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"iPad mini" could be in the works

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A more affordable iPad may be coming next year for $200, analyst says

So far, Apple has had only 2 major iterations for its lineup of iPads with the third generation reportedly scheduled sometime next year. Competitors, however, have been able to offer tablets at more aggressive prices with smaller-sized screens. If Apple were to tap into that 7-inch tablet audience, there may be an even larger market share to gain for the Cupertino company.

Analysts from Ticonderoga Securities are saying exactly that and are claiming that an “iPad mini” at more accessible prices could become a reality. “We believe this lower priced iPad could be priced in the mid-t-high-$200 range,” said analyst Brian White to BGR. Furthermore, he even expects the device to launch sometime 2012 around the same time as the iPad 3.

White stresses, however, that the “iPad mini” may not actually be a smaller tablet, but a less powerful version of the current iPads with lower prices.

If true, the $200 price range would put the “iPad mini” directly against the Amazon Kindle Fire. While Apple still holds most of the tablet market, the Kindle Fire is so far proving to be no slouch even before its November 15th launch with over 100,000 pre-orders already set.

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Allen Ngo, 2011-10-12 (Update: 2012-05-26)