This week, rumours of an iPad mini continue to swirl, with the latest reports suggesting that the mini version will be significantly thinner than the current model and around two-thirds the overall size. The word on the street is that the iPad Mini would debut in the autumn, alongside the revamped and all-new iPhone 5, suggesting that the early prototype models that have been snapped might just be the real thing…

Mini Me?

Apple’s iPad is coming under increasing pressure from other tablet manufacturers, but it’s managed to hold its crown as the king of all tablets, largely due to its superior construction, ease of use and app ecosystem. However, the other manufacturers have been steadily carving out a niche for themselves in the smaller tablet category, with popular devices like the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7 tablet. With Microsoft about to enter the fray with the Surface, it seems that Apple also wants a slice of the mini tablet pie too.

iPad Mini Prototype Spotted in the Wild

Gadget site Gotta Be Mobile claims to have some engineering samples of the would-be Mini, albeit carved out in orange plastic - the device suggests a smaller dock connector (which is supposedly coming to the iPhone 5 too), a 7-8-inch screen, and two speakers either side of the dock connector. Of course, even if the plastic mockup is real, it might just be indicative that Apple is continuing to play around with ideas for a smaller iPad, rather than concrete evidence that the device is soon to enter production.

Retina Display?

What about the display on this mythical beast? An iPad Mini probably wouldn’t feature the superb Retina Display that the new iPad does, in order to keep costs down, but it would work well with the older iPad screen resolution, which would mean that native iPad apps would be compatible without any changes. We won’t know have concrete evidence that a mini is about to be unleashed on the market until a few months’ time, but until then, the rumours will surely continue in the run-up to the forthcoming iPhone 5.

What do you think about a pint-sized iPad? Can Apple take the thunder out of the Nexus and Surface tablets? Would you buy one? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.