iPad Mini In Production As Apple Continues To Look Like the World's Most Valuable Company

(Photo : Reuters)

The Cupertino-based company Apple is in full gear as everybody is expecting to finally see what the next-gen iPhone and the iPad Mini will look like. These rumors are fueling the Apple stock to an all-time high, and a look at Apple's suppliers has shown Jeffries analyst Peter Misek that Apple is definitely in full production of the iPad Mini.

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Apple stock closed on Friday at $648, making the world's most valuable company even more so.

Misek looked at Apple supplier Foxconn's books and noticed a five-percent increase in revenues in the typically-dead month of June. This can be attributed to the iPad Mini, he says.

Apple is expected to announce the next-gen iPhone 5, the iPad Mini, and new iPods at an event on September 12. The iPhone 5 could be in consumers hands as early as September 21. No release date has been speculated for the iPad Mini, although a late September/October launch is most likely.

Much the speculation that an iPhone 5/iPad Mini launch is imminent comes from looking at Apple's supply chain in China. Manufacturers such as Foxconn have been ramping up summer hiring.

The iPad Mini will be meant to compete in the smaller, budget-tablet market, against devices like the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire. Those tablets are around seven inches and start at $200, compared to the current iPad's 10-inch screen and $499 price tag. The iPad Mini should be priced at $249-$300 and come with a seven-inch screen.

Anticipation for the new Apple line of products is at an incredible high. The iPhone 5 is predicted to be the biggest handset launch of all time, and the most important consumer electronics device of 2012. With a new iPad Mini opening up a new market for Apple to conquer, there is good reason to believe that Apple will continue to be the most valuable company in the world.