Apple prepping iPad mini - Report

Apple enthusiasts are looking to next week for the first details on the iPad 3, but that may not be the only tablet-related announcement the company has up its sleeve. DigiTimes reports today that Apple may also unveil an iPad mini.

According to DigiTimes' sources, Apple's iPad makers have begun manufacturing prototype devices that measure 7.85 inches in height. The current iPad 2 model measures 9.5 inches, down from the original iPad's 9.58 inches. The report notes that Apple is positioning the device as a competitor to Amazon's $200 Kindle Fire.

Production on the device is expected to ramp up in the July-September 2012 quarter, though no launch date was provided. DigiTimes' sources also indicated that the iPad mini will retail for $250 to $300.

Apple will be holding a press event on March 7 at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center. The media briefing coincides with the 2012 Game Developers Conference, which will occupy San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 5-9.