A Taiwan-based publication Liberty Times (translated, via Macotakara) reported that LG and AU Optronics were certified to supply the 7.85-inch LCD panel for the iPad Mini. Furthermore, it goes on to claim that both manufacturers are working to ship the panels for production and for a release sometime during the latter half of 2012.

» Rumor: 7.85-inch LCD Panel Suppliers For The iPad Mini Ready To Ramp Up

According to the Taiwanese website “Economic Daily News” two potential suppliers: Korean LG Display and Taiwanese AU Optronics, have recently sent samples of their iPad Mini displays to Apple. The Taiwanese website said Apple has already set the specifications for the smaller tablet and will be shipped early next year. It will get a 7.85 Inch Display and gets the same resolution as the iPad 2. Steve Jobs earlier said on a Q4 2010 earnings call that a 7 inch iPad will be meaningless “It is meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size“. But this is not the first time Steve Jobs denied a possible product. Steve Jobs did this with a lot of products until Apple was ready to launch them, such as the video iPod or even the idea of tablet PC itself. » 7.85-Inch Screen Rumors: iPad Mini?

PC World is reporting that Apple may release a new iPad in December. According to the report this new iPad will include a 7 inch touch screen “iPad mini?”. The report comes from a Taiwanese Economic Daily News financial newspaper that also correctly reported that Apple was making the original iPad. Now they claim Taiwanese companies starting to assemble a 7-inch iPad for Apple. The report also says that Apple has tapped Compal Electronics to assemble the new iPad, Compal Electronics is one of the largest contract laptop computer makers in the world. » Rumor: New iPad Coming This December?