The iPad Mini release date is closer as rumors of Apple starting mass production and a launch date are circulating.

According to MetroUK, Apple will launch the iPad Mini at an event on Oct. 10.

The date coincides with an earlier rumor.

A new report revealed that media will soon see an invite for an iPad Mini launch event by Oct. 10, which would mean that it will be unveiled soon after.

"By Oct. 10, Misek said he predicts an invitation for an iPad Mini launch event will be mailed out to the media, followed by the formal announcement of the device by mid-October and culminating with the launch of the iPad Mini at the end of that month," eWeek reported. This prediction was made by Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.

Reports say that mass production has already started.

An initial article, first published in Taiwan's Economic Daily News and later picked up by a plethora of tech sites, reported that the main bulk of the device's production will be done by Chinese firm Pegatron.

The firm has reportedly secured between 50 to 60 per cent of production orders from Apple, spelling the end of rival assemblers Foxconn's monopoly on iPad production.

Analysts speculate a 7.85-inch product featuring a thinner screen frame to allow a bigger display area as well as a resolution similar to that of the iPad 2.

Apple will be confident of building on the success of its recent iPhone 5 launch which attracted a record breaking 2million pre-orders in just 24 hours.

According to Digitimes, supply volume of Apple's 7.85-inch iPad is estimated to reach four million units per month starting in September in order to prepare for demand from year-end holidays, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

New pictures of the iPad Mini have surfaced again. According to TechCrunch, there leaked pictures appear to be of a legitimate iPad Mini. The pics also match up well with other rumors about a thinner bezel, aluminum back plate, and a strange hole in the top center of the tablet's backside.

The pics show a Lightening dock on the bottom, alongside duals speakers.

Apple just might strike gold with this tablet because of right timing.

According to CNET, it's a good time for the iPad Mini to hit the market.

"Though Apple's 9-inch-screen iPad is still king of the tablet market, the demand for smaller, 7-inch screen models from other brands is growing quickly this year, analytics firm IHS reported today," according to CNET.

"The combined demand for tablets, big or small, is projected to reach 126.6 million units shipped for 2012, an increase of 56 percent from last year's 82.1 million, according IHS. LG Display and Samsung remained the main suppliers of tablets displays -- they make the liquid crystal display panels that are used in the iPad. LG also makes displays for Amazon and Barnes & Noble, while Samsung keeps its product in-house for its own tablets. These companies are investing in developing wide-angle technology as well as improved resolution, power consumption, and overall performance, IHS said."

Reports say the iPad Mini will be more affordable and come with a powerful processor. It is also assumed that the new tablet will feature Apple's upcoming operating system, iO6, which includes a new, Google-free Maps app, and Passbook, and promises better Facebook integration, better maps, and better video conferences that use cellular data and Siri. It is also said to have a smaller dock connector, two speakers, and thinner bezel. It may also feature a music service similar to Pandora radio, Retina Display, and FaceTime.

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