UPDATED 09:40 EDT / JULY 24 2012

What’s the Difference between the iPad Mini and a Grown iPod Touch?

We’ve been hearing about Apple’s plans to launch the new iPhone by September or October.  In fact, we’ve heard so many rumors that it seems like we’re overlooking other Apple devices which are said to be launching alongside the iPhone 5.  Apple hasn’t released a new device since the iPad, and while it’s still far in the lead, it may be time for Apple to diversify its product line now that 7-inch tablets are becoming so popular and competitors with more product variety have the potential to win in the end.  The world is hopeful for a 7-inch iPad, and there’s also word of a super-sized iPod Touch.  But what’s the difference between a shrunken iPad and an enlarged iPod Touch?

iPad mini

Rumor has it, Apple will be launching a smaller version of the iPad dubbed as the iPad mini.  Sources say that the iPad mini will be in direct competition to Google’s Nexus 7, the new 7-inch Android Jelly Bean tablet.

The iPad mini is said to have 7-8-inches screen diagonally, which will be a couple inches smaller than the 9.7 inches screen of the current iPad.  Aside from that, the iPad mini will probably feature the same specs as the new iPad, like a Retina Display, a 5MP iSight camera, an A5X chip for improved pixel performance, ultrafast wireless or 4G LTE, iOS 6, and of course access to iCloud.

So what could convince people drop their Google Nexus for an iPad mini?  Cellular networks.  The Google Nexus connects to the internet via WiFi only, which can be limiting.   So if Apple is really making iPad minis, we expect they’ll be available in WiFi only and WiFi+Cellular versions.

iPod Touch

Another rumor just popped up this week: Japanese blog Macotakara claims that Apple will be releasing a new and bigger iPod Touch alongside the iPhone 5.  The blog stated that it will feature a different back-case style with buffed aluminum instead of the polished, stainless steel mirror design, and the chip will be upgraded to an A5X.  The new iPod Touch is said to feature a bigger screen, larger by 4 inches or more, which is the same as the rumored iPhone 5, and will come in black and white.

To fan the flame, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo backed up Macotakara’s claims stating that the new iPod Touch is already in production and is said to feature the same in-cell touch screen anticipated for the iPhone 5.

Aren’t they the same thing?

So there’s a possibility that Apple will launch an iPhone 5, an iPad mini, and a bigger iPod Touch.  But there’s also a possibility that the iPad mini and the iPod Touch are just the same device.  Apple could just be making a bigger iPod Touch and dubbing it as an iPad mini to get more people to buy it and so they can sell an iPod Touch at a higher price since it’s called an iPad.  An iPod Touch only connects via WiFi so they’re probably adding cellular capabilities to it so it would be more useful.

Guess we’ll just have to impatiently wait to see what Apple is hiding up their sleeves while they laugh their butts off over how curious and excited people are, keeping the Apple culture alive.


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