White
The 9.7-inch iPad with mock-up of a 7.85-inch version. 9to5Mac.
FORTUNE — In one of his dispatches from a tour of Apple’s (AAPL) Asian supply chain two weeks ago, Topeka Capital’s Brian White mentioned that an iPad case-maker let him handle what they claimed was a prototype iPad mini.
In note to clients Monday — in which White reminded them that it was he who first coined the name iPad Mini (with a captital M) — he expanded on his brief remarks. Under the heading “Smaller, Lighter, More Refined & Easily Tucked into a Jacket or Purse,” he writes:
During our recent China-Taiwan Tech Tour, we had the opportunity to play with a pilot version of the “iPad Mini” that easily fit into our sport coat pocket. Experiencing a new form factor of an iconic product such as the iPad is a sight to behold and we believe consumer demand will reflect this phenomenon. We expect the “iPad Mini” to be 7.85 inches in size, include two cameras, come with the option of Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and 4G/3G, include the new lightening connector, start at lower storage capacity (8GB) than the iPad, sport a more refined back casing, come in slightly different color variation (i.e., similar to iPhone 5) and offer some surprises. We expect the “iPad Mini” to begin at a price point of $250-$300.
His description of the device Apple is expected to unveil Tuesday in San Jose is not much different than other analysts‘, but it’s coming from the only guy who claims to have put one in his pocket.
