iPad Air

T-Mobile announced its "un-carrier" pricing plans for both the iPad Air and iPad mini 2. The carrier will offer the new Apple tablets on November 1 staring at zero dollars down. T-Mobile will also give every new iPad user 200MB of free 4G LTE data every month for as long as they keep the device.

iPad owners who require more monthly data will be able to choose from T-Mobile's other data options starting at $30. T-Mobile voice customers will have access to T-Mobile's "always-on" iPad plans which start at just $10 a month. You can visit T-Mobile.com for more information on pricing plans.

Accessory maker Belkin has announced its new lineup of iPad keyboard cases, covers and screen protectors. The lineup includes three new Qode keyboards and 10 unique cases and folios that fit the tablet's new form factor. The updated Qode keyboard cases include the Ultimate Keyboard Case made of "thin and light aircraft-grade aluminum," the protective screen cover and Bluetooth enabled Thin Type Keyboard, and the Slim Style Keyboard Case. Belkin has also updated the Classic Strap Cover, FormFit Cover and other affordable cases to fit the iPad Air.

Belkin's iPad Air accessories will be available in early November. Apple fans who plan to buy the fifth-generation Apple tablet can sign up for email notifications for the new cases at Belkin.com.

The iPad Air will be available on November 1, 2013. The Wi-Fi only models start at $499, and the Wi-Fi + cellular models begin at $629 for the 16GB version.

Another Apple keynote speech has come and gone, and the iPad Air is now a reality. After months of analyst speculation, supply chain leaks, and mysterious parts floating around, the time has come again to take stock of the rumors. Right off the bat, Apple is sticking with the current screen sizes found on the iPad and iPad mini, while packing redesigned hardware inside.

As the world now knows, the iPad Air is not surprisingly thinner, lighter and more powerful than its predecessor. The updated tablet includes the same 64-bit A7 processor and independent M7 chips found in the flagship iPhone 5s. Not only this, but the iPad Air has a smaller bezel and comes in space gray and silver. So what does Apple have in store for next generation iPads that didn't make the cut this time?

Is it time to say goodbye to the iPad 2? Rob Cihra, analyst with Evercore Partners thinks so. Cihra told investors Apple will most likely discontinue the second-generation tablet after announcing the iPad mini on October 23.

According to Cihra, Apple's goal is to offer "clearer product tiers", meaning the iPad mini will replace the iPad 2 as the lower tier entry product of the iPad lineup. If true, Apple will be replacing the $400 iPad 2 with a more affordable $300 to $350 smaller tablet. This has most analysts calling the iPad mini the "competition’s worst nightmare.

Apple fans and tech bloggers are still wondering what happened to the iPad mini event invites Apple was rumored to be shipping out on October 10th. Low yield rates of the tablet’s black aluminum chassis, and stricter quality requirements for all new iOS devices are the rumored causes for the delay. However, the reliable John Paczkowski from All Things D claims Apple is still going forward with a second fall product event to be held on October 23.

"People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called 'iPad mini' on Oct. 23 at an invitation-only event. That’s a Tuesday, not a Wednesday, so this is a bit of a break with recent tradition. It also happens to be just three days prior to the street date for Microsoft’s new Surface tablet. Sources declined to specify where the event is to be held, and I’ve not been able to confirm a location."

Sources in Apple’s supply chain in Taiwan are reporting slow iPad mini shipments due to the low yield rates of the tablet’s aluminum chassis. According to the Digitimes, the critical anodized finish process for the black aluminum chassis is slowing down progress.

"The iPad mini reportedly will come in native- and black-colored aluminum chassis, which are more vulnerable to scratching, said the sources, adding that the anodized finish process on the black cases is more critical, which often results in lower yield rates."

Purported iPad mini manufacturer Catcher Technology said "its capacity utilization rates as well as yield rates for various products all meet its product roadmap." Meaning if the iPad mini rumor is true, and Catcher is indeed manufacturing iPad chassis, then Apple's demand is being met.

Update via The Wall Street Journal: "Apple Inc.’s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad." It will feature "a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution than the third-generation iPad with a 2,048-by-1,536 pixel Retina display."

It looks like the three-year old iPad mini rumor is finally coming to an end on October 17th, 2012 when Apple is expected to unveil the long awaited device at a special keynote. Press invites for the rumored event are purportedly shipping on October 10th. The "iPad mini" (aka the iPad Nano or iPad Air) is Apple's answer to the popular 7-inch Android tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7 that have been flooding the market. Here are the rumored specs for Apple's new device:

The iPad mini is expected to be a lot like the 9.7-inch iPad but scaled down to 7.85-inches. It will obviously feature the same 8-pin Lightning dock connector and repositioned headphone jack (mind blown) as the iPhone 5 to conserve space. The front bezel is also rumored to be smaller, and it will most likely sport the same thin profile as the latest iPod touch.

That's right everyone. Apple is set to announce the smaller iPad Mini (or iPad Air) at one of their typical press events, and the invitations are slated for delivery on October 10. This is according to a report in Fortune, citing an inside source. This would put the keynote date at Wednesday, October 17 with a product launch on Friday, November 2.

The smaller 7.85-inch screen iPad Mini, also described as the iPad Nano or iPad Air, is said to have already begun production at a Foxconn factory in Brazil. Apple is said to be ramping up production to prepare for the cheaper, thinner tablet's release before the holiday shopping season. The device would fill a gap between the current full-size iPad and the 4-inch screen iPhone 5.