With Apple planning at least one (and probably two) events this fall to announce new products, speculation has abounded about possible new products. Japanese blog Macotakara (via MacRumors) today adds a couple of new claims about the smaller iPad and a new iPod nano.
First, Macotakara claims to confirm that the 7.85-inch iPad will, in fact, be called the iPad mini. The device has been referred to as the “iPad Mini” in most reports, despite the fact that there had been no indication of the device’s actual branding.
The iPad Mini branding would be a fairly intuitive choice for Apple, and matches naming conventions used in the iPod, as well as in the Mac product lines. The name also makes a great deal of sense, as it would distinguish the smaller iPad from its larger counterpart.
Second, the site claims that Apple’s next iPod nano will include built-in Wi-Fi access, in order to take advantage of Apple’s iCloud and iTunes match offerings. With Apple’s increasing focus on cloud services, this wouldn’t surprise me a great deal either.
Wi-Fi chips are inexpensive to add to devices, and it would add a significant benefit to the device. It’s also unlikely that it would affect sales of the iPod touch, since it almost certainly wouldn’t offer actual web access, and wouldn’t have App Store access.
Macotakara has a mixed track record, but they’ve been known to be accurate on claims about Apple products. Both of these claims also make a great deal of sense. Even so, until we start seeing confirmation from major media outlets, I’m keeping this one at arm’s length.
