Right on cue, Apple today launched the iPad mini and the fourth generation iPad with Retina Display (iPad 4) in India today. The iPad mini, which features a smaller 7.9-inch display and the same processor as the iPad mini starts from Rs 21,900. The iPad 4, meanwhile looks similar to the iPad 3 but features a new A6X processor, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the iPad 3. The iPad 4 starts from Rs 31,900. Both the iPad mini and the iPad 4 come with Lightning connector but only the iPad mini uses a nano-SIM while the iPad 4 continues to use a micro-SIM.

Read on for detailed pricing of both the iPad variants.

iPad mini

16GB Wi-Fi only Rs 21,900 16GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 29,900

32GB Wi-Fi only Rs 27,900 32GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 35,900

64GB Wi-Fi only Rs 33,900 64GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 41,900

Fourth Generation iPad with Retina Display

16GB Wi-Fi only Rs 31,900 16GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 39,900

32GB Wi-Fi only Rs 37,900 32GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 45,900

64GB Wi-Fi only Rs 43,900 64GB Wi-Fi+Cellular Rs 51,900

You can also check out our review of the iPad mini here.

Photo Credit: Eshan Shetty

We have been exclusively reporting about the iPad mini launch in India and yesterday we scooped the pricing of the iPad mini Wi-Fi edition. Today we have received the final pricing of both the iPad mini Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+Cellular variants courtesy Cochin-based retailer ITNET Infocom. Read on for details.

Like we reported yesterday, the iPad mini Wi-Fi version will be available from Rs 21,900 for the 16GB version. The 32GB and 64GB variants will be priced at Rs 27,900 and Rs 33,900 respectively, just like we reported. The iPad mini Wi-Fi+Cellular version will start from Rs 29,900 for the 16GB variant and Apple will follow its Rs 6,000 difference between variants, which means the 32GB will be priced at Rs 35,900 and the 64GB variant will come with a Rs 41,900 price tag. We have independently verified these prices.

The retailer also claims that the fourth generation iPad (aka iPad 4 with Retina Display) will start from Rs 31,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only base variant. The 32GB and 64GB variants will be priced at Rs 37,900 and Rs 43,900 respectively. The Wi-Fi+3G variants will be priced at Rs 39,900, Rs 45,900 and Rs 51,900. This is a bump of Rs 2,000 over the third generation iPad with Retina Display prices (aka iPad 3), which is strange considering the iPad 4 essentially replaces the iPad 3 and we were expecting it to be priced the same, just like it is in the US.

Photo Credit: Eshan Shetty

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Pre-orders for the iPad mini have gone live moments ago in a number of countries but most people are still bewildered about Apple’s move of discontinuing the ‘new’ iPad that was launched only earlier this year in favor of another ‘new’ iPad but has retained the iPad 2, which is already more than a year old. The fourth-generation iPad has minor changes over the model it replaces and will be casually called the iPad 4 in the market just like the previous generation iPad was called the iPad 3. So it is likely to be a bit weird at retail stores where one can buy the iPad 2 and iPad 4 but not the iPad 3. But this is likely to change early next year, if we are reading the hints that Apple is dropping correctly.

Rather than calling the fourth-generation iPad the ‘new iPad’, Apple is now calling it iPad with Retina Display. Essentially, the line-up now has the iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPad with Retina Display. What we believe is likely to happen is the next iPad refresh sometime in March-end or early-April next year would majorly involve the iPad 2, which could also get the new iPad mini like design and some hardware bump in terms of camera, processor and Lightning cable. The crucial change over here would be that Apple would call it just iPad. So the iPad line-up will be the iPad mini, iPad and iPad with Retina Display.

Apple would most probably let go of its annual practice where the last-generation iPad gets a price cut and remains in the market. Instead, it would develop the three SKUs as separate products with the iPad mini and iPad sharing most of the specifications and differing only in size. This is evident from Tim Cook’s statement during yesterday’s earnings call where he said that the iPad mini is a smaller but full-featured iPad.

The iPad with Retina Display is likely to get the top-of-the-line hardware, while the iPad and iPad mini could get hand-me-down chipsets from the previous generation Retina iPad.

Hat tip to Prasad Naik!

Trial production of Apple’s next-generation A6 mobile processor has begun, Taiwan Economic News reports. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has kicked off a test run of A6 chipsets — which could be 28-nanometer SoCs that feature dual or quad-cores and ARM-based architecture according to earlier reports — and Apple devices carrying the new chips are expected to be released in the second quarter next year at the earliest, according to multiple anonymous industry sources. Reports dating back to June suggested that Apple dumped Samsung following multiple patent disputes, and the company would instead utilize TSMC for production of its next-generation A6 processor. This new Taiwan Economic News report contradicts earlier rumors, however, which claimed that TSMC had begun its trial run of A6 chips last month. This could be a new test run, or earlier reports could have been misguided, of course. Taiwan-based TSMC is the world’s largest contract microchip manufacturer.

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This post originally appeared on BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech.com