Apple Inc. (AAPL): An iPad Mini 2 On The Way Sooner Than Expected?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been one of those companies, whether it’s been Steve Jobs at the helm or Tim Cook, that has always been very good at letting rumors fly and never reacting or responding. It is clear with Apple that when it comes to device launches and information on specs, Apple controls the message and if it won’t say anything, it won’t say anything. We hear about very few leaks and much of the rumor comes from suppliers, which generally have some of the story but not all of it. Getting details about a single device involves cultivating a mishmash of various rumors from varying sources of varying reliability.

But hey, if it gets eyeballs to read the content, who will complain? Anyway, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seemed pretty sure when Cook said that there would be no new device announcements until later in 2013 or stretching into 2014.  But these latest reports we’ll be reporting here in a second leads us to this question: when Tim Cook refers to new devices, is he referring to completely new devices or does he include upgraded and updated existing devices as “new”?

So did he leave the door open for the launch of a new-old device, such as an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad Mini 2?

We my not know in the next few days, but there seems to be some pretty specific rumors going around that are suggesting that an iPad Mini 2 may be very much in the works and perhaps ready for an announcement sometime this summer.  That would put the delivery schedule to retailers at late in third quarter (perhaps September). What do we know so far about this device?

What we are hearing is that the the iPad Mini 2 will sport a Retina display with 2048×1546-pixel resolution to equal the iPad in a small screen size, and it is expected to employ Gorilla Glass for the screen. The device reportedly will run on the A6X processor and may be priced at around $329.

But how do we know that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is prepping for a new device without some hard evidence? The clue could be in the supply chain itself.

There have been some recent reports from several Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) suppliers that have given lowered forward guidance for their revenues in the next quarter or two, as each has indicated that Apple orders for existing devices has dropped off significantly. That has generally meant, in the past anyway, that Apple is winding down production of existing devices and is beginning the transition into producing updated devices.

These indications from the supply chain seem to indicate, according to sources, that Apple is not sitting back and waiting for the fourth quarter. It is possilbe that this drawdown may very well result in some product hitting the market in the next three to four months. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, let us know your thoughts about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and its seemingly different production schedule this year. Do you think this will be good or bad for the company going forward? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.

DISCLOSURE: None