apple's keynote to hear any official announcements later today.

It's also possible Apple could release the iPad Mini under a different name, just as it didn't title the Retina Display iPad as the iPad 3. Apple has a history of trying to keep its next-generation products under wraps, although countless alleged leaks of the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini have made their way across the Web. One thing is for sure: This new "mini tablet" has been built.

On Tuesday, what was believed to be "pre-production" cases for the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini had surfaced online. MacRumors reader Michael Rou posted the cases for the allegedly new iOS devices, posting an album to Flickr on Monday. The cases have mirrored the reportedly leaked specs and rumors from Foxconn that have stayed consistent within recent months. The cases are arranged in size order, with the new iPad in the back, the supposed iPad Mini inside it, and then the iPhone 5.

This is only part of the evidence that has led some to believe that Apple will release an iPad Mini along with its other upcoming products. The iPad Mini has been rumored to feature slimmer side bezels, a 7.3 mm thick body that is 134.73 mm wide, a 7.85-inch display and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability among other characteristics.

Releasing a smaller iPad would create even stiffer competition for other smaller tabs, such as Google's Nexus 7. Amazon recently announced that it will release a successor to its Kindle Fire that will boast HD display and come in both a 10-inch and 7-inch variation.