iPad Mini May Ship by the Holidays

Likely already in production

Manufacturers in China have begun assembling a new, smaller tablet computer for Apple, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Unnamed executives from component suppliers said that production of the tablet is under way. Production typically begins several weeks before Apple brings its new devices to market.

The tablet, which many refer to as the iPad Mini, will have a 7.85-inch screen. The regular iPad's screen measures 9.7 inches diagonally. The most stunning revelation to come from the Journal story is that the iPad Mini's screen will not be a Retina Display. It will use the same liquid crystal display technology that the larger iPad does, but it won't have a resolution high enough to merit the "Retina" descriptor.