Apple (AAPL) iPad Mini release date: Unveiling expected for October 23rd, education could be focus

Apple will hold a much anticipated event on Tuesday, at which it is expected to introduce a smaller version of the iPad, dubbed the "iPad mini." This despite earlier pronouncements by Steve Jobs in 2010 that Apple would not make a tablet smaller than 10 inches.

 

On Thursday, the tech company will report its quarterly earnings results, putting a number on how many iPhone 5's it sold since its release last month.

 

Reports also say the price is expected to start under $300, for a 7-inch Wi-Fi only 8-GB model, making it a strong competitor to Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook Color and other Android tablets.

 

Like the iPad before it, the iPad Mini is expected to be a huge seller for Apple.  Leaked photos show it with a seven-inch diagonal screen, two inches less than the iPad, and making it easier to carry in a coat pocket or purse.

 

However, to keep the price down, these reports say it will not have Apple's new retina display, but will have the cheaper screen resolution of the first iPads.

 

According to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek, education will likely be at the forefront of the iPad mini launch.

 

CNN Wire staff, WFTS Web Staff and John Matarese contributed to this report.