Component Suppliers Say Apple Has Ordered Parts for 10 Million 'iPad Minis' in 4Q 2012

While some sources have indicated that production challenges with components for Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini" will limit launch supplies of the device, The Wall Street Journal now reports that many component suppliers are moving ahead to meet Apple's plans to build more than 10 million units of the device during the fourth quarter.

Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of the smaller tablets in the fourth quarter. That is roughly double the order that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets in the same quarter, these suppliers say.

The figure indicates that Apple believes demand for the product will be strong, despite stiff competition in the market.

ipadmini3 small
Mockup of 7.85-inch "iPad mini" (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)

Just last week, the publication reported that mass production of the iPad mini had begun ahead of an introduction said to be coming at a media event sometime this month. One recent rumor has claimed that invitations for the media event will be going out this Wednesday, with the event presumably following approximately one week later.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
m4 macbook air pink

Apple Now Selling Refurbished M4 MacBook Air Models

Friday June 13, 2025 3:34 pm PDT by
Apple today added M4 MacBook Air models to its refurbished store in the United States, making the latest MacBook Air devices available at a discounted price for the first time since they launched earlier this year. Both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are available, with Apple offering multiple capacities and configurations. The refurbished devices are discounted by approximately 15...

Top Rated Comments

sammich Avatar
166 months ago
You guys are getting heaps of usage out of those mockups, aren't you?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lordskelic Avatar
166 months ago
I am SO curious what the price of one of these bad boys will be.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
166 months ago
Price will be everything.

If not priced competitively - even if a better device, they won't sell as "hot" as a full sized iPad.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Technarchy Avatar
166 months ago
Maybe this is real afterall
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3N16MA Avatar
166 months ago
1. iPad mini rumors

2. Some MR members claim "it will never happen."

3. More and more evidence builds that it will.

4. Same people say "it will never happen."

5. Apple sends out invite for keynote.

6. Apple unveils new smaller iPad.

7. People who said it will never happen now say "Apple is doomed."

8. iPad mini sells million in the first week and is a success.

9. Those same people keep quiet.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
World Citizen Avatar
166 months ago
No no no


This will be the remote for the AppleTV (40" screen including Apple iOS)

- Browse content while watching TV
- type on fullsize keyboard instead of crappy remote
- SecondScreen for TV program makers
- Browse content on you mac and play on TV
- Live debate and chat about current TV content
- Itunes DJ type of content playlist


This would be THE solution for browsing content and inserting TEXT and so on...

PLEAS MAKE THIS!!!!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)