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The 23rd of October is when Apple is expected to announce the iPad mini (amongst other rumored products). However with the announcement of the iPad mini, many are thinking that this would eat into the sales of the iPad, although exactly how much of the iPad’s sales it would eat into remains a mystery. However a couple of analysts have come forward with their own predictions, starting with Piper Jaffray analyst, Gene Munster (via AllThingsD), who predicts that the iPad mini could eat into 20% of the iPad’s sales. Another analyst, Bill Choi of Janney Montgomery Scott, agrees with Munster although his predictions are a bit on the conservative side, with Choi estimating that the iPad mini will eat into 15% of the iPad’s sales.
However given that both devices sport different sizes and different price points, perhaps the iPad mini will appeal to customers who want an iPad, but either don’t fancy its 9.7” display or its price, which means that it won’t eat into iPad sales but would actually encourage new ones. As Ed Sutherland of iDownloadBlog says, this is like worrying whether a dollar goes into your left pocket instead of the right. In any case we guess we will have to wait and see if these predictions come true, but until then what do you guys think? If you don’t own an iPad, would a potentially cheaper and smaller iPad mini be of interest to you?