Apple orders over 10 million iPad mini tablets for launch in Q4 2012

The Apple iPad mini is not yet officially announced, but if we believe the rumors, Apple should finally send out invitations for its unveiling this week, and now industry suppliers say that Cupertino is preparing for a huge demand for its compact tablet.

Apple has allegedly ordered 10 million iPad minis to be made for the fourth quarter of the year, and that’s more than double the Kindle Fires Amazon have ordered, according to WSJ’s industry sources.

Apple is using a niche opened by the affordable 7-inch Kindle Fire launched late last year, and later expanded by the $199 Google Nexus 7. Looking at Apple’s portfolio, one would see a price opening for a more affordable tablet, and more importantly the possibility to make such a device at a high enough margin.

So far, rumors agree that Apple will be launching a 7.85-inch iPad mini with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The device is expected to feature a thinner bezel, and a slim body in the signature industrial design for Apple.