iPad mini with Retina could come in 2013, after all

If you’re in the market for a Retina-enhanced iPad mini, you might not have to wait until 2014 to get it. According to a report published yesterday by Digitimes, display manufacturer LG is expecting to ship between 2 and 3 million iPad mini Retina displays leading up to an October 2013 launch.

The rumor mill for the iPad mini with Retina, which started almost immediately after the original’s launch, has been full of conflicting reports. Some believed we could see a refreshed, Retina-enhanced version in spring. When that didn’t happen, summer became the next season for a potential launch, though we’ve yet to see one or hear that a launch is imminent.

Most Apple products are updated on a yearly basis, so October seemed like a safe bet — a year after the original was announced. But even that was called into question as recently as four days ago, with another Digitimes report claiming that we’d only get a minor refresh of the mini and that a Retina upgrade would come in 2014. The latest report now seems to bring us back to fall, with October specifically being named as the likely month for the launch.

Those who are looking to get an iPad mini in the near future should probably hold off, at least until the start of November. If Apple is going to put out a new iPad mini this year, it’ll likely happen before that time. And even if the device they bring to market doesn’t have a Retina dispay, waiting a few months for the latest model is still a good idea.

If you’re like me and you want to trade your current iPad mini in for a Retina model, there’s not much you can do but wait until fall to see what happens.